The Marshmallow Test
In the Marshmallow Test, researchers left four-year-old children alone in a room (1) ...,........ a marshmallow. (2)....... the children managed to resist temptation and not eat the marshmallow, the researcher promised them a reward of two marshmallows. However, most of the children (3)..... it difficult to be patient and (4)........ it in before the time was up. They prefer to have something immediately (5).... than wait for what they really wanted. The researchers found that, as adults, those children who could rise to the challenge were generally (6) .............. more successful than the others.
The best technique was to avoid thinking about the marshmallow (7)..... all. The successful children(8)...... with the problem by looking away or covering their eyes. If they didn't think about the marshmallow, they didn't have to make an (9)........not to eat it.
When Mischel taught a different set of children this technique, nearly all the children (10) .......in waiting the full time. Learning these techniques can help in adult life because being able to wait helps us to make the right choices.