A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

Which brain regions were studied in Casey et al (2011)?

1. Corpus callosum and amygdala

2. Inferior frontal gyrus and ventral striatum

3. Hippocampus and thalamus

4. Brainstem and cerebellum

The correct answer is: Inferior frontal gyrus and ventral striatum

In the study conducted by Casey et al. (2011), the inferior frontal gyrus and ventral striatum were specifically examined to understand the neural correlates of delay discounting and impulse control. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how these regions are activated when participants faced situations that required self-control or decision-making involving immediate versus delayed rewards. The inferior frontal gyrus is often associated with cognitive control and decision-making processes, while the ventral striatum is linked to reward processing and impulse control. By studying the activation in these areas, Casey et al. were able to draw conclusions about the brain's role in delaying gratification and resisting immediate temptations, which were central themes of their research. The other brain regions listed in the other options are not the focus of Casey et al.'s study, which makes them less relevant in the context of understanding the specific findings related to impulse control and the associated brain structures in this particular research.