marshmallow test: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

The test was developed by psychologist Walter Mischel and his colleagues at Stanford University in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The original studies suggested that children who were able to wait longer for the preferred rewards tended to have better life outcomes (e.g., higher SAT scores, educational attainment) later on, though these findings have been complicated by subsequent research.

No, it is primarily a measure of self-control, impulse regulation, and the ability to deploy strategic attention (e.g., distracting oneself). It correlates with certain cognitive skills but is not an IQ test.

While the specific procedure is designed for young children, the concept is widely applied metaphorically to adult behaviors involving delayed gratification, such as saving money or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

A psychological experiment measuring a child's ability to delay gratification, where the child is offered a choice between an immediate small reward (one marshmallow) or waiting to receive a larger reward (two marshmallows) later.

Marshmallow test is usually formal to semi-formal; academic, journalistic, self-help. in register.

Marshmallow test: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɑːʃˈmæləʊ ˌtest/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɑːrʃˈmæloʊ ˌtest/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.