Casey et al (2011)

Question 1

What is the role of the inferior frontal gyrus?

Answer 1

Interpretations
of facial expressions and a corresponding emotional response appropriate to the expression.

Part of the brain that is used for control of impulsive behaviour.

Question 2

What is the role of the ventral stratum?

Answer 2

Associated with reward and motivation.

Question 3

What is delay of gratification?

Answer 3

The ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward

Question 4

What was the aim of the research?

Answer 4

To see if low delayers on the marshmallow test at age 4 years still struggled with resisting temptation in adulthood.

To examine activity in areas of the brain thought to be associated with the ability to resist temptation.

Question 5

What research method was used in Casey et al?

Answer 5

A quasi/natural experiment.

A repeated measures design as, e participants completed self-control scales when in their 20s and 30s and in experiment 1 participants completed both “hot” and “cool” go/nogo task.

A longitudinal study which followed some of the original participants from the age of four years until they were in their 40s.

Question 6

What was the IV in research by Casey et al?

Answer 6

Whether the participant was a high delayer or a low delayer was naturally occurring and so could not be
manipulated or controlled by the researchers.

Question 7

What was the DV in research by Casey et al?

Answer 7

The performance on the impulse control task ) in Experiment 1 and
the performance on the impulse control task (in terms of reaction times and accuracy) and imaging results using fMRI.

Question 8

What does FMRI stand for and what does it do

Answer 8

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Investigates the physiognomy of the brain

Question 9

What is a high delayer?

Answer 9

A person with good self-control

Question 10

What is a low delayer

Answer 10

A person with poor self-control

Question 11

Outline the sample for the original delay of gratification task in the 1970s

Answer 11

562, four-year-old pupils from Stanford’s Bing Nursery School completed a delay-of-gratification task

Question 12

What was the sample in experiment 1?

Answer 12

59 (23 males, 36 females) of the 117 agreed to participate in this longitudinal behavioural study.

Participants were classified as
low or high delayers from the results of (a) their delay-of-gratification performance and (b) the self-control measures.

In Experiment 1 there were
32 high delayers (12 male, 20 female) and 27 low delayers (11 male, 16 female).

Question 13

What was the sample in experiment 2?

Answer 13

27 (13 males, 14 females) of the 59 who participated in Experiment 1 agreed to be part of a functional neuroimaging study.

In experiment 2 there were 15 high delayers (5 male, 10 female) and 11 low delayers (7 male, 4 female)

Question 14

Outline the procedure for experiment 1

Answer 14

Participants completed two versions of the go/no-go task.

The “cool” version of the task consisted of male and female stimuli which were
presented, one sex as a “go” where the Ps pressed a button, and the other sex as a “no-go”, they did not press the button.

Participants were instructed to respond as quickly and accurately as possible.
Each face appeared for 500ms, followed by a 1-s interstimulus interval.

The “hot” version of the go/no-go task was identical to the “cool” version except that fearful and happy facial expressions served as stimuli.

The tasks were presented using programmed laptop computers sent to participants’ homes.

Question 15

Outline the procedure for experiment 2

Answer 15

• fMRI was used to examine neural correlates of delay of gratification. It was anticipated that low delayers would show diminished activity in the
right prefrontal cortex and amplified activity in the ventral striatum compared to high delayers.

Participants completed a “hot” version of the go/no-go task similar to that used in Experiment 1.

One participant was excluded for excessively poor behavioural performance on the fMRI version of the task leaving 26 participants for group
analysis.

Question 16

What were the main findings from experiment 1?

Answer 16

There were no effects of delay group on reaction time measures to correct “go” trials.

Both groups made more errors on the ‘No-Go’ tasks and the low delayers made more false alarms

Question 17

What were the main findings from experiment 2?

Answer 17

Differences between the two delay groups in “no-go” accuracy were consistent with the observed differences in the “hot” task performance in Experiment 1, with low delayers committing more false alarms than high delayers.

The low delayers compared to the high delayers had less activity in their inferior frontal gryrus.

