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8/8/2019 Writing Talent Search - McCarthy
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C0297S0164E0000
Success,inallofitsmanyforms,isusedinsocietyfrequentlyanddescribesmanydifferentoutcomesandscenarios.
AfterwatchingtheMarshmallowExperimentandreadingthearticleDont!ThesecretofselfcontrolwrittenbyJohn
Lehrer,itwasapparentthattherewerecertaintraitslinkedtoasuccessfullife.Thesetraitswererepresentedinthe
highdelayers,orthesubjectswhosucceededwhenparticipatinginthemarshmallowexperimentperformedbyDr.
WalterMischel.Butbeingahighdelayerdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatyouwillsucceedandviceversa.Successcanbe
interpretedinmanyways,sotheremustbemanywaystoachieveit.Personaldefinitionsofsuccessareevident
throughouttheworld,butitishardtobesurewhichoneiscorrect.Thisleadstothefactthatdifferentformsof
attainingsuccess
must
be
used
when
facing
different
situations
resulting
in
apersonal
success.
Involving
both
logic
and
spontaneityisthewaythatIseefitwhenworkingtoachievesuccess.Whenfacingthewindingroadtosuccess,choices
mustbemadeconcerningthemethodschosentoattainit,butcontrarytoJohnLehrersarticle,beingahighdelayerwill
notalwaysensureyourdefinitesuccess. Beingahighdelayerisnottheonlyoptiongiventomakesurethatyou
willsucceedinlife.AlthoughinthearticleDont!Thesecret ofselfcontrolJohnLehrerexplainshowinDr.Walter
Mischelsmarshmallowexperimentchildrenwhowaitedforasecondmarshmallowweremorelikelytosucceedlater
inlife(Lehrernpag),theabilitytowaitisnottheonlywaytomakesuccesspossible.Spontaneityisalsoanimportant
partofreachingsuccess.Therearetimeswhenwaitingforsomethingbettertocomealongwillnotbebeneficialand
acceptingwhatishandedtoyouwill,inturn,behelpful.Eventhoughthetermsettlingtendstorefertogivingupand
justacceptingundesirablethings,itcanbeusedcomplimentarilytoasituation.Attimes,settlingforwhatisbeforeyou
inthepresentisthebetterchoicewhencomparedtowaitingforsomethingmoredesirabletoappear.Therewillalways
beopportunitiestoachieveahigherlevelofsuccessso,inasense,acceptingpresentopportunitiesandlaterworkingfor
betteronesisequivalent,ifnotmorebeneficial,thanbeingahighdelayer. Asidefromthisoneexample,thereare
othereventswherebeingahighdelayerisnotalwayscoveted.Inasuppressiontaskgiventoanequalamountofboth
high andlowdelayersinDont!Thesecretofselfcontrol,subjectsweregivenfourrandomwords,twoprintedinred
andtwoinblue.Thesubjectsweretoldtoremembertheredwordsandwerethengivenprobewordsandasked
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whethertheywerethewordstheywereaskedtoremember(Lehrernpag).Althoughhighdelayerstendedtoperform
betteronthistask,thelowdelayersshowedatraitthatwillhelpthemtoachievesuccessincertainsituations.Thelow
delayerstendedtobelievethatwordstheyweretoldtoforgetwerewordsthattheyshouldremember,andthis
suspicioncanbeveryuseful.Trustingeverythingthatistoldtoyouisnotalwaysbeneficial.Therewillbetimeswhen
beingsuspiciousishelpful,especiallywhenonthepathtoachievesuccess.Peoplemayattempttodistractyoufrom
yourcourseandlisteningtothemwillnotshowyouinthedirectionoftheobtainmentofsuccess.Thisexampleproves
thatlowdelayerscanhavetraitsmorebeneficialthanthosepossessedbyhighdelayers. Allthingsconsidered,
beingalowdelayerdoesnotcondemnonetoalifewithanabsenceofsuccess.JohnLehrerevenmentionsinDont!
ThesecretofselfcontrolthatMischelisexcitedbythepeoplewhofailedthemarshmallowexperimentasfouryear
oldsbuteventuallymadetheirlivesmoresuccessfulastheybecameadults(Lehrernpag).Lowdelayerscanbreakthe
unfortunatechainofmishapsamongtheirpeersandbecomeequallyassuccessfulasahighdelayerwouldbe.Although
JohnLehrerhasshowninhisarticlethatoutofallofthesubjectswhoparticipatedinthemarshmallowexperimentthe
highdelayerstendedtobemoresuccessfullaterinlife,giventhetraitsthatmanylowdelayerspossessed,beingahigh
delayerisnottheonlywaytosucceedinlife. Thewordsuccesshasthepotentialtobeinterpretedinvariousways.It
isaterm
generally
associated
with
apositive
outcome,
so
people
usually
have
different
ideas
about
what
is
considered
a
success.Somemaysaythatitconcernstheamountofmoneyormaterialitemsyoupossesswhileothersviewitasan
honorablerankamongsociety.WebstersNinthNewCollegiateDictionaryprovidesfourpossibledefinitionsforthe
wordsuccessandalthoughtheyarealllogicaldefinitions,thetruedefinitionofsuccessdoesnotlieinasimplephrase
thatiseasilyunderstoodbymany. Successrepresentsalightattheendofatunnel,theendtomanyobstaclesor
troublesthathavebeenfaced.Aportionofsuccesscanonlybeachievedthroughhardwork,selfcontrol,andpatience,
yetthere
are
times
when
it
also
entails
spontaneity.
It
calls
for
both
logic
and
what,
at
the
time,
may
seem
unreasonable
actions.Successcanbeassimpleasreceivingarewardafterataskiscompletedorascomplicatedasreceivingasought
afteroccupationaftercompletingmanychallengingyearsofschool.Successissimilartoanawardyoumaybepresented
withforcompetinginsportsoracademics.Youmaystruggleorcomplainwhenstrivingtoachievetheaward,butonceit
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isfinallyinyourhands,nothingbutblisscanbefelt. Thissevenletterwordmayappearfairlysimple,butinrealityit
holdsameaningthatconsequentlymakespeopleworkextremelyhardandattempttocontroltheurgetomake
thoughtlessdecisions.Successisthemomentwhenyoureceivethereward,materialisticornot,thatyouhavebeen
strivingforduringallofthelaborandmindlessworkyouhaveendured.Thisminisculeword,thatcannotevencovera
pageofpaperinsize72font,ispackedwithemotionssuchashappinessandcontent.Thepossibilityofsuccesssupplies
areasontoworkhardforwhatyoudesireandusemanydifferentmethodstotrytoachieveit.Whenaskedthe
question,Whatsyourdefinitionofsuccess?itishardtodescribeonesanswerusingabriefsentence.So,in
conclusion,Imustsaythatmydefinitionofsuccessisnottheactofgettingwhatyoudesire,butthejoyousfeelingthat
accompaniesthedesirableresultattainedthroughhardworkandlabor. InthearticleDont!Thesecretofself
control,thestrategiesusedtoachievesuccessdiscussedbyJohnLehrerarebothsimilaranddifferentfrompersonal
strategiesthatIcurrentlyusetotrytobecomesuccessful.Thestrategiesdescribedinthearticlefocusonbeingahigh
delayer,whichprovedtobehelpfulwhentryingtoachievesuccesslaterinlife(Lehrernpag).Iagreewiththismethod
ofattainingsuccess,butIalsouseothermethodsdependingonthesituationthatIamfacing.Itisquiteimportantto
maintainastronglevelofselfcontrolandpatiencewhenworkingyourwaytowardsaspecificgoal.Someoutcomescan
onlyresult
from
periods
of
waiting,
so
having
the
traits
of
ahigh
delayer
can
being
greatly
beneficial
when
facing
these
situations. Onthecontrary,therearetimeswhenquickdecisionsmustbemadeandeverythingthatyoumayhave
followedwhenpreviouslytryingtoacquiresuccessmustbeforgotten.ItisintimessuchasthesethatIuseamethodof
achievingsuccessthatdiffersfromthosementionedinDont!Thesecretofselfcontrol.Thismethodreferstothe
abilityofsurprisingothersaswellasyourselfwithyouractions.Whenchoiceshavetobemadeinashortperiodoftime,
takingachanceandtrustingyourinstinctsmaybethesmartestroutetochoose.Althoughtheoutcomeisnotalways
preferred,it
still
provides
away
to
obtain
success,
whether
it
takes
days
or
years.
