Problem:
People who had viewed the nature scenes- no matter what their background- tended to choose later, larger rewards and make safe choices rather than gambling. But among those who had first viewed recession images, the wealthier and poorer participants made diverging choices: the better-off participants increased their tendency to go for long term over short term gain, while the poorer ones chose more immediate rewards and made more risky gambles. The second experiment involved 61 participants who either read a purported New York Times article headlined "Tough Times Ahead: The New Economics of the 21st Century" or an article that appeared as if it came from a similarly reputable source, and, like the first, was also unpleasant and, in addition, potentially boring. It detailed a tale of someone's lengthy search for lost keys. Participants then performed a task designed to measure the appeal of certain branded luxury items such as Rolex watches, Gucci clothing or accessories, or Porsches. The volunteers were shown images of these items, and had to move a lever that would simulate either approaching the object or avoiding it as quickly as possible. The task is a standard method for tracking how attracted people are to certain objects; in previous studies the response times correlated well to real life actions: alcoholics, for example, tended to approach drinks faster than those who weren't addicted. Need Assignment Help?