Milkshake and Mindset

Milkshake and Mindset AAQ

Your response to the question should be provided in six parts: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Write the response to each part of the question in complete sentences. Use appropriate psychological terminology.

Using the source provided, respond to all parts of the question.

(A) Identify the research method used in the study.

(B) State the operational definition of the participants’ hunger response.

(C) Describe the implications of the findings of ghrelin levels after drinking the shakes.

(D) Identify at least one ethical guideline applied by the researchers

(E) Explain the extent to which the research findings may or may not be generalizable.

(F) Explain how at least one of the research findings supports or refutes the researchers’ hypothesis that perception of the healthiness of the shake impacted hunger levels after drinking them.

Study Available at: https://mbl.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj26571/files/media/file/2011_milkshakes_crum_et_al_health_psych.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawL4Xu1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFIZGZYcDFHRFRtb2ZzeElVAR5SAFAxwfrBuwNvatJhWhBw5uei-GiZrc6dmSnCqkty8cFOiNqPQYjlqRZjzA_aem__-aJ2Taf2D05Q3u1eQ86HA

Introduction

This study explored how people’s beliefs about what they are eating can affect their bodies. The researchers wanted to see if thinking a milkshake is “indulgent” or “sensible” would change levels of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin helps control hunger—when it’s high, we feel hungry; when it drops, we feel full. Even though the milkshakes were actually the same, the labels made people think they were very different in calories. The main question was: does mindset, not just nutrition, change how full someone feels?

Participants

There were 46 participants between the ages of 18 and 35, including college students and community members. Most participants were within a normal to slightly overweight BMI range and passed screening tests to make sure they were healthy. The study followed ethical guidelines: participants were informed that the study involved food tasting, prescreened for medical conditions, fasted before testing for safety and accuracy, professionals drew blood in a clinical setting, and participants gave consent and were paid for their time.

Method

Each person came to two separate lab sessions. In one, they were told they’d be drinking a high-calorie "indulgent" milkshake; in the other, a low-calorie "sensible" shake, though both were the same 380-calorie drink. Researchers measured ghrelin levels through blood samples taken before, during, and after drinking the shake. Participants also rated the shake's taste and their hunger levels using scales. The researchers controlled for how fast people drank the shakes and the order in which they were given.

Data

Results and Discussion

Participants' ghrelin levels dropped more sharply after drinking the shake labeled "indulgent" compared to the one labeled "sensible." This drop suggests they felt fuller, just because they thought the shake was high in calories. When they felt it was "sensible," their ghrelin levels barely changed, showing less physiological satisfaction. This happened even though both shakes had the same ingredients. Hunger ratings did not significantly change between sessions, but hormone levels did. This challenges the idea that only nutrients matter in how we feel after eating. It also raises concerns about misleading food labels that may cause people to feel less full and overeat later. The researchers suggest more studies are needed to understand how mindset impacts weight and eating habits over time.