These
two
methods
of
achievingsuccessmaycontrastgreatly,buttheybothcanbeextremelyeffective.Thestrategiesthatareincludedinthe
articleDont!Thesecretofselfcontrol,areverylogicalandcanworktoonesadvantage,butmyownpersonal
methodalsohasbenefits.UsingacombinationoftheseformsofobtainingsuccessIhavemanagedtohavevarious
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successeswithintheshortperiodoftimethatIhavelived. Inconclusion,theformsusedtoachievethe
complicatedthingthatissuccessmayvary,butthereisnolimittothetypesofpeoplethatareabletosucceed.Dont!
Thesecretofselfcontrolmaysaythathighdelayersusuallyperformedbetterthanlowdelayersinvariouscategories
oflife(Lehrernpag),butitalsopresentsthefactthattherewerelowdelayerswhoeventuallysucceeded.Thisproves
thatthefeelingofpurejoyrepresentingsuccesscanbeobtainedbydifferenttypeofpeopleinmanyways,whetheritis
bylogicorluck.
Comments:Youadvancetheclaimthatbeingahighdelayerisoneofmanypossiblewaysofachievingsuccessinlife.ThisisaccomplishedeffectivelybyyouruseoftextualevidencefromJohanLehrersessay. Ratherthanmerelystatingthatsomethingisacertainway,youlinkyourclaimsorideastospecificquotesandthengoontoanalyzehowthequoteaddstoyourownpositionintheessay. Youmakesomeoriginalandinterestingclaimsbypointingouthowbeingsuspiciousmayalsobeanassetinthedevelopmentofsuccessinlife.Whatwouldhavebeeninterestingtoseeinyouressaywasachallengeorcritiqueofthewaysinwhichsuccessisbeingapproachedbythemarshmallowtests.Youbegintodothisinyourpaper,butyoudonotdevelopthisbeyondthepointofquicklyraisingitintheessay.Youressayiswellthoughtoutandenjoyabletoread.
Grade:B+
Grade Thesis WorkwithAssignedText Organization Presentation
A Complexinterpretive
thesisclearfromthe
start
Independentideas
developedand
presentedthroughout
Studentcenteredconnective
thinking
Thesiscutsacrossreadingsin
unanticipatedwaysorfindsa
largercontextforthe
conversation
Clear,fluid,logical
Stronguseoftopic
sentencesandother
guidepostsforthereader
Minimalornoerrors
Likelytoexhibit
eloquenceoran
elegantwritingstyle
B+
Independentthinking
consistentlydeveloped
Engagesmorecomplex
ideasinthereadings
Beginstograsp
complexityofown
positionordevelops
secondaryemerging
Usestextual
evidence
with
confidenceandauthority
Studentsideasincontrol
throughoutpaper
Textevidenceusedwellto
bothsupportandcomplicate
thethesis
Generallywell
organized
Maydevelopasecondary
emergingthesiswhich
complicatestheoriginal
argument
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thesis
B Thesisarticulatedfrom
theoutset
Advancesindependent
ideas
Thesis
more
coherent
thanClevel
Thesismaybesomewhat
limitedordevelopedina
repetitiveway
Takessomeinterpretiverisks
withtext
Workswithavarietyoftextual
evidence
Texts
used
in
service
of
project
andtoprovidesupportforit
Sustainedmeaningful
structure
Reasonablecoherencein
presentation
Controlled
development
ofthesis
Smoothertransitionand
topicsentencesthanC
range
Minimalerrors
Minimalorno
mechanical,citation
orformattingerrors
C+ Hasathesisbutnot
clearlyarticulatedfrom
outset
Movestoward
independentthesis,
showinganemerging
coherenceofideas
Momentsofsolidworkwith
textsanduseofadequate
textualevidence
Engagesinmorecomplicated
ideasinreadings
Connectivethinkingmaybe
implicit
Hasrelationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Transitionsandtopic
sentencesbeginto
emerge
Hassomecoherencebut
lacksmeaningfulstructure
foundin
B
range
papers
Sentencelevel
errorsundercontrol
Mayhavesome
mechanical,citation,
orformattingerrors
C Thesisemergesatendof
paperfromdiscussionof
thetext
Takesclearpositionat
leastonce
Thesismaybevagueor
general
Workswithmorethanone
source
Vaguesensethatstudents
voiceiscontributingtothe
conversation
Adequatereading
comprehensionanduseof
texturalevidence
Somecoherent
relationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Paragraphsmayexhibit
emergingtopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsdonot
significantlyimpede
meaning
Somemechanical,
citation,and/or
formattingerrors
NP Nothesisinevidence
Thesisburiedin
summary
Littleornorelationship
betweentextsandthesis
Poorreadingcomprehension/
misinterpretation
Lacksmeaningful
connection
betweentextsorwith
studentsownposition
Privilegesstudentsideas
Weakuseoftextualevidence
Overgeneralizesaboutthe
text
Littlecoherencefrom
paragraphtoparagraph
Lacksorganizational
structure
Weakuseofparagraphs,
withfewornocleartopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsimpede
meaning
Patternsoferror
Failuretoproofread
Seriouserrorsin
citationconventions
Source: http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/courselisting/60courselisting/55355101
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C0213S0097ETS30
HighDelayers:Theonlypathtosuccess?
Isbeing
a"high
delayer"
the
only
way
to
achieve
"success"
in
life?
In
Jonah
Lehrers
article
Dont!
The
secret
to
selfcontrol,weseehowDr.WalterMischelsfamousmarshmallowexperimentcantellapartdisciplinedchildrenfrom
theirmischievouspeers.Theoneswhodemonstrateselfcontrolusuallydobetterinschoolandaremorelikelyto
succeedintheiradultlife.However,isselfdisciplinetheonlywaytobecomesuccessful?Actually,mybeliefsarequite
thecontrary,andformanyreasons.Successcanbeachievedinrecognitionofanytalentoruniquenessoftheperson,
suchasarockstar.Suchpeoplearenotusuallydependentonselfcontrolinordertoprosperandmakeafortune,ifthat
iswhatbeingsuccessfulreallyis.Prevalencehasitsowndefinitiontoanindividual.Someonemayreflectupontheir
selfimage,relationships,andeconomicaldispositionandconcludethattheyaresuccessful.Anotherinthesamespot,
havingdifferentideology,mightbedisappointedwiththeircurrentstateandshallstrivetobecomeprosperous.Inthis
way,onecanbesuccessful.Majoritiesofpeoplemaketheword"success"synonymouswith"rich"and"famous".
