Why does the marshmallow test predict later life outcomes? A commentary on Michaelson and Munakata (2020)

Overall, Munakata and Michaelson (2020) provide novel and provocative findings on the predictive validity of the preschool marshmallow test on the one hand, and the importance of social vs. cognitive (self-control) predictors of later life success on the other hand. Regarding the question of why the marshmallow test predicts later life success, we argue that—in contrast to the authors’ conclusion—their results suggest that self-control provides a better explanation than social support.