Walter Mischel

Walter Mischel (February 22, 1930 – September 12, 2018) was an Austrian-born American psychologist specializing in personality theory and social psychology. He was the Robert Johnston Niven Professor of Humane Letters in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University. He is best known for the Stanford marshmallow experiment, a study on delayed gratification.

Early Life and Education

Mischel was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1930. He emigrated to the United States in 1938. He received his bachelor's degree from New York University in 1951 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Ohio State University in 1956.

Career

Mischel began his career as a clinical psychologist. He joined the faculty at Stanford University in 1958, where he conducted the Stanford marshmallow experiment. In 1983, he moved to Columbia University, where he continued his research on personality and self-control.

Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

The Stanford marshmallow experiment was a series of studies on delayed gratification in the late 1960s and early 1970s led by Mischel. In these studies, a child was offered a choice between one small reward provided immediately or two small rewards if they waited for a short period. The results of the study showed that children who were able to wait longer for the preferred rewards tended to have better life outcomes.

Personal Life and Death

Mischel was married to Harriet Nerlove and they had three children. He died on September 12, 2018, in New York City.

Legacy

Mischel's work has had a significant impact on the field of psychology, particularly in the areas of personality theory and social psychology. His research on delayed gratification has influenced understanding of self-control and its role in human behavior.

See Also

• Personality psychology
• Social psychology
• Stanford marshmallow experiment

External Links

• Walter Mischel's Faculty Page at Columbia University

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