Self-control ‘not linked to later success’

 Self-control in childhood does not increase the chances of future success, says a study claiming to disprove the famous “marshmallow experiment”.

For decades, psychologists were guided by tests in which children were offered one reward – usually a marshmallow – immediately or two in 15 minutes’ time. They suggested that a child’s self-control, as indicated by the ability to delay gratification, was closely linked to future achievement.

But researchers at New York University tried similar experiments on a larger and more diverse group of children – and found no such link.