Definitions in "Don't!" (Question #4- Coincides with Alison's Blog Post)

Carolyn was asked to sit down in the chair and pick a treat from a tray of marshmallows, cookies, and pretzel sticks. Carolyn chose the marshmallow. Although she’s now forty-four, Carolyn still has a weakness for those air-puffed balls of corn syrup and gelatine. (Page 47)


In adults, this skill is often referred to as metacognition, or thinking about thinking, and it’s what allows people to outsmart their shortcomings. (Page 54)

Mischel says. “Once you realize that will power is just a matter of learning how to control your attention and thoughts, you can really begin to increase it.” (Page 55)


Operating on the premise that the ability to delay eating the marshmallow had depended on a child’s ability to banish thoughts of it, they decided on a series of tasks that measure the ability of subjects to control the contents of working memory—the relatively limited amount of information we’re able to consciously consider at any given moment. (Page 56)


According to Jonides, this is how self-control “cashes out” in the real world: as an ability to direct the spotlight of attention so that our decisions aren’t determined by the wrong thoughts. (Page 56)


For the most part, the regions are in the frontal cortex—the overhang of brain behind the eyes—and include the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the anterior prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate, and the right and left inferior frontal gyri. 


Key:
Word to be defined= bold
Definition= italics 

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer#ixzz1DW6gYYhT


There was many definitions (that are cited above) within Jonah Lehrer New York Times article, "Don't!"    These definitions definitely begin with very simple definitions that become more elaborate as the article continued.  For example, the first definition that is in the first paragraph of the article describes what a marshmellow is.  Obviously this is a very simple definition.  As the pieces continues, Lehrer describes what metacognition means.  This definition begins the more researched scientific definitions he includes in the article, like what will power, the working memory, and self-control are.  These are all definitions that Mischel found out in his research and must be explained to the reader.  The last, and most complicated definition is, frontal cortex which is the overhang of brain behind the eyes.  This is the most scientific definition included in the article and it is at the very end of it.  The sequence of these definitions within the text is very important.  Lehrer begins his article with more interesting and "light" ideas and definitions.  The beginning of "Don't!" is a story about Caroline and her brother and in this he includes the marshmellow definition.  Although, as the piece continues the article becomes more complex and scientific and so does Lehrer's definitions.  He does not put the harder definitions and writing at the beginning of the article, so he does not "scare" readers away and keeps them interested.