interesting!

[prplemonkey]

DATE:  2006.05.10
BYLINE:  David Brooks
SOURCE:  The New York Times

What marshmallows can teach us about life: The secret to success? Delayed gratification

Around 1970, Walter Mischel launched a classic experiment. He left a succession of four-year-olds in a room with a bell and a marshmallow. If they rang the bell, he would come back and they could

Comments

[economistmikey]

Cool stuff. Since we're sharing studies, I thought I'd share one I learned about last week. Has nothing at all to do with what you posted, but it's interesting nonetheless

[prplemonkey]

Wow, that's interesting. I doubt that would pass ethics approval these days. ;D

[joosy_froot]

Yeah, ethics committees are pretty strict these days -- though you can get round it if you use representitive tasks rather than actual, physical competition (see Tajfel's minimal group paradigm).

I'm really glad you brought up the delayed gratification study -- I saw a replication a few months ago and all but one of the children gave in within a couple of minutes. It's pretty depressing really. But it does give me an idea for my dissertation...