Content
The first "marshmallow test" was conducted by Stanford psychology professor Walter Michelle in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The test is designed to measure how children might be able to restrain their desires. Subsequent research showed that children who could lay aside marshmallows and not eat them at age 4 outpaced their peers in many areas when they reached 18 years old: they went all 210 points higher, passed the SAT, and had higher confidence, concentration. and reliability. This simple test proved to be a predictor of subsequent SAT scores as well as IQ tests. ...
The marshmallow test described here is unlikely to claim to be a valid scientific experiment. Taking the test will not show your toddler is on the fast track to Harvard. However, this is quite a fun activity for your kids, and an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson in patience.
Steps
1 Place the child in a place where there is a chair, a table, and one marshmallow. In a training experiment, the researchers hid behind a double-sided mirror. You can do the same with a camcorder or webcam on your computer. 
2 Tell your child the rules of the test:- You will leave one marshmallow on the table where the child is sitting. Explain that you are going to leave the room and that he / she can eat the marshmallows after you leave. However, if you return and he / she has not eaten the marshmallow, you will reward him / her with extra sweetness.
3 Leave the room as soon as the child realizes that he / she can either eat one marshmallow now or two later.
4 Wait. In a real experiment, psychologists waited 20 minutes to see if the children could resist the temptation. However, in this version of the test, most parents choose to wait only 2-5 minutes. 
5 Come back and reward the kid with an extra marshmallow if they deserve it. Let him / her eat the marshmallows now. Explain that you are proud of his / her behavior. If your child ate marshmallows while you were away, try to use this moment to explain the importance of postponing gratification. 
6 Enjoy watching the test video with the whole family and with your child as he or she gets older. Children will be interested in seeing their own reactions, regardless of how the test went.
Tips
- If your child doesn't like marshmallows, replace it with a more tempting treat.
- While the original marshmallow test was done on 4-year-olds, you can do this test on children of any age. Be aware that children under the age of 4 will have difficulty resisting temptation.
- Watch the transcript of the test with the children, both for fun and to draw conclusions.
Warnings
- The marshmallow test described here is not as controlled as the famous scientific experiment. Enjoy the learning experience, but don't take the results too seriously.
- Don't overdo it. You want your child to have a good time.
- This is not a scientific experiment. This is a test for fun and laughter. Show the video to your father or mother when they get home for a good laugh!
