Biological - Casey et al

Question 1

What was the background of this study?

Answer 1

The Marshmallow test (by Walter Mischel) which was administered to 4 year olds and they had a marshmallow placed in front of them and they got left in the room. They wanted to see whether the child would eat the marshmallow or wait until the adult came back with another one.

Question 2

What was the aim of study 1?

Answer 2

Whether people who had difficulties delaying gratification at the age of four would still have difficulties delaying gratification 40 years later

Question 3

What was the sample of study 1?

Answer 3

The people who had participated in the original tests conducted by Mischel. Casey was able to get hold of 27 low delayers and 32 high delayers. 59 in total all aged 44.

Question 4

What was the procedure of study 1?

Answer 4

The participants were shown a series of faces on a computer screen (either happy or feared). The participants would then press the button placed in front of them when a particular expression was shown.

Question 5

What was the name of the task the participants were doing in study 1?

Answer 5

Go/No-Go task

Question 6

How many trials took place in study 1?

Answer 6

160

Question 7

What were the findings and conclusions of study 1?

Answer 7

The high delayers (the ones that didn’t eat marshmallows) were found to be much better at resisting pressing the button when they saw the happy faces than the low delayers (who ate the marshmallow) - saying the trait stays within

Question 8

What was the aim of study 2?

Answer 8

To see if there is a brain-based explanation for the ability to delay gratification

Question 9

What was the sample of study 2?

Answer 9

Of the 59 participants from the first study, 27 agreed to take part in the second study - 11 low delayers and 15 high delayers

Question 10

How many trials were there in study 2?

Answer 10

48 trials

Question 11

What was the procedure for study 2?

Answer 11

Casey got her participants to repeat the GO/No-Go task. This time, however, they did it whilst inside a fMRI scanner.

Question 12

What does fMRI stand for?

Answer 12

functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner

Question 13

What was the findings of study 2?

Answer 13

When the low delayers saw the happy faces they had less activity than the high delayers in their inferior frontal gyrus. The low delayers had more activity in their ventral striatum

Question 14

What was the conclusion from study 2?

Answer 14

That differences between people in their ability to show self-control and delay gratification can be related to neurobiological differences.

Question 15

What was the link to nature nurture debate?

Answer 15

Supports nature due to part of your brain and a biological reason - the outcome is the same all your life - cannot change and it is part of you

Question 16

What was the link to freewill - determinism debate?

Answer 16

Supports determinism due to results being part of the brain / its function - biological determinism

Question 17

What was the link to individual/situational debate?

Answer 17

Supports individual due to it being due to it being due to your individual’s brain function - also could depend on the situation they are in to see how much they are more likely to resist (what are they trying to resist)

Question 18

What was the link to socially sensitivity?

Answer 18

There are negative links (more likely to do things such as cocaine, have a higher BMI, get divorced) to whether they resist or not

Question 19

What was the link to reductionism - holism debate?

Answer 19

Reductionist due to results only being due to the brain and its function

Question 20

How does the study relate to the biological area?

Answer 20

The reason for the idea of resisting is due to the brain (and specifically two parts of the brain)