Dopamine Action Continued (11b) Flashcards
(9 cards)
What are ‘categorising emotions’
These are COMPLEX emotions
- combinations of basic emotions
- may be socially or culturally learned
- requires cognitive processing
eg. regret, grief, jealousy
What are ‘basic emotions’
Unique characteristics
- developed through evolution
- reflected in facial expressions
- relatively AUTOMATIC
- fear, sadness, anger, happiness, disgust, surprise
What/where is the AMYGDALA
The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped cluster of nuclei located deep within the temporal lobe of the brain
–> on both sides (left and right hemispheres).
–> It is a key part of the limbic system, which is involved in emotion regulation, memory processing, and the fight-or-flight response.
The amygdala is best known for its role in processing emotions (especially fear, anxiety, and aggression) and helping the brain detect and respond to threats.
–> It also has important functions in recognizing emotional expressions and forming emotional memories.
What is fear conditioning
Fear conditioning is a type of classical conditioning where a neutral stimulus (like a sound) is paired with an aversive stimulus (like a shock), causing the neutral stimulus to trigger a fear response.
Fear extinction is the process of reducing this fear response by repeatedly presenting the neutral stimulus without the aversive one, teaching the subject it is now safe.
Research: Quirk et al. (1995) - Lateral amygdala cells patterns of firing during fear conditioning
Cells fire in response to the tone (the conditioned stimulus).
After fear training they increase their firing especially in the very early phase after tone delivery –> found that 1/4 of cells significantly increased evoked firing rate of cells
The plasticity goes away after extinction
What is the role of the amygdala in fear conditioning
Amygdala lesions BLOCK fear learning
- rats with amygdala lesions do not learn to associate the CS with the shock (AS), therefore don’t produce a fear response
Bechara et al. 1995 - conscious or unconscious learning in the amygdala
Conscious Learning in the Amygdala:
- AWARE of the emotional experience and its cause.
- Involves: Amygdala + Cortex (higher thinking).
- Example: Fear of dogs after remembering a bite.
Unconscious Learning in the Amygdala:
- Not aware of the cause of the emotion.
- Involves: Amygdala directly (fast, automatic).
- Example: Feeling anxious around dogs without knowing why.
Bechara et al. 1995 studies 3 patients - one with amygdala lesion, one with hippocampal lesion, one with damage to both
- the CS: a coloured slide
- US: was a boat horn
- measured skin conductance
- also asked patients to report knowledge of which CS predicted the US
FOUND: amygdala is necessary for implicit learning of the threat
Outline the LeDoux Two Emotion System
Generation of a 2 emotional systems hypothesis of emotion generation.
This hypothesis suggests:
1. A slower cortical system controls the conscious experience of emotion
–> called the HIGH ROAD
–> slow conscious experience
–> fully sensory analysis of threat
- A faster subcortical system controls the generation of fast, automatic responses to emotional stimuli.
–> fast, automatic, immediate
Summarise the role of the amygdala in fear
Amygdala necessary for generation of fear response
Amygdala involved in the translation of threatening stimuli into a behavioural response not in the conscious experience of fear per se
These data have been influential in the generation of the 2 emotion systems hypothesis
- low road: fast, automatic, immediate (amygdala)
- high road: slow, conscious, (cortex)
