The effects of positive and negative affect on Iowa gambling task performance

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Chistina M. Hardy (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
William Overman

Abstract: In normal populations, males typically perform better than females on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Previous studies have shown that deliberation of moral dilemmas during the IGT significantly improves the performance of females to the level of males and that smelling aromas during the IGT significantly reduces the performance of males to the level of females. Nevertheless, both moral dilemmas and aromas have an affective quality. In the present study, to test whether affect influenced IGT performance, participants viewed positive, negative, or neutral pictures during the IGT task. The results of this study showed the affective pictures had no effect on IGT performance. Males outperformed females and females chose one particular card type, as is typically the case. Thus, previous effects of dilemmas or aromas are not likely due to emotional factors.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Cognition--Testing, Educational tests and measurements, Decision making--Testing
Subjects
Educational tests and measurements
Cognition -- Testing
Decision making -- Testing

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