Once we resolve our own confusion and understand that the reward is the second marshmallow and not the first, we can ask if subjects have that confusion and how it affects the result. That is, in this case, focusing on the reward, the second marshmallow, which the subject associates with the first marshmallow because they are two instances of the same thing, causes the subject to focus on the first marshmallow (not the actual reward), which is counterproductive.
I wonder how the results would change, if the reward for not eating the marshmallow for 15 minutes were instead a cookie, so there would be less association between the reward and the treat the subject should avoid eating. Though this has the unfortunate effect of complicating the protocol of the subject choosing the treat they value, which seems to work well in the original experiment.
Once we resolve our own confusion and understand that the reward is the second marshmallow and not the first, we can ask if subjects have that confusion and how it affects the result. That is, in this case, focusing on the reward, the second marshmallow, which the subject associates with the first marshmallow because they are two instances of the same thing, causes the subject to focus on the first marshmallow (not the actual reward), which is counterproductive.
I wonder how the results would change, if the reward for not eating the marshmallow for 15 minutes were instead a cookie, so there would be less association between the reward and the treat the subject should avoid eating. Though this has the unfortunate effect of complicating the protocol of the subject choosing the treat they value, which seems to work well in the original experiment.