Tuesday, August 10, 2010

TED Talk Tuesday: Joachim de Posada

This TED Talk was given by Joachim de Posada, a psychologist studying the concept of delayed gratification.  In the original experiment, kids were given a marshmallow.  However, if they could last 15 minutes without eating the marshmallow, then they would get a second one.  The results were very surprising- only 1/3 of the kids could wait the entire 15 minutes.  Even more intriguing, following the kids from the experiment later in life, that 1/3 group tended to do far better in school and had less discipline problems.

The impact of these studies carries throughout society and schools in general.  Instant gratification affects a large part of society and explains why some kids do better in school than others.  Can we teach this restraint?  Can we impart this requirement for success on our children?  I certainly hope so.  Enjoy the TED Talk, and remember:  Don't eat the marshmallow, yet!

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