marshmallow test

[ mahrsh-mel-oh test, -mal-oh ]

noun

, Psychology.

1. an experiment in which self-control is assessed through whether the subject, usually a child, chooses to eat a presented treat, such as a marshmallow or cookie, for immediate gratification or chooses to wait in order to get an additional, promised treat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of marshmallow test¹

First recorded in 1965–70; developed by Austrian-born U.S. psychologist Walter Mischel (1930–2018) at Stanford University

Example Sentences

Elsewhere in the barn, behavioral biologist Sandra Düpjan has been replicating the famous “marshmallow test” with pigs.

From Science Magazine

The classic marshmallow test, invented by the late psychologist Walter Mischel, involves presenting a child with one marshmallow and explaining that they can have it now or they can have two later if they wait until the marshmallow giver returns.

From Scientific American

Some studies have found that better performance on that marshmallow test in childhood predicts better outcomes in school, relationships and health later in life.

From Scientific American

In 2021, Alexandra Schnell, a biologist at the University of Cambridge, and others found that cuttlefish can pass a version of the marshmallow test, a famous measure of self-control in human psychology.

From New York Times

In recent years, a string of high-profile papers has reported that they are capable of surprising cognitive feats, including rejecting easy meals while holding out for better food in the future, a version of the famous marshmallow test.

From New York Times