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nice synthesis. I think there is a lot of debate about the validity of this experiment and that some studies have disputed its findings. Over all psychology is facing some issues with both a replication crisis and the problem of WIERD studies (Western, Industrialized, Educated, Rich, Democratic).

The marshmallow studies have come under scrutiny given the implications they have been purported to have.

https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/new-study-disavows-marshmallow-tests-predictive-powers/

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Sep 13·edited Sep 13Author

Hello Curing!

It is true what you say, many psychological studies are being questioned at present because of the tendency that science has always had to take as representative the data from western countries of the developed world.

In fact, I was thinking if in Asian countries like Japan, where economic savings rates are very high. Perhaps there people generally opt for deferred gratification. It is an important question.

Maybe they put saving before spending in the present.

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These are good points, and now that you mention this I also think there were some discussions in the literature regarding different cultural responses to this test.

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