I read the experiment with adults who renege on their promises some time ago, and my reaction was along the lines of “seriously, the kids would have to be idiots to take them at their words after all this.”
There’s no point in engaging one’s ability to delay gratification for a reward that almost certainly isn’t coming.
For some value of “almost certainly”. If you value one marshmallow fifteen minutes from now 0.95 times as much as one right now, and you’re 90% sure you won’t get a second marshmallow, you still are better off in average by waiting.
I read the experiment with adults who renege on their promises some time ago, and my reaction was along the lines of “seriously, the kids would have to be idiots to take them at their words after all this.”
There’s no point in engaging one’s ability to delay gratification for a reward that almost certainly isn’t coming.
For some value of “almost certainly”. If you value one marshmallow fifteen minutes from now 0.95 times as much as one right now, and you’re 90% sure you won’t get a second marshmallow, you still are better off in average by waiting.