Casey: Delay of Gratification

Question 1

Research method

Answer 1

Longitudinal study, tracking the same participants from age 4 to age 40

quasi experiment

Question 2

negative to a longitudinal study

Answer 2

Subject attrition

Question 3

IV

Answer 3

The PPs ability to delay gratification - high or low delayers

Question 4

DV

Answer 4

Performance on impulse control tasks (Go/No go)

Question 5

How was the DV measured?

Answer 5

Reaction times and accuracy
Imaging from an fMRI scanner

Question 6

Sample and how it changed throughout the study

Answer 6

562 aged 4

59 (23 male, 36 female) in Experiment 1

27 (13 male. 14 female) in Experiment 2

Question 7

What is a go/no go task?

Answer 7

PPs were either told to press a button when something popped up or not press the button

Question 8

what was the “cool” version of the task?

Answer 8

male and female faces with neutral expressions

one gender was the go stimulus and the other was the no go stimulus

face appeared for 500 milliseconds

Question 9

what was the “hot” version of the task?

Answer 9

Alternating happy and fearful expressions (rewarding emotional faces) - classed as alluring stimuli

Question 10

Procedure for Experiment 2

Answer 10

Scanned using fMRI machine

completed “hot” task via projection screen

An electronic response pad was used to record responses to facial stimuli and reaction times as well as false alarms

Question 11

Results from experiment 1

Answer 11

Low delayers made more mistakes on hot tasks

Low delayers at age 4 found it more difficult to suppress their response to happy faces

Question 12

What do the results from experiment 1 show?

Answer 12

Self control remains consistent in an individual

Self control depends on the stimulus

Question 13

Brain imaging for a high delayer

Answer 13

high activity in the inferior frontal gyrus

Low activity in the ventral striatum

Question 14

Brain imaging for low delayer

Answer 14

low activity in the inferior frontal gyrus

high activity in the ventral striatum

Question 15

What does the study show about the inferior frontal gyrus?

Answer 15

It is responsible for with holding response (delay of gratification)

Question 16

What does the study show about the ventral striatum?

Answer 16

Involved in impulsive actions and seeks immediate reward

Question 17

What is impulse control?

Answer 17

the ability to resist the desire of immediate gratification

Question 18

Link to biological area

Answer 18

investigates whether there are specific regions of the brain that impact our ability to resist temptation of rewarding stimuli - it shows that biological factors play a significant role in our ability to delay gratification

Question 19

Usefulness and application

Answer 19

resisting temptation in favour of long term goals is important for individuals societal and economic functioning

better coping and in adolescence and also protect against physical and mental health problems

Create strategies to train brains of low delayers aged 4 years to help protect them from vulnerability later in life

Question 20

To what extent does Casey change our understanding of brain regions?

Answer 20

Sperry tells us about some areas of lateralised function, for example left is in control of language, Casey adds to this with the study of the inferior frontal gyrus and the ventral striatum, explaining their role in delay of gratification

Question 21

To what extent does Casey change our understanding of brain regions (individual)

Answer 21

Sperry tells us about the individual differences in the brains of 11 pps
Casey considers the individual differences in the inferior frontal gyrus in high and low delayers

Question 22

To what extent does Casey change our understanding of brain regions (social)

Answer 22

Sperry’s pps were unaffected by their daily lives, however we know that being a high/low delayer can impact an individual’s behaviour, for example, addiction

Question 23

To what extent does Casey change our understanding of brain regions (Cultural)

Answer 23

Does not change, both use samples from USA