Marshmallows, Trees, and learning how to wait: Thoughts for Tu Bishvat
One of the most famous experiments in child psychology was conducted by Walter Mischel. He would give preschool-age children a marshmallow, and then a tantalizing dilemma: the child could eat the marshmallow now -- or, if the child succeeded in waiting for several minutes, the child would receive two marshmallows. This “marshmallow experiment,” as it came to be known, examines one of the most essential life skills: delay of gratification. Mischel and his team found that most of the young children were unable to delay their gratification; some ate the marshmallow immediately, and others made an effort but could not wait for more than a couple of minutes. However, approximately 30% of the children were able to develop strategies that helped them to delay their gratification for the entire fifteen minutes. Some children even blocked the marshmallow from their view so they could more easily focus on other things. This experiment was first conducted in