However,successisonlydefinablebywhatanindividualperceivesittobe. Asstated,successisonespersonal
standardofselfcontent/fulfillment.Idefinesuccessasbeinghappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.Feelinggood
aboutyourselfandyourplaceintheworldisthekeytosuccess.Ifyouarealwaysmiserableandantisocial,howcanyou
consideryourselfcontent?Youcouldbetherichest,mostacknowledgedpersonintheworld,andstillconsideryourself
unsuccessfulifyoufeelsomethingismissingfromyourlife.Moneycantbuyhappiness.Aslongastheindividualhasa
positiveattitudeandstaysopenmindedhe/shecanbesuccessfuldoingoddjobsforalifetime.Forexample,thefilm
TheBucketListtellsthestoryoftwooldmenwhohavemonthstolive,duetoafatalillness.Oneisrich,andtheother
isacommon
mechanic.
They
go
on
having
fun,
but
when
their
time
is
drawing
near,
they
separate
and
return
home.
The
richmanisconstantlydepressedbecauseheissingleandhasnoone,whilethecommonmanresidesinpeacealongside
hisvastlovingfamily.Successtrulyisselfsatisfaction. Asforme,thestrategiesusedtoachievesuccessdiffergreatly
fromthosethatDr.Mischelhaddiscovered.Dr.Mischelsmethodreliessolelyupondistraction.Insteadofgetting
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obsessedwiththemarshmallowthehotstimulusthepatientchildrendistractedthemselvesbycoveringtheireyes,
pretendingtoplayhideandseekunderneaththedesk,orsingingsongsfromSesameStreet.Theirdesirewasnt
defeateditwasmerelyforgotten,writesMs.Lehrer.However,mymethodsconsistofstimulatingoneselfbyusing
scaretactics.Idwellupontheproblem,letitreallygetinsidemeanddrivemeinsanewithguiltandagony,forwhat
worsepainthanbeingdrivenintothegroundandbrutallydismayedbyyourownstress!Then,willallthesefeelingsof
anxietyuponme,ItellmyselfthatitwillalljustdisappearifIdowhatImust,anddoitproperly.Then,withsuchfeelings
stilluponme,Isetoutandpourallofmyeffortandfocusmythoughtontocompletingthetaskathand.Whetheryou
simplydistractyourselforknowinglydriveyourselfintoblindingrageandagony,ifthereisawill,thereisaway.
Comments:Inyouressayyoudescribesuccessassomethingthatisdifferentforeachperson. Thisisabitofaproblematicposition,sinceitessentiallyputsthetopicofsuccessoutsideoftherealmofdiscussionsincethedefinitionandimportanceofsuccessvariesgreatlyfromonepersontoanother. Youressaydoesnotengagedirectlywiththeessayquestion. Youdostatethatyoudonotbeliefthatbeingahighdelayeristheonlywayofachievingsuccess,butyoudonotgomuchfurtherbeyondthisclaim. AnotherissueinyouressayisthatyoudonotengagewithJohanLehrersessay. Youprovidethereaderwithageneralizedsummaryofwhatthemarshmallowtestswere,butthendriftawayfromLehrersessaytotalkaboutsuccessinageneralizedway. Rememberthatwritingatthecollegelevelmeansengagingdirectlywiththetextsthatyouareusing. Locatingandusingkeyquotesastextualevidenceisanimportantandsophisticatedwayofdevelopingyourownpositionindialoguewiththepositionsandclaimsofthetextsthatyouareutilizing.
Grade:NP
Grade Thesis WorkwithAssignedText Organization Presentation
A Complexinterpretive
thesisclearfromthe
start
Independentideas
developedand
presentedthroughout
Studentcenteredconnective
thinking
Thesiscutsacrossreadingsin
unanticipatedwaysorfindsa
largercontextforthe
conversation
Clear,fluid,logical
Stronguseoftopic
sentencesandother
guidepostsforthereader
Minimalornoerrors
Likelytoexhibit
eloquenceoran
elegantwritingstyle
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B+ Independentthinking
consistentlydeveloped
Engagesmorecomplex
ideasinthereadings
Beginstograsp
complexity
of
own
positionordevelops
secondaryemerging
thesis
Usestextualevidencewith
confidenceandauthority
Studentsideasincontrol
throughoutpaper
Textevidenceusedwellto
both
support
and
complicate
thethesis
Generallywellorganized
Maydevelopasecondary
emergingthesiswhich
complicatestheoriginal
argument
B Thesisarticulatedfrom
theoutset
Advancesindependent
ideas
Thesismorecoherent
thanClevel
Thesismaybesomewhat
limitedordevelopedina
repetitiveway
Takessomeinterpretiverisks
withtext
Workswithavarietyoftextual
evidence
Textsusedinserviceofproject
andtoprovidesupportforit
Sustainedmeaningful
structure
Reasonablecoherencein
presentation
Controlleddevelopment
ofthesis
Smoothertransitionand
topicsentencesthanC
range
Minimalerrors
Minimalorno
mechanical,citation
orformattingerrors
C+ Hasathesisbutnot
clearlyarticulatedfrom
outset
Movestoward
independentthesis,
showinganemerging
coherenceofideas
Momentsofsolidworkwith
textsanduseofadequate
textualevidence
Engagesinmorecomplicated
ideasinreadings
Connectivethinkingmaybe
implicit
Hasrelationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Transitionsandtopic
sentencesbeginto
emerge
Hassomecoherencebut
lacksmeaningfulstructure
foundinBrangepapers
Sentencelevel
errorsundercontrol
Mayhavesome
mechanical,citation,
orformattingerrors
C Thesisemergesatendof
paperfromdiscussionof
thetext
Takesclearpositionat
leastonce
Thesismaybevagueor
general
Workswithmorethanone
source
Vaguesense
that
students
voiceiscontributingtothe
conversation
Adequatereading
comprehensionanduseof
texturalevidence
Somecoherent
relationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Paragraphsmayexhibit
emergingtopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsdonot
significantlyimpede
meaning
Somemechanical,
citation,and/or
formattingerrors
NP Nothesisinevidence
Thesisburiedin
summary
Littleornorelationship
betweentextsandthesis
Poorreadingcomprehension/
misinterpretation
Lacksmeaningfulconnection
betweentextsorwith
studentsownposition
Privileges
students
ideas
Weakuseoftextualevidence
Overgeneralizesaboutthe
text
Littlecoherencefrom
paragraphtoparagraph
Lacksorganizational
structure
Weakuseofparagraphs,
with
few
or
no
clear
topic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsimpede
meaning
Patternsoferror
Failuretoproofread
Serious
errors
in
citationconventions
Source: http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/courselisting/60courselisting/55355101
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C0266S0089ETS15
TheSecretofSuccess
Judgingfrom
the
marshmallow
experiment,
we
can
conclude
that
high
delayers
are
usually
more
successful
in
life.
Howeverthatisnotalwaysthecase.Highdelayersdontnecessarilyachievemoresuccess,andtheirsuccessmay
seemlikefailureinotherpeopleseyes..Theresultofanexperimentdoneatchildhooddoesthatdeterminethe
outcomeofthatchildsfuture.Successisnotalwaysdefinedbymonetarywealthorhowsociallyadeptyouare.Soin
thatsuccesspeoplearetryingtoachievecanmeanmanydifferentthings.Successcanmeantohaveastablelife
whilenothavingthatmuchmoney,whileothermayinterpretitinthatyouhaveabyameasureofmonetarywealth.In
awayallsuccesseshavemeansinwhichtoacquirethemnomatterwhattheybe.Andasthemethodsdifferentiate
betweencertainpeoplesinterpretationsofsuccess,theycanrangegreatly.Soisbeingahighdelayertheonlywayto
achievesuccess? Theexperimentsupposedlytestsachildslevelofselfcontrolandfromtheseresults
theydeterminethesuccesslevelofthatchild.Supposedly,childrenwhocanrestrainthemselvesfromeatingthe
marshmallowaremoresuccessful.Thechildrenwhochoseimmediategratificationbyeatingthemarshmallowbefore
themancomesbackwithanotheraresupposedlylesssuccessful.Themarshmallowtestrepresentsthechoicesinlife.