In the ventral stratum the low delayers had lower brain activity than high delayers.

Question 18

What are the main conclusions in Casey et al’s research?

Answer 18

Ability to resist temptation is a stable characteristic. If you can resist at 4, you can resist at 40.

Is a psychological basis for resisting temptation which could explain why some people find it easier to delay gratification.

Question 19

Evaluate the research method used in research by Casey et al.

Answer 19

Casey tested participants under strictly controlled conditions.

Strengths of technical experimental equipment.
Detailed and objective observations of brain activity.

Longitudinal study, this allowed researchers to come to the conclusion that the ability to resist temptation is a relatively stable characteristic.

Question 20

Evaluate the types of data collected in research by Casey et al.

Answer 20

Quantitative findings allowing for comparisons between participants. Easily summarised. Analysed statically.

Question 21

Discuss the ethical issues in relation to research by Casey

Answer 21

They research was conducted ethically, there was no deception, they consented and no participants were harmed.

The large amount of participants who decided to not take part in experiment 2 shows Ps ability to withdraw.

Question 22

Evaluate the validity of research by Casey et al.

Answer 22

Controlled conditions, standardised instructions, testing and procedures. High design validity, extraneous variables strictly controlled.

Question 23

Evaluate the ecological validity of research by Casey et al.

Answer 23

The tasks do not have direct relevance to life.

Scannning in an fMRI while dong a Go/No-Go task is not something that a person would do in everyday life.

Question 24

Evaluate the ecological reliability of research by Casey et al.

Answer 24

One weaknesses of the longitudinal study is that they were conducted over decades, it is not time and cost effective to replicate. Meaning it is hard to test reliability.

Question 25

Evaluate the sample used in research by Casey et al.

Answer 25

Subject attrition, where in a longitudinal study people choose not to continue. This means the sample reduces in size and may not be generalisable to the original sample.

Question 26

To what extent can research by Casey et al be considered ethnocentric?

Answer 26

Casey’s study tells use that self control and deferred gratification is affect by the autonomy and physiognomy of the brain, it can be ague it is a species specific behaviour.

However the study was only conducted in America and it has a culture of Capitalism and consumerism.

Question 27

To what extent does Casey’s study support psychology as a science?

Answer 27

fMRI
Controlled conditions
Scientific criteria

Question 28

To what extent can research by Casey et al be considered useful?

Answer 28

Could be used to identify addictive behaviour is young children.

Allow us to understand temptation and reduce it. Taught cooling techniques.

Question 29

Discuss research by Casey et al in relation to the Nature vs Nurture debate

Answer 29

Casey’s study shows a lack of self control over time. Inferring that you are born with a certain brain function which determines your ability to delay gratification.

However by the age of 4 our brains are reasonability developed, could be how you are brought up from birth. People may copy or model others resisting temptation.

Question 30

Discuss research by Casey et al in relation to the free will vs determinism debate

Answer 30

We are born with brain differences meaning some people can resist temptation and others cant.

Question 31

How does research by Casey et al link to the biological area?

Answer 31

Looks at the functioning in specific regions of the brain and their impact on temptation and rewarding stimuli.

Question 32

How does research by Casey et al link to the key theme?

Answer 32

Regions of the brain.

Question 33

Similarities between Sperry and Casey et al.

Answer 33

both highly controlled lab experiments

both demonstrate the functions of specific regions in the brain with Sperry showing that the corpus callosum is important for communication bw the two hemispheres and casey showing that the ventral striatum and IFG are important in self control and self regulation of our desires

both conducted ethically

Question 34

Differences between Sperry and Casey et al.

Answer 34

Casey studies brains of normal adults whilst Sperry looked at abnormal subjects so casey’s study is more generalisable than Sperry’s

Casey’s study was longitudinal whilst Sperry’s was snapshot

Casey’s study was able to benefit from advanced technology like fMRI and able to scientifically observe functioning regions of the brain that they were interested in whilst in the 1960’s Sperry didn’t have this tech so any activity from the right hemisphere could only be inferred from what the participants could or couldn’t do