fear and threat conditioning Flashcards
(13 cards)
What was MacLean’s view of the limbic system?
It was the “emotional brain”, responsible solely for emotional experience and expression, separate from cognition.
Why has the concept of the limbic system been criticized?
Some added structures are not critical for emotion
Emotion and cognition are not separate
The concept is now considered historical, not sufficient
What feature of the early emotion theories remains valid today?
The idea of two parallel systems:
Subcortical (low-level)
Cortical (higher-level)
What did Joseph LeDoux propose about emotional processing?
Emotionally relevant info reaches the amygdalae via two parallel pathways – a quick subcortical route and a slower cortical route.
What is Pavlovian threat conditioning?
A process where an organism learns to respond to a stimulus that predicts an aversive event, forming conditioned responses (CRs).
What is the role of the lateral amygdala (LA) in threat conditioning?
It integrates CS and US signals
It’s the site of learning/memory
Lesions prevent or eliminate CRs
What do subliminal threat stimuli show about emotional processing?
The subcortical threat circuit can produce behavioural/physiological responses without conscious fear experience.
Where are feelings like fear generated in the brain?
In the cerebral cortex – not in the amygdala
What is the role of the sensory cortex in threat conditioning?
It allows for fine discrimination between stimuli. Without it, only coarse sensory processing occurs.
What is the role of the hippocampus in threat conditioning?
Contextual learning
Learning about CS-US relationships within environments
Strongest CRs occur when both CS and context cues are present
What happens during extinction in threat conditioning?
Learning is not erased
Inhibitory circuits from the cortex to the amygdala suppress the response
Both acquisition and retention need the cortex
What is functional symmetry in the brain?
Structures on both sides perform similar functions, especially in brainstem and forebrain nuclei.
What is functional specialization and lateralization?
Specialization: duplicated regions in both hemispheres serve the same function
Lateralization: sensory/motor representations are opposite (e.g., left body – right brain)