Onechoice,toeatthemarshmallowfirstisthechoicethatoffersimmediatesatisfaction,whiletheotheroffersagreate
reward,atthepriceofwaitinglonger.Oneexampleofthisisthesystemofstocks.Whenthechancecomestosellyour
stocksatahighprice,andyoutakeit,thenyoutookthepathtoimmediategratification.Ifyouwaitandbideyourtime
forthelongtermgain,youultimatelygainmoreinthelongrun. Evenstill,highdelayerswiththeir
higherchancesofsuccessmaynotappearsuccessfulinotherpeopleseyes.Mydefinitionofsuccessishavingastable
job,no
matter
how
much
the
pay
as
long
as
Ihave
ahigh
chance
of
keeping
it
throughout
my
life.
Also,
in
addition
of
a
stableprofession,otheraspectsofmydefinitionsofsuccessarehavingafamily,andthemostimportantpartof
successisbeinghappywithit.Onepersonsdefinitionmightbeamoredowntoearthgoalofsuccessmightbehavinga
stablejobandafamilywhileanotherpersonmighthaveamorefarfetchedgoalofearningabilliondollars.Thelatter
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mightlookuponthefirstssuccessandthinkthatthatpersonisstillnotsuccessful.Sointhatsense,duetothevarying
standardsofsuccess,highdelayersmaynotappearsuccessfultoothers. Aswiththedifferent
successestherearevaryingwaysofachievingthem.ThearticleDont!TheSecretofSelfControl.statesthatthebest
waytoachievesuccessisbeingahighdelayerandbyhavingadegreeifselfcontrol,youwillbemoresuccessful.That
alldependsthatthatpersonsdefinitionofsuccess.Incertainscenarios,beingahighdelayercanbeyourdownfall.For
example,ayoungmancouldbelookingforajob.Then,aheisofferedajobinaveryprestigiouscompany.Asmany
peopleareapplyingforthejob,hehasaverylimitedtimetodecide.However,themandoesnotthinkheisupforthe
jobandspendstoomuchtimeponderingoverhisdecision.Inthattime,thejobisalreadytakenandthemanlosesa
majorchanceatsuccess.Asituationlikethiswouldrequireadecisive,quickthinkingperson.Thefactorofbeingahigh
delayercanbeharmful,asthepathtosuccessisfullofchoices.Thesecretofsuccessinlifeisforamantobereadyfor
hisopportunitywhenitcomes."byBenjaminDisraeli,magnifiesontheimportanceofbeingquickanddecisivein
decisions.Whilethatpersonisdecidingwhatroadtotake,itmayalreadybetakenbyapersonwhoismoredecisivein
hisactions.Mymethodofachievingsuccesswouldbetobequickanddecisiveinmychoices,asyouhavetotakeas
manychancesthatlifethrowsatyou,evenifyoucannotgetallofthem. Themarshmallowexperiment
maygive
an
idea
of
how
achild
may
perform
later
in
life.
However,
it
does
not
determine
the
level
of
success
that
child
willhaveinlife.Theexperimentdoesnotdetermineyoursuccesslevel,itjusttestsyourdegreeofselfcontrol.Evenso,
ifhighdelayersfeelsuccessfulthemselves,otherpeoplemayseethemasnotyetsuccessful.Also,beingahigh
delayerdoesnotguaranteesuccess.Itjustgivesthatpersonanedge,asyouneedtopickagoodmethodinwhichto
achievesuccess.Soisbeingahighdelayertheonlywaytoachievesuccess?Theanswerisno.Italldependsonthat
personandthesituationforthemtoachievethegoaloftheirlives.
Comments:Inyouressayyouclaimthatbeingahighdelayerisnotaguaranteethatonewillbecomeasuccessinlife,butratherthatsuccessisgainedbythosewhoknowhowtorespondtoanysituationthatarisesinlife. Couldntthisbeidentifiedasahighdelayer?Withinthecontextofthemarshmallowteststhehighdelayersareabletorestrainthemselvesfromeatingthemarshmallowinordertoreceivetwomarshmallows. Youareidentifyingthisas
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hesitation,orsimplyasbeingtooconcernedwiththinkingthingsover. However,isitnotpossibletoidentifyahighdelayerassomeonewhoiscapableofmakingsoliddecisionsbasedupontheexpectedoutcome? Ifthisistrue,thenyourclaimthatahighdelayerwouldbemorelikelytohesitateandmissanopportunitytotakeanincrediblejobisnotveryconvincing. Also,youdonotengagewithJohanLehrersessayatall. Yousummarizecertaininformationfromtheessay,butyoufailtoincorporatequotesthatcanbeanalyzedandusedasaspringboardforthedevelopmentofyourownposition.Writingatthecollegelevelrequiresyoutoactivelyengagewiththetextsthatyouareusing,andtobeabletodevelopyourownpositioninaconceptualdialoguethatdevelopsbetweenthepositionandclaimsofthetextsthatyouareusingandthoseclaimsorpositionswhichyouaredevelopingwithinyouressay.
