Birds Can Pass Their Own 'Marshmallow Test' Too, Proving Their Self-Control Like Humans

Many studies have shown that some birds could also display unique cognitive traits of humans, from tool use to understanding the concept of zero, which is a number that represents when there is nothing.

Now, new research found that Eurasian jays also have self-control like humans. An experiment of their own version of the famous Stanford Marshmallow Test showed that they can resist a tempting snack when they know they are waiting for an even better reward.

(Photo : Pixabay/BarbeeAnne)
Birds Can Pass Their Own 'Marshmallow Test' Too, Proving Their Self-Control Like Humans

Stanford Marshmallow Test and Self-Control

Psychology Today defines self-control as the ability to manage one's impulses, emotions, and behaviors to achieve long-term goals. Self-control is primarily rooted in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for problem-solving, planning, and decision-making. It is a trait thought to be unique in humans that is not found in the animal kingdom until the recent experiment on birds.

The study on Eurasian jays was inspired by the famous 1972 Stanford Marshmallow test by psychologist Walter Mischel and colleagues. The researchers offered children a choice of one marshmallow immediately versus waiting to get two marshmallows. Per Simply Psychology, it is an experimental design that measures the child's self-control for delayed gratification.

The study suggests that delayed gratification in children involved suppressing instead of enhancing attention to expected rewards. For example, some children who waited thinking of getting both marshmallows and pretzels would stare at a mirror, cover their eyes, or talk to themselves rather than fixating on the reward.

Over the past 50 years, the test has become synonymous with temptation, willpower, and grit. More so, it has entered popular culture with shirt statements, like "Don't Eat the Marshmallow!" or the Sesame Street episodes wherein characters learned about delayed gratification. Even in investment companies, the test has been used to encourage retirement planning.

Self-Control in Eurasian Jays Linked to Intelligence

According to Science Daily, Eurasian jays are from the corvid family, who are often nicknamed "feathered apes" because of their cognitive abilities that rival non-human primates.

These birds hide their food to save or later, displaying delayed gratification to plan for future meals that may have driven their self-control in them. In chimpanzees, self-control has been linked to intelligence. The greater their self-control is, the greater intelligence they have.

Likewise, the findings of the study titled "Waiting for a Better Possibility: Delay of Gratification in Corvids and Its Relationship To Other Cognitive Capacities" which was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B show the link between intelligence and self-control exists across distantly related animal groups and that it may have evolved independently several times.

Researchers designed an experiment inspired by the Marshmallow Test in which jays were presented with mealworms, bread, and cheese instead of marshmallows and pretzels. The birds had to choose between bread or cheese that are immediately available, while the mealworms are visible but are only available after a delay or when the screen was lifted so they could access them.

They found that birds managed to wait for the worm, although some could not wait much longer than others. The bird named "JayLo" was the top for waiting five and a half minutes for a mealworm, while the worst performers were "Dolci" and "Homer" who could only wait for a maximum of 20 seconds.

Like the kids in the Marshmallow Test who waited, jays also looked away from the bread or cheese to distract themselves from temptation. When presented with different cognitive tasks, the birds who have higher self-control also performed better.