PSYC 4750 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Ultimatum Game, Amygdala, Social Influence
17 May 2018
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04/03/2018 Lecture 17: Choice – Risk and Reward Continued
Impulsivity and Consideration of the Future (last slides continued)
• Delay of gratification beneficial in terms of receiving larger outcome
o Marshmallow test – children get one marshmallow, or if they wait a bit they get two
• Delay tolerance can be linked to outcomes in the future
o Less drug use, lower weight, lower aggression, etc.
• Those with high impulsivity are less likely to be able to wait for the delay
• Results:
o When told to think about the marshmallow, their ability to wait was hindered
o When told to think about fun thoughts, they were largely able to wait for the delay
o When not given any advice, and no being able to see the marshmallow, they were
largely able to ait for the delay
Impulsivity in Frontal Patients
• Delay discounting task for adults
• Delay of gratification – would you prefer $10 now or $30 in three weeks?
• Outcome very much depends on the circumstances of the individual
o College students likely to go for the $10 opposed to someone more financially stable
• Also depends on the value of the outcome
o $10 now vs. $10 000 in a year, much more likely to go for the 10 000
• Someone with OFC or amygdala damage would be more likely to take the 10 now
o Much less willing to wait – steeper discount
o More steep with money than food
▪ Means they do have some understanding of the outcome in the sense that
money is more valuable than food
o Want the reward immediately despite the value
Brain, Choice and Personality
• There is a brain basis for personality
• Reasoned decision making relies on emotional processing and weighing value across time
• The OFC and the amygdala interact to manage these processes
A Social Dilemma
• The ultimatum game
• Two players – proposer and responder
o Proposer offers amount of money to responder
o If accepted both players receive amount
o If rejected both players receive nothing
o It is in best interest to accept any offer over 0
• Proposers typically offer almost half of what they have even though they do not need to
o Typically because they are naturally fair-minded
o Or because they (selfishly) fear having a low offer rejected
• Responders will almost always accept half or a little less, but will start to reject when it falls
• Social influence impacts rejection rates
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