4 of the Toughest Psychological Studies in History

Investigating attention to food.

In a 2010 research to check the differences in attention to food between obese and normal-weight females, hungry women were made to only look at photos of delicious food. Via eye tracking and brain wave recording, obese and overweight female participants who have just ended their 17 hours of fasting were asked to look at pictures of foods such as chocolate in a psychology lab. Simultaneously and just for comparison, other women were asked to perform same task, but after having their hunger satisfied.

In what the researchers say could be fear of eating too much, brain waves from obese women showed evidence of reduced attention to food; probably trying to reduce their interest in food forcefully.

Testing the idea that inhibitory signals generalise.

In one popular research on inhibitory signals, participants who just drank 5 cups of water (approx 700ml) had their bladder full; and placed in a state of urination urgency were made to answer a series of questions about making choice.

Researchers found out that participants under state of urination urgency showed greater restraint in their choices, as compared with those who only took small amount.

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Disturbing Facts About The Walking Corpse Syndrome

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References:

1. Paine P, Kishor J: Exploring relationships for visceral and somatic pain with autonomic control and personality – US National Library of Medicine. 2009 Aug;144(3):236-44. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2009.02.022. Epub 2009 Apr 23.

2. Uri Nili, Hagar Goldberg: Activity of Frontal and Temporal Circuits in Moments of Real-Life Courage – Volume 66, Issue 6, p949–962, 24 June 2010.

3. Inhibitory Spillover: Increased Urination Urgency Facilitates Impulse Control in Unrelated Domain. Psychological Science May 2011 vol. 22 no. 5 627-633