emotion and the brain

Question 1

What are the three possibilities for the relationship between emotional experience and responses?

Answer 1

Experience precedes responses

Experience follows responses

All components occur simultaneously

Question 2

What does the Common Sense Theory suggest about emotion?

Answer 2

Emotional experience causes bodily and behavioural responses (e.g., “I feel afraid, so I tremble”).

Question 3

What is the James-Lange Theory of emotion?

Answer 3

Bodily responses produce sensory feedback, which in turn causes emotional experiences (e.g., “I tremble, therefore I feel afraid”).

Question 4

What evidence supports the James-Lange theory?

Answer 4

Emotional intensity is reduced after spinal cord injuries, especially if the injury is high.

Question 5

What is the Cannon-Bard Theory of emotion?

Answer 5

Emotional experiences and bodily responses occur simultaneously in separate brain systems and do not cause each other.

Question 6

What evidence supports the Cannon-Bard theory?

Answer 6

Injection of epinephrine causes bodily responses (like a fast heartbeat) but not emotional experiences (e.g., anger), unless cognitively interpreted.

Question 7

Which elements of the JL and CB theories are considered correct today?

Answer 7

JL: Bodily feedback can influence emotional experience.

CB: Separate systems are activated in parallel.

Both: Emotion can be influenced by thoughts, external stimuli, and bodily signals

Question 8

According to Cannon, which brain structure is essential for emotional experience?

Answer 8

The thalamus – no emotional experience without it.

Question 9

What was observed in animals with complete temporal lobe ablation?

Answer 9

A loss of fear and reduced emotional reactivity.

Question 10

What did Paul MacLean add to the Papez circuit to form the modern limbic system theory?

Answer 10

The amygdala

Additional cortical regions

The limbic cortex
→ All part of the “emotional brain”