Question 1

According to research by Casey et al. (2011), people low in the ability to delay gratification displayed more processing in the striatum, an area of the brain associated with processing reward information. How does this provide insight into the ability to delay gratification?

Accepted Answer

People who are low in the ability to delay gratification show more activity in the striatum, suggesting they are more sensitive to rewards. To delay gratification, one would need to be less sensitive to these rewards.

Question 2

Which of the following conclusions is supported by recent research on self-control?

Accepted Answer

Recent research has found that the marshmallow task, which measures self-control in young children, can predict school and occupational success later in life. This suggests that self-control is an important factor in achieving success in various domains. However, there is no evidence to suggest that all self-control concepts and measures are identical, or that self-control is the same as intelligence. Additionally, the marshmallow task has been found to predict physical and mental health outcomes, contrary to option C.

Question 3

According to social cognitive theory, goal-directed behavior can be explained in terms of

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive theory posits that goal-directed behavior is a result of both performance standards and feedback information. Performance standards refer to individuals' beliefs about what level of performance is acceptable, while feedback information refers to information individuals receive about their progress toward their goal. Therefore, both (a) and (b) play a crucial role in explaining goal-directed behavior according to social cognitive theory.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a structural unit emphasized by social cognitive theory?

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive theory emphasizes the structural units of self-efficacy beliefs, competencies, and goals as key components of human behavior. Generalized expectancies are not a structural unit emphasized by the theory.

Question 5

Mischel found that preschool measures of delay of gratification were

Accepted Answer

Mischel's research indicated that preschool measures of delay of gratification were related to adolescent cognitive competencies, such as academic performance and self-control, rather than social popularity or athletic performance.

Question 6

Casey et al.'s (2011) research linking the ability to delay gratification in childhood to brain activity during adulthood revealed that relative to those high in the ability, those low in the ability had:

Accepted Answer

Casey et al.'s (2011) research found that those low in the ability to delay gratification had greater activation in the frontal lobes and lower activation in the striatum relative to those high in the ability.

Question 7

Delay of gratification research is concerned with

Accepted Answer

Delay of gratification research is mainly focused on the ability to resist immediate rewards or impulses in favor of long-term goals, which falls under the control of impulses.

Question 8

In Michel's delay of gratification paradigm, children get a large reward if they

Accepted Answer

Michel's delay of gratification paradigm involves rewarding children if they wait for a designated period of time before receiving the reward. Choices B and C are not related to this paradigm.

Question 9

Delay of gratification scores in preschool children were found to be related to later

Accepted Answer

Delay of gratification scores in preschool children have been found to be predictive of a variety of outcomes, including parental ratings of cognitive and self-control skills, as well as academic achievements such as SAT scores.

Question 10

What did Casey et al.'s (2011) research indicate regarding the link between childhood ability to delay gratification and adulthood brain activity?

Accepted Answer

Casey et al.'s research indicated that there was a link between childhood ability to delay gratification and adulthood brain activity, suggesting that delay ability likely remains relatively stable throughout the lifespan.

Question 11

Behavioral signatures consist of

Accepted Answer

Behavioral signatures refer to individual patterns of behavior that are consistent across different situations. They are commonly identified through profiles of situation-behavior relationships, rather than simply aggregating behaviors across situations.

Question 12

In research conducted by Bandura and Cervone, on factors that increase motivation, results indicated that motivation is most strongly enhanced when people

Accepted Answer

Bandura and Cervone's research actually found that motivation is most strongly enhanced when people are working toward specific goals and receive feedback on their performance. This combination helps individuals gauge their progress and adjust their efforts accordingly. None of the provided options accurately reflects this finding.

Question 13

According to social cognitive theory, effortful performance is most enhanced when

Accepted Answer

According to social cognitive theory, effortful performance is most enhanced when goals and feedback are present. Having clear goals to work towards and receiving feedback on progress can help individuals focus their efforts and make adjustments to improve their performance. While a relaxed atmosphere and high incentives may also have an impact on performance, they are not necessary for effortful performance to be enhanced.

Question 14

In Michel's delay of gratification paradigm, children wait longest if they see

Accepted Answer

In Michel's delay of gratification paradigm, children wait the longest when they do not see any reward (neither the immediate nor the delayed reward). This is because the visibility of rewards can create temptation, making it harder for children to delay gratification.

Question 15

According to Bandura, greater effort follows from

Accepted Answer

When individuals do not meet their own standards, they are often motivated to put in greater effort to achieve those standards in the future.

Question 16

According to Bandura, a person will try harder if

Accepted Answer

Bandura's theory of self-efficacy suggests that people are motivated by a belief in their own competence and ability to succeed. Therefore, if a person perceives a chance for success in a task, they are more likely to try harder. Seeing a more competent person succeed or a model punished may also have an impact, but it is not as directly related to the individual's perception of their own chances for success.

Question 17

According to social cognitive theory, goal-directed behavior is best understood in terms of

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive theory emphasizes the importance of standards and anticipated consequences in influencing goal-directed behavior. Standards refer to an individual's internalized beliefs and values about what constitutes appropriate or desirable behavior, while anticipated consequences refer to the expected outcomes of that behavior. Together, these factors help to shape an individual's goals and motivate them towards achieving those goals. Reinforcement and traits are also important aspects of the theory, but they are not as central to the concept of goal-directed behavior as standards and anticipated consequences. Ego controls are not explicitly mentioned in the theory.

Question 18

Bandura's view of motivation involves

Accepted Answer

Bandura's view of motivation involves both goals and performance feedback. Bandura believed that individuals are motivated by the goals they set for themselves and by the feedback they receive on their performance towards those goals. He also emphasized the importance of self-efficacy, or the belief in one's ability to successfully achieve a goal, in motivating behavior.

Question 19

According to Bandura, aggressive behavior is regulated by

Accepted Answer

Bandura's social learning theory suggests that aggressive behavior is regulated by all three types of consequences: external consequences, self-produced consequences, and vicarious experiencing of consequences. External consequences refer to the rewards or punishments that are given by others for engaging in aggressive behavior. Self-produced consequences refer to the internal rewards or punishments that an individual experiences as a result of their own behavior, such as feelings of satisfaction or guilt. Vicarious experiencing of consequences refers to the process of learning from the rewards or punishments that others receive for their behavior, even if we did not directly experience them ourselves.

Question 20

Standards can be acquired through

Accepted Answer

Standards can be acquired through both reinforcement and observational learning. Reinforcement involves the process of rewarding or punishing actions based on whether or not they meet certain standards. Observational learning involves observing and modeling the behavior of others who already have the desired standards. Together, these two methods can be effective in promoting and maintaining certain standards.

Quiz 12: Social Cognitive Theory: Bandura and Mischel

According to research by Casey et al. (2011) , people low in the ability to delay gratification displayed more processing in the striatum, an area of the brain associated with processing reward information. How does this provide insight into the ability to delay gratification?