Chocolate Cake vs. Fruit Salad - a brain function study

Post by **Doreen Peri** » January 24th, 2009, 1:42 pm

I was listening to NPR last week and they reported a story about a brain function study.

They invited participants to come to a conference center where the facilitator split them in two groups. One group was assigned two numbers to memorize (like 34 & 72 or 110 and 84, that kind of thing). The other group was assigned a series of 7 numbers to memorize (like 7, 11, 32, 100, 450, 600, 793). Just giving random examples.

At break time, the participants went out into the corridor and were offered refreshments. There was a lady at a table serving a choice between a bowl of healthy fruit salad or an ample slice of luscious calorie-rich chocolate cake.

The participants had no idea that their choice had anything to do with the study, but it did.

Every time or almost every time, they said, the people who had only 2 numbers to memorize chose......... the bowl of healthy fruit salad.

and

Every time or almost every time, they said, the people who had 7 numbers to memorize chose..... the calorie-rich luscious chocolate cake.

I'm pretty sure they said EVERY time.

Why was this?

The theory is that when a person's brain is overloaded with information and stresses, it invariably makes poor choices. The people who only had 2 numbers to memorize had room left in their brain to think and make a good choice. They probably thought "if I eat the chocolate cake, it will ruin my lunch, it's too many calories and it's not as healthy as the fruit. I'll take the fruit." While the people with 7 numbers to memorize didn't have room in their brains to rationalize. They were stressed from trying to memorize the numbers and just chose a feel-good food.

What do you think of this study? Comments?

I know when I get overly stressed and am overwhelmed with responsibilities, I tend to make poor decisions. Can you identify with the Chocolate Cake syndrome? (for lack of a better name)

I'd like to figure out how to relieve stresses and simplify the STUFF running around in my overly taxed brain so I can make good choices. I didn't hear the entire report. I wonder if I can find it online. There must be some conclusions and advice offered.

Post by **Lightning Rod** » January 24th, 2009, 2:38 pm

this is so typical of you doreen

you are seeking more information about a study that says information overload is bad. What's wrong with this picture?

Plus, the study premise assumes that chocolate cake is the unwise choice. It's a false premise.

I say let them eat cake

Post by **K&D** » January 24th, 2009, 2:50 pm

I think society (media) dictates that we can reward ourselves w/ things that are bad for us when we do something that is hard....

therefor perhaps in our society these people feel justified in their choclote cake decision becaue they feel they deserve it....where as memorising two numbers aint no big thing.

i would have chosen the choclate cake no matter what by the way.

Post by **Doreen Peri** » January 24th, 2009, 5:25 pm

No, Lrod, I wasn't seeking any more information. Just opinions. That was funny, though.

K&D, that's exactly what I thought. I would have chosen the chocolate cate no matter what.

Post by **Doreen Peri** » January 24th, 2009, 7:46 pm

I still think it was an interesting study, though..... about how much the brain can handle .... how much information it can process at the same time.

I told the story about the study at a meeting at work the other day. Then I said, "Now I need to excuse myself because I've reached the point of chocolate cake." It got a pretty good laugh. And from now on, I can say I've reached the point of chocolate cake and they'll all know I can't process any additional information. That it's time to stop.

Another reason to love chocolate cake. It says it all.

Post by **panta rhei** » January 24th, 2009, 9:41 pm

i would've chosen the fruit salad, no matter what.

seems the study was less about the impact of stress on the quality of choice, but more about its effect on immediate desire and predilection of taste...?

Post by **Doreen Peri** » January 24th, 2009, 10:13 pm

Panta... what they said in the radio show I heard was it was about how the brain works. They talked about duality ... the different lobes of the brain... how it processes information. Not necessarily about stress, per se, but the study was about how much information a brain can process at the same time. How, when it gets overloaded past its capacity for processing information in a rational manner, the electrical signals get hijacked... it gets overloaded like a circuit can get overloaded, and doesn't think right. I would have chosen chocolate cake no matter what.... at the time I posted my last response probably because my mom had a stroke the other day, i haven't been paid since november 30th, and i'm a single mom of a teenage daughter, not to mention all the stuff I'm not going to mention. At the same time, I'd probably always choose the fruit salad no matter what because chocolate cake is too heavy and too sweet. Give me some milk with the chocolate cake and make sure it's a small slice. Give me a glass of water with the fruit salad and meet me at the gym afterwards. Or before. And there you have it. LOL

Post by **stilltrucking** » January 25th, 2009, 9:31 am

RadioLab's"Choice" episode. This is your brain on emotions.

Choice
We turn up the volume on the voices in our heads and try to make sense of the babble. On a journey around the country to understand how emotion and logic interact to guide us through our options, we ponder how we get through the million choices and decisions we make every day. Forget free will, some important decisions could come down to a steaming cup of coffee.

If you want to hear the show again you can listen here

Post by **Doreen Peri** » January 25th, 2009, 12:20 pm

Yay! You found it! I couldn't find it!

Thanks, Jack! .. the link to the study I was talking about
The battle between emotion and reason?
I didn't relay the info exactly right in my post. Read the article instead.

And Jack, you even included a link to listen! Yay!
You're good! Thank you. thank you!

..............

Repeating stilltrucking's links.... why? 'cause my brain is on emotions.. or sumthin... donno why... 'cause i want to i guess!

Read the article >> RadioLab's"Choice" episode. This is your brain on emotions.
Listen to the show >> If you want to hear the show again you can listen here

Post by **Arcadia** » February 2nd, 2009, 2:08 pm

it was summer or winter? the chocolate cake had too much cream or it had dulce de leche with some kind of liquor instead? I can add to the salad fruit americana cream icecream?

ahhh choices!!!!

(there is a tv-comic programme here where one of the personajes suffer too much (in a funny way) with choices, we laughed a lot remember it during last vacations. I´ll try to find a youtube link to that, I mean the tv-programme!)

and hey! some days without internet and too much to read!!!!!!

Post by **hester_prynne** » February 2nd, 2009, 10:56 pm

Yeah, well I would have wanted a little of both.....!
H

Post by **Jacob** » February 3rd, 2009, 9:28 am

There's also the fact that the brain may have been craving the extra sugar as well, because using extra brain power speeds up the process of energy in the brain, which is processed by the proteins of sugars. More work done in the brain? The more sugar intake you need.

Why am I saying this like I know what I'm talking about? I read comic books, and there is a mutant with incredible brain functions, and he needs to eat many candy bars to keep his brain going, or he loses the ability to decode the Norad security clearance and bomb the world. Yeah, I know comic books aren't reality, but it's what came to mind when I read this. Something to consider.

Post by **mtmynd** » February 3rd, 2009, 2:52 pm

i don't know about this.

Post by **Jacob** » February 5th, 2009, 7:48 pm

Like I said...

Comic book. Supposed to be questionable.

Post by **mtmynd** » February 5th, 2009, 8:20 pm

Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Chocolate Cake vs. Fruit Salad - a brain function study

Chocolate Cake vs. Fruit Salad - a brain function study

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