Grade:NP
Grade Thesis WorkwithAssignedText Organization Presentation
A Complexinterpretive
thesisclearfromthe
start
Independentideas
developedand
presentedthroughout
Studentcenteredconnective
thinking
Thesiscutsacrossreadingsin
unanticipatedwaysorfindsa
largercontextforthe
conversation
Clear,fluid,logical
Stronguseoftopic
sentencesandother
guidepostsforthereader
Minimalornoerrors
Likelytoexhibit
eloquenceoran
elegantwritingstyle
B+
Independentthinking
consistentlydeveloped
Engagesmorecomplex
ideasinthereadings
Beginstograsp
complexityofown
positionordevelops
secondaryemerging
thesis
Usestextual
evidence
with
confidenceandauthority
Studentsideasincontrol
throughoutpaper
Textevidenceusedwellto
bothsupportandcomplicate
thethesis
Generallywell
organized
Maydevelopasecondary
emergingthesiswhich
complicatestheoriginal
argument
B Thesisarticulatedfrom
theoutset
Advancesindependent
ideas
Thesismorecoherent
thanClevel
Thesismaybesomewhat
limitedordevelopedina
repetitiveway
Takessomeinterpretiverisks
withtext
Workswith
avariety
of
textual
evidence
Textsusedinserviceofproject
andtoprovidesupportforit
Sustainedmeaningful
structure
Reasonablecoherence
in
presentation
Controlleddevelopment
ofthesis
Smoothertransitionand
topicsentencesthanC
range
Minimalerrors
Minimalorno
mechanical,citation
orformattingerrors
C+ Hasathesisbutnot Momentsofsolidworkwith Hasrelationshipsbetween Sentencelevel
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8/8/2019 Writing Talent Search - McCarthy
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clearlyarticulatedfrom
outset
Movestoward
independentthesis,
showinganemerging
coherence
of
ideas
textsanduseofadequate
textualevidence
Engagesinmorecomplicated
ideasinreadings
Connectivethinkingmaybe
implicit
paragraphs
Transitionsandtopic
sentencesbeginto
emerge
Hassomecoherencebut
lacks
meaningful
structure
foundinBrangepapers
errorsundercontrol
Mayhavesome
mechanical,citation,
orformattingerrors
C Thesisemergesatendof
paperfromdiscussionof
thetext
Takesclearpositionat
leastonce
Thesismaybevagueor
general
Workswithmorethanone
source
Vaguesensethatstudents
voiceiscontributingtothe
conversation
Adequatereading
comprehensionanduseof
texturalevidence
Somecoherent
relationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Paragraphsmayexhibit
emergingtopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsdonot
significantlyimpede
meaning
Somemechanical,
citation,and/or
formattingerrors
NP Nothesisinevidence
Thesisburiedin
summary
Littleornorelationship
betweentextsandthesis
Poorreadingcomprehension/
misinterpretation
Lacksmeaningful
connection
betweentextsorwith
studentsownposition
Privilegesstudentsideas
Weakuseoftextualevidence
Overgeneralizesaboutthe
text
Littlecoherencefrom
paragraphtoparagraph
Lacksorganizational
structure
Weakuseofparagraphs,
withfewornocleartopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsimpede
meaning
Patternsoferror
Failuretoproofread
Seriouserrorsin
citationconventions
Source: http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/courselisting/60courselisting/55355101
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C0252S0171ETS74
Dr.WalterMischelsfamous"marshmallowexperimentwhichwasdesignedtotesttheselfcontroloftoddlers,caused
scientiststostumbleuponafewinterestingdiscoveries;childrenthatcouldntwaittoeatthemarshmallowoftenhad
behavioralproblemsinschoolandreceivedlowerS.A.T.scoresthanthosewhohadwaited.Inthecountlessrecreations
ofthisexperiment,scientistshavefoundthatthechildrenwhowaitedthefifteenminutesandgotasecond
marshmallowweremoresuccessfulinlife.Whatexactlydotheycallsuccessthough,andwhoaretheytojudgeit?Ido
believethatbeingahighdelayeristheonlywaytoachievesuccessinlife,whateveryoumaydefinesuccessas. I
believethatbeingahighdelayer,meaningyouhaveahighamountofselfcontrol,istheonlywaytobesuccessfulinlife
Forinstance
if
your
boss
assigns
you
areport
on
one
of
the
companys
products
and
you
have
no
self
control,
this
may
bewhathappens:Youleaveworktogohome,butyoudecidethatyourehungry(thoughyoureallyknowthatyoujust
dontwanttogohomeandworkquiteyet)soyoustopatthenearestMcDonalds(whichisthefarthestfastfood
restaurantfromyourhouse)andyoubuyacheeseburger.(eventhoughyoudespisethem)Onthewayhomeyouget
stuckinrushhourtraffic(itsextraslowtoday)andwhenyoufinallygethomeatsevenoclockyoumakedinnerand
helpyourkidswithhomework.Whenthekidsareinbedyouaresotuckeredoutyouwouldnteventhinkaboutworking
onitnow,soyougotobed.Nowyouhavenoreporttopresenttoyourbossandhellrememberthatwhenachance
comesalongtopromotesomeone.However,ifyouhadselfcontrolandimmediatelywenthometoworkonthereport
youcouldhavehadindoneinlessthananhour!Thenyourbosswouldhavebeenhappyandyouwouldhavebeen
happy.Thisisawinwinsituation.Mostcaseswilloccurlikethis,whereifyouhavegoodselfcontrolthanyoullmost
likelybesuccessful.Whereasifyoudonothavegoodselfcontrolthanyouwillmostlikelyendupinsometypeof
situationthatwillnotleadyoutosuccess. Beingahighdelayer,whichmeansyouhaveahighamountofself
control,meansyoullbesuccessful,butwhatissuccessful?Mydefinitionofthewordsuccessful,isthatyourehappy
withyourlifeandwhatyoudoasacareer,butsuccesscanbemeasuredinotherwaysaswell.Suchashowmuch
moneyyoumake,whatstylehouseyoulivein,orevenwhatkindofclothesyourchildrenwear.Theonlytruedefinition
ofsuccessful,Ibelieve,ishowyoufeelaboutyourself. ThestrategiesIusetoachievesuccessaredifferentthan those
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inthearticle.Forexample,Idonotwatchvideosonhowtoimprovemyselfcontrol,andthatisoneofthemethods
describedinthearticle.Anothermethodthatwasdescribedinthearticle,ismentaltrickssuchasimaginingthecandy
onlyasapicture.Again,Idontusethismethod.Allthesemethodsaretoimproveyourselfcontrol,andIdodevelopmy
selfcontrolinotherways,suchassavingmyallowanceinsteadofspendingit. Inconclusion,everyonesdefinitionof
successmaybedifferentbutyoumusthaveselfcontroltobesuccessful.Ifyoudonthavegoodselfcontrol, youmight
wanttostartworkingononenow,youllbebettersuitedforlaterinlife.Ifwebegandevelopingagoodsenseofself
controlinourchildrennow,wewillhaveagenerationofnothingbutprogress!Perhaps,somedaythismarshmallowtest
willnolongerbeneededtodecideifakidhasselfcontrol,theyallwill!
Comments:Youadvancetheclaimthatbeingahighdelayerplaysanimportantroleinachievingsuccessinlife,whichisattributedtomaintainahighlevelonselfcontrol. Youprovideafictionalexamplewhichisintendedtodemonstratehowthisistrue,althoughitisnotaseffectiveasbringinginquotesfromJohanLehrersessaywouldhavebeen.Beingabletoactivelyengagewithothertexts,aswellasdevelopingyourownpositionthroughaconceptualdialoguethatdevelopsoverthecourseofanessaybetweenyourownpositionsorclaimsandthoseofthetextsthatyouareusingisasophisticatedtechniquethatisoftenemployedincollegelevelwriting. AnotherissuethatarisesfromyouressayisthecompleteabsenceofquotesfromLehrersessay. Bringingincomplexquotesandusingthosequotesasaspringboardtodevelopyourownpositionmoreclearlyorstronglyisanecessaryelementofasuccessfulcollegeessay. Rememberthatcriticalanalysisanddevelopmentisalwayspreferabletobasicsummarizationandopiniondrivenwriting.
