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?
O Research experiments are not reliable.
O The results of scientific studies should be interpreted cautiously.
Some kids like marshmallows more than others.
Wealthy people have more willpower than poor people.

This can be deduced from the passage that while the children from poorer families were more likely to eat the first marshmallow than wait, due to the fact the future is uncertain, the wealthier children found it easier to hold out, because they believed that their needs will be met.

michell96 michell96 · Answer 2 · 2021-05-30T04:11:01+02:00

The correct answer is B. The results of scientific studies should be interpreted cautiously.

Explanation

The text is about an experiment on children's willpower regarding whether or not to eat a marshmallow. It is possible to reflect on scientific studies because when they are carried out, all the factors that affect the result must be taken into account. For example, in this case, a factor that was not taken into account was the socioeconomic origin of the children (and it directly affects the result of the study) because poor children could eat the marshmallow because they considered their future to be uncertain, while rich kids knew that the future could get anything they wanted. According to the above, the correct answer is B. The results of scientific studies should be interpreted cautiously.