Furthermore, the results of a large replication study cast doubt on the predictive abilities of the marshmallow test, especially when controlling for relevant background factors such as family background and home environment.
However, later studies criticized the Stanford marshmallow experiment for various issues with its methodology. This experiment received much attention in popular media, and was used to demonstrate the importance of self-control, a concept which was supported by other studies on the topic. Follow-up studies on the experiment found that children’s ability to exercise self-control in this situation, by waiting before eating the snack, was correlated with a large range of positive outcomes later in life, such as academic success and physical health. The Stanford marshmallow experiment was a psychological study conducted in the late 1960s to early 1970s, in which children were placed in a room with some tasty snack, such as a marshmallow, and told that if they could wait for a short while before eating it then they will get an extra snack as a reward.