Quote:
Originally Posted by dugthefish
You're ****ting me...are you some kind of brain scientist?
The findings in this area are frightening.
Classic study: They put two groups of students into separate waiting rooms. The control group doesn't do anything there. Then they are told to get up and walk to another room. In the hallway, there's someone giving out free snacks: An apple, or a piece of chocolate cake. X% of the control group choose the chocolate cake.
The "treatment" group, however, are made to do some kind of test first, I think involving arithmetic. Then they walk down the hallway to the snacks. Y% of them choose the chocolate cake.
The treatment group chooses more cake.
The explanation is that their ability to restrain their urges has been diminished due to the mental fatigue.
Similar studies have found that hungry students who are sitting next to freshly baked cookies, but are not allowed to eat them, are more likely to quit on a task out of frustration. The idea being their limited willpower resources has been depleted in resisting the cookies.
So be careful about playing poker when you're on a diet and the host has the awesome nacho spread out!