A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What task were participants in the Barkley-Levenson and Galvan experiment asked to perform?

1. A memory recall task

2. A gambling task using fMRI

3. A social interaction task

4. A risk perception evaluation

The correct answer is: A gambling task using fMRI

Participants in the Barkley-Levenson and Galvan experiment were specifically asked to perform a gambling task that utilized fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to investigate brain activity. The focus of this research was to explore how individuals' neural responses varied in relation to risk-taking behavior, particularly among adolescents and adults. The use of fMRI allowed the researchers to observe real-time brain activity and understand the neural correlates associated with decision-making in uncertain situations, which is a central theme in psychological studies of risk and reward. This task was not a memory recall task, nor was it centered on social interactions or solely on evaluating risk perception in isolation. Instead, it combined aspects of decision-making with the physiological responses measured through neuroimaging, providing insights into how risk-prone behaviors manifest in the brain. Therefore, the gambling task is critical for understanding the broader implications of risk-taking behaviors in different age groups from both a psychological and neurobiological perspective.