The 'marshmallow test' is a classic case of what happens when psychologist try to do educational theory. Essentially, they correlated a child's ability to defer gratification (to eat two marshmallows later rather than eat one marshmallow now) with future educational outcomes. It appears this test is a victim of the replication crisis: "the association was small and disappeared after the researchers controlled for characteristics of the child's family and early environment." From where I sit, the marshmallow test isn't a test of character at all, it's a test of social class. Making this point for me is this argument: " If you have ten dollars to your name, you aren't going to think any farther ahead than wondering where your next meal is coming from. You just aren't." If you have one marshmallow the odds are equally good that the person with more power lied about there being a second marshmallow and may well steal back the first. So you eat it. I would.
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