Grade:NP
Grade Thesis WorkwithAssignedText Organization Presentation
A Complexinterpretive
thesisclearfromthe
start
Independentideas
developedand
presentedthroughout
Studentcenteredconnective
thinking
Thesiscutsacrossreadingsin
unanticipatedwaysorfindsa
largercontextforthe
conversation
Clear,fluid,logical
Stronguseoftopic
sentencesandother
guidepostsforthereader
Minimalornoerrors
Likelytoexhibit
eloquenceoran
elegantwritingstyle
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B+ Independentthinking
consistentlydeveloped
Engagesmorecomplex
ideasinthereadings
Beginstograsp
complexity
of
own
positionordevelops
secondaryemerging
thesis
Usestextualevidencewith
confidenceandauthority
Studentsideasincontrol
throughoutpaper
Textevidenceusedwellto
both
support
and
complicate
thethesis
Generallywellorganized
Maydevelopasecondary
emergingthesiswhich
complicatestheoriginal
argument
B Thesisarticulatedfrom
theoutset
Advancesindependent
ideas
Thesismorecoherent
thanClevel
Thesismaybesomewhat
limitedordevelopedina
repetitiveway
Takessomeinterpretiverisks
withtext
Workswithavarietyoftextual
evidence
Textsusedinserviceofproject
andtoprovidesupportforit
Sustainedmeaningful
structure
Reasonablecoherencein
presentation
Controlleddevelopment
ofthesis
Smoothertransitionand
topicsentencesthanC
range
Minimalerrors
Minimalorno
mechanical,citation
orformattingerrors
C+ Hasathesisbutnot
clearlyarticulatedfrom
outset
Movestoward
independentthesis,
showinganemerging
coherenceofideas
Momentsofsolidworkwith
textsanduseofadequate
textualevidence
Engagesinmorecomplicated
ideasinreadings
Connectivethinkingmaybe
implicit
Hasrelationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Transitionsandtopic
sentencesbeginto
emerge
Hassomecoherencebut
lacksmeaningfulstructure
foundinBrangepapers
Sentencelevel
errorsundercontrol
Mayhavesome
mechanical,citation,
orformattingerrors
C Thesisemergesatendof
paperfromdiscussionof
thetext
Takesclearpositionat
leastonce
Thesismaybevagueor
general
Workswithmorethanone
source
Vaguesense
that
students
voiceiscontributingtothe
conversation
Adequatereading
comprehensionanduseof
texturalevidence
Somecoherent
relationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Paragraphsmayexhibit
emergingtopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsdonot
significantlyimpede
meaning
Somemechanical,
citation,and/or
formattingerrors
NP Nothesisinevidence
Thesisburiedin
summary
Littleornorelationship
betweentextsandthesis
Poorreadingcomprehension/
misinterpretation
Lacksmeaningfulconnection
betweentextsorwith
studentsownposition
Privileges
students
ideas
Weakuseoftextualevidence
Overgeneralizesaboutthe
text
Littlecoherencefrom
paragraphtoparagraph
Lacksorganizational
structure
Weakuseofparagraphs,
with
few
or
no
clear
topic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsimpede
meaning
Patternsoferror
Failuretoproofread
Serious
errors
in
citationconventions
Source: http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/courselisting/60courselisting/55355101
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C0426S0133ETS78
SuccessisaVirtue Ivehementlyopposebeingahighdelayeristheonlywayofachievingsuccessinlife. Thereare
manyotherwaysthatworkamazingly. Beingahighdelayerisjustoneofthemillionways. Itdependsonwhatthe
situationis. Ifyoudelaydoingyourhomeworkuntilthelastpossibleseconditisahorribleidea. Ifyoudelayeatingthe
marshmallowtoreceiveabetterprize,asinthearticleDont!byWalterMischel,itisafantasticidea. Beingahigh
delayercanhelpyouorhurtyou,whentryingtoachievesuccessinlife. Successhasendlessmeanings. Oneofthemost
importantmeaningsisbeingyourself. IdowhatIthinkisright. IfIdomybestIknowIamachievingsuccessinlife.
Beingmyselfwillletsuccesscomeinnaturally. Mystrategieshaveanimmenseamountofthingsincommonwith
thosestated
in
the
article.
In
school
Ialways
wait
my
turn.
If
we
are
taking
foul
shots
in
gym,
my
well
behaved
friends
andIwaitourturnspatiently,muchlikeCarolynwaitedforhersecondmarshmallowinthearticle. Somepeopleinmy
classactlikeanimals. Theyjustcantwaittogettheirhandsonthebasketball. Withevidencefromthemarshmallow
experiment,theyprobablywillnotsucceedinlife. CarolynandIontheotherhand,willprobablysucceedatmostthings
inlife. I'vetalkedaboutdifferentqualitiesbeingahighdelayerhas. Thebestqualityisbeingabletothinkbeforeyou
act. Bydelaying,yougiveyourselfachancetoanalyzethesituationathand. Withoutdelaying,youstarttojumpto
conclusionswithoutlookingatthewholepicture. DelayingandthinkingiswhatmadeEinsteinsobrilliant.
Comments:Youopenupyouressaybystatingthatbeingahighdelayerisonlyonemanywaystoachievesuccessinlife,
however,yougoontostatethatbeingahighdelayerisoneofthebestchancesofachievingsuccessbecauseitcauses
peopletobepatientandtothinkclearlyaboutwhattheconsequencesofasituationmaybe. Thisseemstobe
contradictoryandconfusing. Anotherissuethatemergesfromyouressayisthatyouarefocusingonyourownbeliefsas
opposedto
developing
compelling
evidence
that
will
support
the
claims
that
you
are
making.
An
excellent
source
of
evidenceforyouressaywouldhavebeentoincorporateandcriticallyanalyzequotesfromJohanLehrersessay. By
doingthisyouwouldbedevelopingyourownpositionindialoguewiththeclaimsandpositionsofthetextsthatyouare
utilizing. Thisisastylisticallysophisticatedwritingtechniquethatisoftenemployedincollegelevelwriting.
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Grade:NP
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Grade Thesis WorkwithAssignedText Organization Presentation
A Complexinterpretive
thesisclearfromthe
start
Independentideas
developedand
presentedthroughout
Studentcenteredconnective
thinking
Thesiscuts
across
readings
in
unanticipatedwaysorfindsa
largercontextforthe
conversation
Clear,fluid,logical
Stronguseoftopic
sentencesand
other
guidepostsforthereader
Minimalornoerrors
Likelytoexhibit
eloquenceor
an
elegantwritingstyle
B+ Independentthinking
consistentlydeveloped
Engagesmorecomplex
ideasinthereadings
Beginstograsp
complexityofown
positionordevelops
secondaryemerging
thesis
Usestextualevidencewith
confidenceandauthority
Studentsideasincontrol
throughoutpaper
Textevidenceusedwellto
bothsupportandcomplicate
thethesis
Generallywellorganized
Maydevelopasecondary
emergingthesiswhich
complicatestheoriginal
argument
B Thesisarticulatedfrom
theoutset
Advancesindependent
ideas
Thesismorecoherent
thanClevel
Thesismaybesomewhat
limitedordevelopedina
repetitiveway
Takessomeinterpretiverisks
withtext
Workswithavarietyoftextual
evidence
Textsusedinserviceofproject
andtoprovidesupportforit
Sustainedmeaningful
structure
Reasonablecoherencein
presentation
Controlleddevelopment
ofthesis
Smoothertransitionand
topicsentencesthanC
range
Minimalerrors
Minimalorno
mechanical,citation
orformattingerrors
C+
Has
a
thesis
but
not
clearlyarticulatedfrom
outset
Movestoward
independentthesis,
showinganemerging
coherenceofideas
Moments
of
solid
work
with
textsanduseofadequate
textualevidence
Engagesinmorecomplicated
ideasinreadings
Connectivethinkingmaybe
implicit
Has
relationships
between
paragraphs
Transitionsandtopic
sentencesbeginto
emerge
Hassomecoherencebut
lacksmeaningfulstructure
foundinBrangepapers
Sentence
level
errorsundercontrol
Mayhavesome
mechanical,citation,
orformattingerrors
C Thesisemergesatendof
paperfromdiscussionof
thetext
Takesclearpositionat
leastonce
Thesismaybevagueor
general
Workswithmorethanone
source
Vaguesensethatstudents
voiceiscontributingtothe
conversation
Adequatereading
comprehensionanduseof
texturalevidence
Somecoherent
relationshipsbetween
paragraphs
Paragraphsmayexhibit
emergingtopic
sentences
Sentencelevel
errorsdonot
significantlyimpede
meaning
Somemechanical,
citation,and/or
formattingerrors
NP Nothesisinevidence
Thesisburiedin
summary
Littleornorelationship
Poorreadingcomprehension/
misinterpretation
Lacksmeaningfulconnection
betweentextsorwith
Littlecoherencefrom
paragraphtoparagraph
Lacksorganizational
structure
Sentencelevel
errorsimpede
meaning
Patternsoferror
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betweentextsandthesis studentsownposition
Privilegesstudentsideas
Weakuseoftextualevidence
Overgeneralizesaboutthe
text
Weakuseofparagraphs,
withfewornocleartopic
sentences
Failuretoproofread
Seriouserrorsin
citationconventions
Source: http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/courselisting/60courselisting/55355101
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C0423S0133ETS78
Noworlater?:Thefalseperception Wordsandgesturesareactionsthatweuseeveryday,andarethe
sourcesofthecommonreciprocationswereceiveregularly.Aswewouldbumpintosomethingaccidentally,wewould
causeareactionfromwhateverorwhomeveritisthatwebumpedinto.Anynumberofsituationscouldbebornefrom
justthatordinaryhappening.Thatsituationforexample,couldbeaffectedbytheapproachandattitudeoftherecipient
towardsyoubecauseofyourownactions,whichwasthebump.Thatpersoncouldshowanger,butthereisalsothe
possibilityofregardingitwithhumor.Howeverythingreactsandretaliates,likeadominoeffectthathappensatevery
overlappingmoment,fusingtogethertocreateanincomprehensibleharmony,alongsidewiththequestionofwhatthe
originof
the
actions
on
our
part
that
sets
these
off
are,
is
the
result
of
along
search
of
answers
for
questions.
