The results of the 'marshmallow experiment' vary between Japan and other countries due to cultural differences.
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How Culture Affects the 'Marshmallow Test' | Scientific American
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-culture-affects-the-marshmallow-test/
Professor Munakata moved from Boulder, Colorado, USA to Kyoto, Japan in 2017. His children quickly noticed the cultural differences between America and Japan. For example, central heating is the norm in America, but in Japan, we use air conditioners and kotatsu (heated table with a heater). In elementary school, children serve lunch and clean up themselves, but in America, specialized workers are in charge of these tasks.
In Japan, it is common for all students to gather together and say 'itadakimasu' before eating. However, for Professor Munakata's children, who had moved from the United States, the Japanese school lunch scene of waiting for other children to say 'itadakimasu' was very strange.
After hearing from the children about the cultural differences they experienced after moving to Japan, Professor Munakata wondered if Japanese children might have a special advantage in the marshmallow experiment, which tests the ability to resist eating snacks as a measure of self-control.
The marshmallow experiment is a test devised by psychologist Walter Mischel to see whether a child will eat a candy or wait until they get an additional marshmallow, or how long they can wait before eating the first marshmallow. The marshmallow experiment is considered a test of children's self-control, and examines how well they can suppress impulsive behavior and work toward long-term goals.
The general steps are as follows:
1: Give each child a marshmallow
2: Explain that you can eat the marshmallow now, or you can wait until the person who gave you the marshmallow returns (15 minutes) and get another marshmallow.
3. The child is then left alone in a room with marshmallows.
It has also been shown that people who performed well in the marshmallow experiment as children tend to do
Professor Munakata, in collaboration with Satoshi Saito of Kyoto University and Kaichi Yanagioka of the University of Tokyo,
They then had the children take part in a marshmallow experiment, which showed that while most American children were unable to wait four minutes to eat the first marshmallow, Japanese children were willing to wait 15 minutes for the second marshmallow. It would be tempting to conclude that Japanese children have better self-control.
However, Professor Munakata and his team also conducted a different marshmallow experiment in which the children were shown a wrapped present and were given the option to open it now or to wait and receive another present. In this experiment, most Japanese children could not even wait five minutes to open their present, while most American children waited 15 minutes before getting their second present.
Regarding the results of this experiment, Professor Munakata said, 'It seems that repeated experiences of postponing gratification can help children develop habits that will make it easier for them to wait in the future. Parents reported that Japanese children were more accustomed to the habit of waiting to eat than American children. The stronger this habit was, the longer the child waited for the second marshmallow. However, when it came to opening presents, American children seemed to be more consistent in their waiting. In the United States, birthday presents are not opened until after the party, but are left on the table. Christmas presents are also left under the tree for several days before being opened on December 25th. In Japan, however, there is no custom of 'waiting' to open presents on birthdays or Christmas.'
Therefore, Professor Munakata points out that the difference between American and Japanese children in the marshmallow experiment is not a reflection of the children's self-control, but rather is largely due to 'what they are used to waiting for.' In addition, the research team evaluated how sensitive the children were to social conventions of 'how they should behave.' The more sensitive they were, the longer they waited to open the present in the United States and the longer they were able to wait to eat the marshmallow in Japan.
These findings suggest that procrastination isn't just a matter of self-control: Cultural habits and sensitivities are also factors that influence how long people postpone, but it could also be based on socioeconomic status and geography, Professor Munakata said.
'When children find that waiting until they get two marshmallows helps them succeed in school and in life, this may in part reflect their experiences and habits with procrastination. These habits may actually compensate for their self-control and help them procrastinate in ways that are useful in school and beyond. Children learn how to navigate social situations, look out for their elders, and tackle chores and homework in culture-specific ways that may serve them well later in life.'
Professor Munakata, who investigated the influence of cultural practices on the marshmallow experiment, said: 'The results of this study show that results from psychology and other sciences may capture cultural nuances that scientists are not even aware of. If we had conducted this study in only one country, or with only one reward, we may have reached completely different conclusions.'
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