Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M6296

Marshmallow Test

Marshmallow Test
BehaviorHigh supportDevelopmental Psychology
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Updated 2026-08-06

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Run by Walter Mischel at Stanford in the early 1970s, the test offered children a choice between one treat immediately and two if they waited about fifteen minutes. Children who waited tended to show better later outcomes on some measures, though subsequent research found the association substantially reduced after controlling for family background. What the successful children did was not simply endure: they used strategies such as singing, covering their eyes or turning away to divert attention from the treat.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Move the temptation: take the option out of sight instead of resisting it with willpower. - Set the commitment: bind your future self in advance, for example by prepaying for a program. - Teach the strategy: train attention diversion before expecting anyone to hold out.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Immediately available rewards activate a hot, emotionally driven system, while delayed outcomes require the cooler, reflective system. Looking directly at the treat keeps the hot representation active and makes waiting feel unbearable; diverting attention weakens that representation and lets the cool system hold the plan. Delay of gratification therefore depends on attentional strategy rather than on the strength of the will.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B2%83%E5%B0%94%E7%89%B9ZH · Explicit
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