Question

Read the following paragraph:

"The 'marshmallow test' was developed in the 1960’s as a way to understand personality traits. In the test, preschoolers were given a marshmallow, then told they would get two marshmallows if they didn’t eat the first one while the researcher left the room for a few minutes. At the time, researchers thought that the children who held out for a second treat had greater willpower.

"However, a new investigation suggests that the marshmallow test didn’t really measure willpower after all. When researchers tried the experiment again, they found that the decision to eat or wait had more to do with economic background than personality. Children from poorer families were more likely to eat the first marshmallow than wait, perhaps because in their experience the future is uncertain. Wealthier children found it easier to hold out, perhaps because they had more expectation that their needs would always be met."

What is the implied main idea of this reading?


Some kids like marshmallows more than others.


Research experiments are not reliable.


The results of scientific studies should be interpreted cautiously.


Wealthy people have more willpower than poor people.

Answer 1

The results of scientific studies should be interpreted cautiously.

Reason: The passage shows how a long-held interpretation (willpower) changed after re-examination that accounted for economic background, so conclusions need careful interpretation.