Walter Mischel, The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, Brilliance Audio 2014 (Audio CD) ISBN: =”1469249065”

My Review 4/5

Great book, same two system concept as previously read in Emotional Intelligence, but this time ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ system

Hot -> amygdala, fast responses

Cold -> Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus, memory plus decision making

Three parts:

  1. preschoolers and executive function.

  2. Marshmallows to 401k. Self control at adult level

  3. policy impacts.

Focuses on how self control can be improved and how it, on groups, predicts success. Solid 4. Not quite a 5 not sure if this is because of my previous experience with Emotional Intelligence. First third of the book about the history of the test at Stanford is very interesting. Added to list Mindset recommended in this book. That was disappointing.

Some techniques for mastering self-control:

  1. Increase psychological distance - reflect on the situation as a fly on the wall

  2. Associate future consequences with immediate action - if I smoke I’ll get cancer

  3. Frame the temptation. Think of the cognitive physical attributes - A cookie is round and made of flour eggs sugar

  4. if/then conditioning. Replay scenarios to train the hot system. If I see a cookie Then I will not eat it

Date Read

2015/12/24

Date Added

2016/10/11

Significant Revisions