new about the marshmallow test

Oct 11, 2012 13:52

http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=4622

still, it doesn't explain the lower SAT and other results for the "eat right away" group in the previous study. too bad there's no way to assess the stability of their environments by going back in time.

Leave a comment

Comments 3

triz_wiz October 11 2012, 19:20:17 UTC
It does, kind of. In "neutral" settings children behave as they are used to. When primed (and at this age they are very good at tuning in), they behave accordingly. With age, habits become more ingrained. Then you see the outcomes.

Reply

ochame October 12 2012, 16:34:14 UTC
yes, I generally agree, but I would like to see a properly conducted study with environments clearly defined

Reply

triz_wiz October 12 2012, 17:20:24 UTC
I don't see it happening. May be I lack imagination, but a proper study would use children whose environment is consistently inconsistent, more specifically, precludes them from developing trust. Ideally, you would need to measure to what degree the environment is conducive or detrimental to determining trust. Again, that should be the case over time. On the left side of the scale it will likely be bordering on child abuse. It will be hard to maintain ethical standards while conducting this kind of study. Then you need to see when (and if) and to what degree the effects of different environments translate into different wait times under different priming conditions and then how all this plays out in the course of life. (Here you would need to rule out other variables as causes, e.g. parents’ education level, income, etc.). Then you have to consider that the regular environment may be inconsistent, but once a month the child goes to grandparents, and they are very consistent. And the child lives for this one weekend a month and waits ( ... )

Reply


Leave a comment

Up