What a Nobel Laureate Got Wrong About the Marshmallow Study

And Why It Still Matters Today

So, I got in a fight with a Nobel laureate the other day.

There were no fisticuffs, but I my hackles were raised when I saw how an influential economist interpreted the famous marshmallow study. What started as a casual scroll through my Twitter feed turned into a minor scuffle about one of psychology’s most iconic experiments. The marshmallow study, which has captivated the public for decades, recently faced a replication challenge, sparking fresh debates about its significance and importance. A Nobel laureate weighed in, and, me being me, I couldn’t resist responding.

On Marshmallows and Personality

The marshmallow study, conducted by the late Walter Mischel in the late 1960s, involved offering children a simple choice: eat one marshmallow now or wait and receive two later. It turns out that children vary in how long they can stare down a marshmallow and wait patiently to get two of these gummy treats. Older kids can wait longer, for example. There were also strategies some kids sponta…