Core Study 18- Casey (B)

Question 1

Background

What is gratification?

Answer 1

Pleasure following the satisfaction of a desire

Question 2

Background

What did Mischel et all suggest about ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ patterns of thought?

Answer 2

They each have their own neurocognitive system

(They are found in different regions of the brain, hence why brain imaging can support his findings)

Question 3

Background

What is a cool system and where in the brain is it?

Answer 3

Cognitive control (cold) behaviours have been found within the pre-frontal cortex- they help to delay gratification

Question 4

Background

What is a hot system and where in the brain is it?

Answer 4

Emotional (hot) behaviours have been found within the limbic system - these drive us towards immediate gratification

Question 5

Background

What famous test did Mischel conduct, which could be argued as a kore accurate representation of immediate gratification?

Answer 5

The marshmallow test- investigated whether children could delay gratification by recieving a second marshmallow if they were able to resist

Question 6

Aim

What did Casey want to predict in his investigation?

Answer 6

(To investigate) whether delay of gratification in childhood accurately predicts impulse control absilities and sensitivity to alluring or social cues as an adult

Question 7

Key Term

What is a high delayer?

Answer 7

An individual who can use cooling to resist gratifications for a greater length of time

Question 8

Key Term

What is a low delayer?

Answer 8

An individual who gives in to hot temptation and gratification faster

Question 9

Key Term

What is an fMRI?

Answer 9

A brain scanning technique that shows brain activity (blood flow levels) rather than just physical strcutures

Question 10

Method

What is the IV?

Answer 10

Whether the participant was a high delayer or a low delayer

Question 11

Method

What is the DV?

Answer 11

• Performance times on the impulse controls task in experiment 1
• Imaging results using fMRI scanning technology in experiment 2

Question 12

Method

What design was used?

Answer 12

Repeated measures

Question 13

Method

Was the study snapshot or longitudinal?

Answer 13

Longitudinal- some participants were followed until age 40

Question 14

Sample

Where were the children in the sample from and how many were there in total at the start?

How old were they?

Answer 14

Stanford’s Bing nursery school- 562

4

Question 15

Sample

What did the children in the first sample do in the 60’s and 70’s at age 4?

Answer 15

A delay of gratification task

Question 16

Sample

How many participants where in experiment 1?

Answer 16

59

Question 17

Sample

How many high delayers were in experiment 1?

How many male how many female?

Answer 17

32

12 male, 20 female

Question 18

Sample

How many low delayers were in experiment 1?

How many males how many females?

Answer 18

27

11 male, 16 female

Question 19

Sample

How many males and females were in experiment 1 altogether?

Answer 19

23 males and 36

Question 20

Sample

How many participants took part in experiment 2?

Answer 20

27

26 in the end- one man was excluded due to poor performnance

Question 21

Sample

How many high delayers were in experiment 2?

How many males how many females?

Answer 21

15

5 males, 10 females

Question 22

Sample

How many low delayers were in experiment 2?

How many males how many females?

Answer 22

11

7 males, 4 females

Question 23

Sample

How many males and females were in expeirment 2?

Answer 23

13 males, 14 females

Question 24

Procedure- Experiment 1

Why can experiment 1 be considered ethical?

Answer 24

They gave consent before taking part in the study

Question 25

# Procedure- Experiment 1 Why could experiment 1 be deemed as a field experiment?

Answer 25

It took place in participants' own homes

Question 26

# Procedure What was the 'cool' version of the go/no go task?

Answer 26

* P's presented with male and female faces with **neutral** emotional expressions * One sex was assigned go (hit button), other sex was assigned no go (don't hit button) ## Footnote Same as hot except facial expressions

Question 27

# Procedure What was the 'hot' version of the go/no go task?

Answer 27

* P's presented with male and female faces with **happy** emotional expressions * One sex assigned go (hit button), other sex assigned no go (don't hit button) ## Footnote Same as cold except facial expressions

Question 28

# Procedure- Experiment 1 How long did the faces appear to participants for, and how long was the interval between faces?

Answer 28

* Faces appeared for 1/2 a second * 1 second interval between faces

Question 29

# Procedure- Experiment 1 How many faces in total did participants see?

Answer 29

160- (randomised order)

Question 30

# Procedure- Experiment 2 What device were p's scanned with whilst completing go/no go task?

Answer 30

fMRI scanner (shows blood flow levels)

Question 31

# Procedure- Experiment 2 Which version of the go/no go task did p's complete in this experiment?

Answer 31

the HOT version

Question 32

# Procedure- Experiment 2 How many faces were p's shown?

Answer 32

48

Question 33

# Procedure- Experiment 2 How long were faces shown for and how long was the interval between faces?

Answer 33

* Faces shown for 1/2 a second * Interval of 2-14.5 seconds between faces

Question 34

# Results- Experiment 1 What percentage of accuracy did the high delayers achieve in the go/no go task?

Answer 34

99.8% correct

Question 35

# Results- Experiment 1 What percentage of accuracy did the low delayers achieve in the go/no go task?

Answer 35

99.5% correct

Question 36

# Results- Experiment 1 Which group performed slightly worse in the no go trials (hot version)?

Answer 36

Low delayers?

Question 37

# Results- Experiment 2 Which part of the brain was shown to be less active in low delayers in no go trials?

Answer 37

Right frontal gyrus

Question 38

# Results- Experiment 2 Which part of the brain did low delayers have higher activity in? ## Footnote Go or no go?

Answer 38

Ventral Striatum ## Footnote No go trials

Question 39

# Conclusions Which region of the brain is responsible for impulse control?

Answer 39

Right frontal gyrus

Question 40

# Conclusions Which region of the brain is responsible for gratification processes?

Answer 40

Ventral Striatum

Question 41

# Conclusions What was concluded about individuals who had difficulties dekaying gratification as a child (4 years old)? ## Footnote Which side of the Nature v Nurture debate dies this fall under?

Answer 41

They'll continue to show reduced self control in adulthood ## Footnote Nature

Question 42

# GREEDUM How can reliability be argued as a strength?

Answer 42

Standardised procedure in exp 2- fMRI scanner measured brain activity

Question 43

# GREEDUM How can generalisability be argued as a weakness?

Answer 43

59 p's who took part in exp 1 were all previously tested for gratification delaying ability ## Footnote All attended Stanford Uni nursery- where they completed marshmallow task

Question 44

# GREEDUM How can data be argued as a strength?

Answer 44

High delayers were 99.8% accurate in exp 1- quantitative data allows direct comparisons

Question 45

# GREEDUM How can the method be argued as a weakness?

Answer 45

High/ low delayer status was naturally occurring and recorded from previous participation in marshmallow task at SUN ## Footnote SUN= Stanford Uni Nursery