Ted Talk, Rat OCD experiment And Habit Book

Question 1

According to Tristian Harris what is attention economy?

Answer 1

A cooperation will do anything for you to keep your eyes on them

Question 2

How do corporations keep your attention?

Answer 2

Youtube: auto play next video
Snapchat: created streaks so people would engage with the app everyday in order to not lose their streaks

Question 3

What are the solutions to the attention economy issue?

Answer 3

1. Acknowledge we are persuadable
2. Create a new accountability system
3. Need a design renaissance

Question 4

What is the purpose of the signal attenuation study done in rats?

Answer 4

To induce compulsive - like behaviour in rats
This behaviour is guided by attenuating (reducing) a signal that indicates that a lever-press response was effective in producing food

Question 5

Stage 1 of rat OCD experiment

Answer 5

Lever pressing for food is followed by a compound stimuli that acts as a feedback cue
The feedback cue is later weakened by the repeated presentation of stimuli without food

Question 6

Stage 2 of rat OCD experiment

Answer 6

Lever pressing is assessed under extinction conditions
At this stage the rat displays 2 types of lever pressing:
Lever pressing followed by an attempt to get a reward
Lever pressing followed by no attempt to get reward

Question 7

Results of rat OCD experiment:

Answer 7

Signal attenuation procedure leads to an increased # of lever presses with no attempt to collect food reward

Question 8

Benefits of rat study:

Answer 8

Help US distinguish between obsessive behaviours and repetitive behaviours
The measures collected are unbiased, quantitive and unaffected by in-experiment variability

Question 9

Disadvantages of experiment :

Answer 9

Costly equipment
Time consuming

Question 10

Where are our habits made?

Answer 10

Basal ganglia

Question 11

What is the habit loop?

Answer 11

Cue → routine → reward

Question 12

Where are decisions made?

Answer 12

Prefrontal cortex