Queries
suchaswhydoessheactthatway?,whatwillhedo?,andwhydoeseverybodypresentthemselvesinthisway?
Onecannotbeblamedforwantingtoknow,byknowingthesethings,wewouldbeabletoaccomplishandpreventmore
thingsthaneverbefore.Spouseswouldbeabletocommunicatewithunderstanding,friendswouldbemadewithmore
easeandspeed,andjobscouldbefittedwithevenmoreappropriateemployeessinceitwouldbesimplerforthe
employertoanalyzewhetherthepersonisfitforitornot.Mostofallwewouldfindabetterunderstandingof
ourselves,andasenseofhowtofindcontrolbyfindingourownstrengths.Mostofall,byusingthesestrengths,suchas
selfcontrol,wecanmanipulateitsothatitbecomesakey,aneasierroad,infindingsuccess. Inordertofindour
placeinthisconstantexchangeofcauseandeffectpsychologistshavebeen,forthelongestoftime,searchingforthe
perfectevaluationthatclearlyandaccuratelydefinesthecharacterofanindividual.OneoftheseindividualsisWalter
Mischel.Theslight,elegantmanwiththeshavedheadinJohnLehrersessayDONT!Thesecrettoselfcontroland
thefounderofthemarshmallowexperiment. Justasinterestingasitsname,thisexperimentisquiteunique,buthas
fundamentalrulesnomorecomplexthanaparentleavingtheirchildforamoment,whileatreatisalsoleftbehind. This
investigationwasfirstheldinthelatenineteensixtiesattheBingNurserySchool.Lehrerdescribesthattheroomwasa
littlemorethanalargecloset,containingadeskandachair.Now,tothissettingaddachildaroundfouryearsold.A
researcherwillfirst,beforeleavingthechildtheresearcherwillleaveatreatofthechildschoice,andexplainthatthey
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couldeatthemarshmallowrightaway,butiftheywereabletowaitwhiletheystepoutforafewminutesandnoteat
themarshmallow,theycouldhaveasecond.Ifitwerethechildschoicetoeatthemarshmallowwithoutdelay,they
weretoringthebellonthetable.Theresearcherwouldcomehurryingback,butthesecondmarshmallowwouldbe
forfeited. Themajorityofthechildrenstruggledtoresistthetreatandheldoutforanaverageofthreeminutes
asLehrersays.Someatethemarshmallowwithoutdelayanddidntevenringthebell.InLehrersconclusionitwasthat
aboutthirtypercentofthechildren...successfullydelayedgratificationuntiltheresearcherreturnedsomefifteen
minuteslater.Thesekidswrestledwithtemptationbutfoundawaytoresist.WalterMischelwastheprofessorof
psychologyatthattimeinStanfordwhowasinchargeoftheexperiment.Theinitialgoaloftheexperiment,Lehrer
describesinhispaper,wastoidentifythementalprocessesthatallowedsomepeopletodelaygratificationwhile
otherssimplysurrendered. Overtime,though,Mischelwasabletomakeaconnectiontothehighdelayers,the
childrenwhowereabletowaitforthesecondmarshmallow,thelowdelayers,thechildrenwhodidntwait,andhow
theirpositioninschoolasteenagerswasaffectedbythat.Aftergatheringinformationabouttheteenagerswhohad
participatedintheBingexperimentbackinnurseryschool,heobservedthatinthedata Thatlowdelayers...seemed
morelikelytohavebehavioralproblems,bothinschoolandathome.TheygotlowerS.A.Tscores.Theystruggledin
stressfulsituations,
often
had
trouble
paying
attention,
and
found
it
difficult
to
maintain
friendships.
On
the
other
hand,LehreralsowritesthatthechildwhocouldwaitfifteenminuteshadanS.A.T.scorethatwas,onaverage,two
hundredandtenpointshigherthanthatofthekidwhocouldonlywaitthirtyseconds. Itisonlyevidentthatdatashows
thehighdelayersasmoresuccessful,andthatbeingalowdelayerbringsmoredisadvantages.Dr.DavidWalsh,featured
inavideopostedonYouTube.comcalledDrWalshMarshmallowWCCOSegment,afterholdingamarshmallow
experimentmodeledafterMischels,explainsthatakeysuccessfactorfor[a]kid[is]theabilitytosaynoto
themselves.The
belief
of
Dr.
Walsh
and
Mischel
both
concur
with
each
other.
And
thats
basically
all
that
those
kids
in
theBingNurserySchoolneededtodoinordertopreventthemselvesfromeatingthemarshmallow,tosaynototheir
selves. Soinordertorefrainfromeatingthetemptingmarshmallowachildmustknowhowtodenythemselves
thatinstantgratificationofsimplygobblingitup,butknowinghowtodosoisjustaspertinentashavingdoneit.
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Psychologistshadbeenbasingtheirpredictionsforapersonssuccessrelyingonthatpersonsrawintelligence,but
Mischellbelievesthatintelligenceisnotwhatshouldbefocused.LehreremphasizesthepointMischelismakingashe
arguesthatintelligenceislargelyatthemercyofselfcontrol:eventhesmartestkidsstillneedtodotheirhomework.
Whichistrue,youcanbesmart,buttheonlywayyouhadattainedthatmuchknowledgewasthroughstudying,and
surelythereareotherthingswewishtodoinsteadofstudying,especiallywithchildren. LehrerrevealsMischels
answertoselfcontrolbasedonhundredsofhoursofobservation,wasthatthecrucialskillwasthestrategicallocation
ofattention.Now,youwontbeabletoapproachafouryearoldandhavethemsaythattheyusedstrategic
allocationofattentioninordertostopthemselvesfromeatingthemarshmallow.Instead,Mischelobservedthatthe
childrenwhodidwaitallhadsomethingincommon.Theydidanythingelseotherthanacknowledgingthescrumptious,
savory,sugarylittlepillowofgoodnessthatwassittingrightinfrontoftheireyes.Lehrercontinuesthat Insteadof
gettingobsessedwiththemarshmallowthehotstimulusthepatientchildrendistractedthemselvesbycoveringtheir
eyes,pretendingtoplayhideandseekunderneaththedesk,orsingingsongsfromSesameStreet. Thechildrenhad
neverlostinterestinthemarshmallowinthefirstplace.Theyhadsimplydivertedtheirattentionsothattheirappetency
foreatingthemarshmallowrightawaywasdismissed. Ifwewereallabletohavefosteredthisknowledgein
thebeginning,
we
would
have
had
abetter
sense
of
self
control
by
now
than
we
ever
had.
