Candy Temptation: Why Waiting Can Mean Getting More
In 1972, a researcher at Stanford University sat a four-year-old child at a table with one marshmallow in front of them. He said: "I'm going to leave the room. If you don't eat this marshmallow until I come back, you can have TWO marshmallows." Some kids ate the marshmallow right away. Others waited — sitting on their hands, singing songs, looking away — and got two marshmallows when the researcher returned. This is called the Marshmallow Test, and it taught scientists something important about how we all make choices.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson you will be able to: • Explain what now-or-later choices are. • Describe what self-control means in your own words. • Give one example of a time when waiting gets you something better. • Name one trick that makes waiting easier.
The Big Question: Do You Want One Now or Two Later?
Every day you face choices like the marshmallow test. Do you eat your Halloween candy all at once, or save some for later? Do you spend your allowance the moment you get it, or save it for a toy you really want? Behavioral economics is the study of how people actually make choices — especially when something tempting is right in front of them. Scientists have found that young children, grown-ups, and even animals struggle with this kind of choice. You are not alone when you feel the pull of "just take it now!"
In the Marshmallow Test, the kids who waited longest used a clever trick: they looked AWAY from the marshmallow or covered their eyes. Scientists call this putting the temptation out of sight. Out of sight really does mean out of mind — try it next time you want to save something for later.
What Is Self-Control?
Self-control means being able to wait for something better even when you really want something right now. It does not mean you never want the marshmallow — of course you do! It means you can pause and ask yourself: if I wait, will I get something even better? Think about saving coins in a piggy bank. Each coin by itself does not buy much. But if you wait and save ten coins together, you can buy something much more fun. That is self-control working for you. Self-control uses a part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex — the part just behind your forehead. It is still growing when you are young, which is one reason waiting is harder for kids than for grown-ups. You are not bad at waiting; your brain is just still learning!
Real Now-vs-Later Choices
Here are three examples of now-vs-later choices kids face every day: 1. Candy: Eat one piece of Halloween candy now — OR save your candy and trade with a friend for your favorite kind tomorrow. 2. Screen time: Watch TV right now and have no time for the video game you love — OR finish homework first and then play the video game for a longer stretch. 3. Saving money: Spend your $2 allowance on a small vending-machine toy — OR save your allowance for three weeks and buy a $6 book your friend loved. None of these choices is wrong — sometimes enjoying something right now IS the right call. Behavioral economics just teaches us to THINK about the trade-off before we decide.
In the Marshmallow Test, what happened if the child waited without eating the marshmallow?
Which part of the brain helps you practice self-control?
My Own Waiting Challenge
Choose something you like that you get regularly — a small snack, screen time, or an allowance. For ONE week, try the waiting challenge: instead of using or eating it right away, wait at least 30 minutes before deciding. Keep a simple chart with three columns: Day, What I Was Tempted By, and Did I Wait? (Yes or No). At the end of the week, look at your chart and answer two questions: Was it easier to wait by Day 7 than Day 1? Did you use any tricks — like looking away or doing something else — that helped? Share your chart and your answers with a family member.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
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