Joachim de Posada: Don't eat the marshmallow!

http://www.ted.com In this short talk from TED U, Joachim de Posada shares a landmark experiment on delayed gratification -- and how it can predict future success. With priceless video of kids trying their hardest not to eat the marshmallow.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[CilantroHater]

My parents always bought identical snacks for my brother and me. My brother would always ask me to share mine with him first, with the promise that he would share his with me late. Of course, he would then eat his in secret.

If we were in this experiment together, I'd end up eating half a marshmallow while he has two and a half.

[Rasmus Nielsen]

Thats funny. But i would like to see some facts about the children and their parents. Like a home income. I think that most of the "succesful" kids probibly had parents with a higher income than the "unsuccesful". For two resons. Parents with a high paying job usually have more time to raise their kids. And they also have the money to put their children through college. Just a thought.

Sorry for the broken english. Its bin a while since iv'e used english.

[Amber Gregory]

This not only seems like poor science, but also *irrelevant* science, unless you are arrogant enough to think you really can measure successful living.

[Rebecca Gaut]

coursera.org brought me here ....Go #CognativeCannibal

[Tiffany Tsao]

LOL I'm not so affirmative about this method. My mom tested this approach on me and my bro when we were 4. I ate it but my bro didn't. And now, my bro is a police and I'm an intern. I have a great relationship with my teachers and my teammates, I serve as a leader. Well I still in love with marshmallow and I'll eat it up if you do the same method on me again.

[Cody Dodd]

I love the comment about the national debt at the end. Very revealing parallel between how poor parenting is effecting the government.

[Luzangelasanchez97]

You don't spell Colombia (South America) with the U!!!!

[Relativityblast]

He mean't it in a cultural sense, the Stanford experiment dealt with America kids so he went to Columbia to see if delayed gratification had similar results. Those being academic success due to innate self control at an early age. One more note, for all of you non psychologists this experiment does not have anything to do with income. It is pure results of delayed gratification and the importance of self control. This may even apply to american obesity/...

[TesticularRainbows]

From what I gather, it's along the lines of the fact that they're poor gives them less access to the right training/approach. Also, maybe since they're poor, they take what they can get *shrugs* =/

[guitarrahombre]

did he explain why poor people wouldn't practice delay as much? i would think that poor people would be better because they can't afford to buy things they want.

[TesticularRainbows]

Taken from an article in the New Yorker