Not
only
would
we
be
able
to
refrainfromeating,likemarshmallows,withthatwecouldhavedonemoreandmadeusewiththetimewehadtobe
moreconstructive.Forastudent,insteadofploppingontothebedassoonasyougethomeandsnoozinguntilseveno
clock,endingupdoinghomeworkuntilmidnight.Thiscouldeasilyavoidedbychangingthesettingorpointofviewof
thestudentsothatheorshewouldnotfeelsleepy.Maybethestudentcouldgotoacaforlibrarytohomeworkso
theywontfallasleep,orinviteafriendoverforhelp.Itsthesamethingasthoselittlekidswhostartedsingingsongs
fromSesame
Street
so
as
to
distract
their
attention
from
the
marshmallow.
According
to
Mischel,
this
view
of
will
poweralsohelpsexplainwhythemarshmallowtaskissuchapowerfullypredictivetest.Ifyoucandealwithhot
emotions,thenyoucanstudyfortheS.A.T.insteadofwatchingtelevision...Itsnotjustaboutthemarshmallows.
Havingthisviewandsenseofselfcontrolcanbeappliedtodailylifeandisakeyforsuccess. Ifonlywecould
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physicallygrabontothiskeytosuccess,eventhoughinrealitythereisnothingtolayyourhandson,suchathing
wouldmakeeverythingthatmucheasier.Sincedenyingoneselfisntassimpleassayingit.Youneedtoturnwordsinto
actions.JustlikeMischelsaysthatifyoudontpracticethenyoullneverfigureouthowtodistractyourself.Butnow
thechildrenofthemoderndayareatadisadvantage,makingpracticethatmuchharder.Dr.Walshsaysinthevideo
thatpriorgenerationshadaculturethatsupportedthemessageofno.Whatsdifficulttodayisthatwehaveaculture
thatunderminesthatmessage.Nowtheculturethatthecurrentgenerationsarefacingisonethatdoesntteachhow
nottoeatthemarshmallow,asDr.Walshputsit,wehaveaculturethatsaysmorefasteasyfun.Thiswayoflife
completelynegatesandruinsthelessonbeingtaughtwiththemarshmallowexperiment,andhavingmoresinister
affectsonallelse.Everythingdependsonthepeoplefortheeconomy,politics,andthingslikethemedia.Whetherthe
peoplefarewellorpoorly,itaffectsallofit. Theproblemhereisthatpeoplefailtoseethedistancesbetweentwo
essentialthings,andunfortunatelythismatterisnotsolvablebyaprescriptionfromanoptometrist.Youngadultsfor
example,arechallengedthemostwiththis.Incasesthathappeneveryday,suchasshouldaIdohomeworknowand
dowhatIwantlater?orwouldit morecommendableformyselfifIgetthefunofwhateverpleasebeforedoing
homework?Ofcoursetheidealchoiceistodotheboring,harderworklater,eventhoughitdoesntbenefitthemwhen
lookingat
the
bigger
picture
of
their
life.
No
one
would
think
that
saying
I
never
did
homework
first
in
all
my
life
is
somethingtobeproudof,butactuallyknowingthatyoudidfirstyourwholelifeiswhatpeopleadmireandfindmore
appealing.Thisiswhereselfcontrolinterveneswhenyouaskyourselfthequestionnoworlater?howthesetwo
balanceout,whicheverisgreater,onthescaledependsontheselfcontrolthatyoualreadypossess.Ifachildpossessed
theproperselfcontrol,thatchildwouldhavenoproblemin Itisdishonorabletoreasonoutthattakingactionnowand
takingactionarecorresponding,thatisabsentselfcontrolmaskedwithreasoning,orexcuses.Thisiswhenaperson
failsto
see
the
true
consequences,
and
the
distance
between
supplying
our
own
rewards
now
or
earning
them
in
the
future.Itsthesameasthingthatthosekidswhoparticipatedinthemarshmallowexperimenthadbeenasking
themselves.ShouldIeatthemarshmallow? Sothechildrenwhowerefollowedforyearsafterthemarshmallow
experimentintheBingNurserySchoolbyWalterMischell,showedrelationsbetweenthehighdelayers,lowdelayers
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andtheirownsuccess,butthemarshmallowtestwasntcreatedtopredictthechildsfuture.Thiswasdisclosedby
Lehrerwhenhewrote Whatwerereallymeasuringwiththemarshmallowsisntwillpowerofselfcontrol,Mischel
says.itsmuchmoreimportantthanthat.Thistaskforceskidstofindawaytomakethesituationworkforthem.They
wantthesecondmarshmallow,buthowcantheygetit?Wecantcontroltheworld,butwecancontrolhowwethink
aboutit. Mischeldidnotmakeapersonalitytestthatdefinedwhoweare.Hecreatedatestthathelpsusalongthe
pathwaythatdefineswhoweare,andthathelpsusmakeourwaytosuccess. Whenpeoplehearthewordsuccess
theyenvisionrichesandamazingluxuries,butthatsnotwhatsuccessreallyis.Thatsonlythepartthatyoucouldwant.
Thetruthtosuccessissettingthegoals.Justastheoutcomeofgoalsissuccess,theoriginofasuccessisthegoalssetto
achievethem,becausewithouteachotherbothwordshaveameaninglessexistence.Havinggoldandgems,expensive
carsandclothing,fameandfortuneallinyourpalm,thesearenotthethingsthatfirstmakeushappybecausethereis
somethingthatcomesbeforethat. Iremembersittingdownonenighttowatchamoviewithmytwosiblings.It
wasDisneysnewestmovie,ThePrincessandtheFrog.Ihadbeenexpectinganother typicallovestorythathad
somethingtowithmagicandwishingstars,butbytheendIwascryingandproclaimingittobemymostfavoriteandthe
bestDisneymovieIhadeverseen.Itwasthestoryaboutadarkskinnedwoman,namedTiana,wholivedinNew
Orleans.She
was
hardworking
and
never
took
the
time
to
dance
or
have
fun.
Even
though
her
mother
too
had
told
her
togofindherprincecharmingandeaseoffofallthehardworkanddoublejobs,shewastoofocusedonhergoal,the
dreambothherfatherandshehadcarriedtogetheruntilhehadpassedaway.Shewantedtorunarestaurant,Tianas
Place,wherepeoplewouldcomefromfarawayjusttohaveatasteofherfood.Nearingtheendofthemovie,inthe
handsofTianawasthevoodoomanstalismanwhichheldthepowertoturntheworldovertotheevilspirits.Asthe
voodoomanpurredinTianasears,tellingherthathewouldgiveherthathewouldgiveherthatrestaurantshehad
alwayswanted
if
she
handed
over
the
talisman
to
him.
He
waved
his
hand
and
there
appeared
faces
of
all
the
people
whohaddoubtedher,andneverunderstoodwhysheworkedsohard,andthenherfather,themanwhotoldherthat
wishingonastaronlytakesherhalfoftheway,thatinordertogetherhappilyeverafter,shehadtomakeittrueby
takingherselfthere.Andyet,afterallherfathershardwork,hehaddiedwithoutgettingwhathewanted.Tianalooked