So It Turns Out That Whole ‘Marshmallow Test’ About Delayed Gratification Was Actually About Which Kids Were Rich

Yes: The kids who could ignore the marshmallow and delay gratification were kids who knew that they would always be gratified in the end. What does this mean for the famous study? For one thing, “the capacity to hold out for a second marshmallow is shaped in large part by a child’s social and economic background — and, in turn, that that background, not the ability to delay gratification, is what’s behind kids’ long-term success.”