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Related Concept Videos

Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Decision Making: P-value Method01:09

Decision Making: P-value Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim  is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses:  a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...

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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
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Taxing executive processes does not necessarily increase impulsive decision making.

Ana M Franco-Watkins1, Timothy C Rickard, Hal Pashler

  • 1Department of Psychology, Auburn University, 226 Thach Hall, AL 36849, USA. afrancowatkins@auburn.edu

Experimental Psychology
|February 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive load does not necessarily lead to impulsive decision-making in healthy adults. A demanding task increased inconsistent choices, but did not prove impulsivity.

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Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Impulsivity links real-world behavior and lab tasks in specific populations.
  • The generalizability of this link to healthy individuals is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if cognitive load impacts decision-making in healthy adults.
  • To determine if taxing central executive functions leads to impulsive choices.

Main Methods:

  • 53 participants completed a delay discounting task.
  • The task was performed under two conditions: high cognitive load (generation task) and no load (control).

Main Results:

  • Cognitive load did not prove necessary or sufficient for impulsive decision-making.
  • The demanding generation task led to more inconsistent choices, not necessarily impulsive ones.

Conclusions:

  • Taxing working memory is not a direct cause of impulsive decision-making in healthy individuals.
  • Cognitive load may increase choice inconsistency rather than outright impulsivity.