Researchers gave participants either a hormone pill or a placebo before they looked at pictures in a brain scanner called an fMRI. While people saw each picture, they reported how it made them feel. The next day, the researchers tested memory for the pictures.
Each person did the study twice, once with the hormone and once with the placebo, and the test was double-blind so no one knew which pill was taken. The team looked at quick patterns of brain activity to see which pictures people felt strongly about and which they later remembered.
Difficult words
- researcher — person who studies and tests ideasresearchers
- participant — person who takes part in a studyparticipants
- placebo — fake pill given for comparison
- hormone — chemical in the body that affects changes
- double-blind — study where neither person knows the treatment
- memory — ability to remember things later
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you be willing to take a pill (hormone or placebo) for a study? Why or why not?
- Why do you think the study used a double-blind design?
- How might reporting feelings while seeing pictures help researchers?
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