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The emotion System (Two lectures) Flashcards

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1
Q

What are emotions?

A
  • Many definitions
  • Mental experiences with high intensity, automatic response, subjectively experiences, behavioural changes, a strong feeling, a physiological change etc.
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2
Q

Folk/Common sense Theory of Emotion

A

Automatic reactions are caused by the emotion

Stimulus (Bang!) > Perception/interpretation (Danger) > Particular emotion experiences (Fear) > Specific pattern of autonomic arousal (hear races etc)

“I’m so scared my heart races”

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3
Q

James- Lange Theory

A

Automatic reactions trigger feelings

Stimulus > perception/interpretation > Specific pattern of autonomic arousal > Particular emotion experienced

” I feel fear because my heart raced”

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4
Q

Canon-Bard Theory

A

Simultaneous automatic reaction and feeling

Simultaneous feeling and autonomic reaction

Stimulus > Perception/interpretation > Autonomic arousal and particular emotion experienced occurs at the same time

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5
Q

Shacter-Singer Two-factor theory of emotion

A

Cognitive attribution of emotion to arousal

***We use context to cognitively attribute specific emotions to arousal

stimulus > Perception/interpretation > specific pattern of autonomic arousal > cognitive appraisal of current context

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6
Q

Internal experience

A

Feeling happy, anxious, sad

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7
Q

External experience

A

Smiling, fidgeting, shouting

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8
Q

Emotions: Connection to motivation

A

Emotions drive behaviours

e.g.

  • Anger –> Aggression
  • Happiness –> Sociability
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9
Q

Physical sensations associated with emotions are a result of….

A

The activation of the autonomic nervous system

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10
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

Prepares body for action

Fight-or-flight

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11
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous system

A

Prepared the body to rest and recuperate

rest-and-digest

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12
Q

Where is emotion in the brain?

A

The limbic system is a group of brain structures that are crucial for regulating emotions

Amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus

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13
Q

Emotion in the brain - Name structures and what they are responsible for

A

Amygdala: fear, processing emotions

Hypothalamus: Physical response to emotions

Hippocampus: Preserves and retrieves memories

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14
Q

Are all emotions in the Limbic System?

A

No

Limbic system plays a role in the formulation of neural chemicals and memories

However, emotions arise from complex interactions across multiple neural networks in the brain

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15
Q

Is empathy an emotion?

A

Not necessarily, however it dictates our emotional behaviour

empathy = emotional response

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16
Q

Cognitive empathy

A

Understanding others emotions

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17
Q

affective empathy

A

Sharing others’ emotions

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18
Q

___________ have less activation in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex

A

Psychopaths

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19
Q

Is there a set of core emotions?

A
  • Darwin suggested that expressions of emotions are universal among people
    • Nonhuman primates have distinct facial expressions eg. Chimpanzee smiling
    • Even mice make distinct emotion-related face expressions
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20
Q

Evolutionary purpose of core emotions

A
  • Help in survival and social communication
  • Fear = threat detection
  • Disgust = Avoidance of toxins
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21
Q

Are we good at identifying emotions?

A

No

some expressions are universal, some are not

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22
Q

Plutchik’s Wheel of emotion

A

Eight basic emotions arrayed as four pairs of opposite emotions

Lower and higher intensity forms of each basic emotions

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23
Q

Core set of emotions: Overview

A
  • Biologically hardwired, help us survive
  • Amygdala and ANS regulate emotional response
  • Animals show emotional expressions, suggest deep evolutionary roots
  • Guide behaviour and decision-making
  • while theories differ, core emotions likely form the foundation for all feelings
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24
Q

Definition of stress (Seyle, 1956)

A

Rate of all wear and tear caused by life

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25
Modern researchers see stress as a multi-dimensional process ) can be good and bad) involving:
- Stressful stimuli - Stress-producing system (cognitive assessment) - Physiological and behavioural response
26
Brain's role in stress
- central in detecting and responding to stress - Hypothalamus plays a key role in regulating stress responses
27
Allostasis
Brain adjusts the body's physiological state in response to stressors
28
The Stress Response Stages
1. Alarm reaction - Immediate response to stress 2. HPA Axis Activation - Longer-term stress response 3. Adaptation - adjusting to ongoing stressors
29
Alarm reaction
First stage of Stress response, Includes: a) Activation of sympathetic nervous system b) Release of epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla
30
HPA Axis activation
Second stage of stress response, includes: a) Hypothalamus stimulates the anterior pituitary b) ACTH triggers the adrenal cortex to release cortisol
31
Epinephrine & Norepinephrine
Released by the adrenal; medulla, these hormones increase heart rate and prepare the body for immediate action
32
33
Cortisol
a steroid hormone released by the adrenal cortex Helps regulate metabolism and immune responses but damaging in excess
34
ACTH
Adrenocorticotropic hormone Signals the adrenal glands to produce cortisol
35
Glucocorticoid receptors
Found in the brain, regulate cortisol levels and influence memory and learning
36
Long-Term Effects of Stress on the Brain
- Increased cortisol levels, impacting memory and learning - Structural changes in the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex - Increased risk of anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline
37
Stressed vs Unstressed brain
Stressed has weaker control of thoughts, emotions, and actions, less ability for info to travel globally (restricted)
38
How can we manage stress effectively?
Mindfulness
39
Short term vs long-term stress
Short-term stress can be adaptive, but chronic stress has significant health applications
40
Emotion: Spontaneous or Conscious?
It is both, there are both automatic, spontaneous, and conscious parts of our emotions
41
Kalat's Biological Psychology
Emotions include cognitions, actions, and feelings
42
Startle Reflex
A truly automatic response - When we hear a loud noise, we often jump - No higher/cognitive areas involved --> level of automaticity - Happens within 5-10ms - Increased if in anxious state - Decreased if in relaxed/positive state
43
Are all emotions automatic?
Clearly not Direct thalamus --> amygdala pathway provides instant fear response Instant, is very fast and automatic, still slower than reflexive startle
44
Thalamus --> Visual Cortex --> Amygdala pathway
Secondary pathway supplies more differentiated information Pathway carries information believed to reach
45
Three Routes of Emotional Information
Speed/accuracy trade off --> all start at the same time, though take longer as you go on to reach the destination 1. Reflexive 2. Automatic/Low-road 3. Conscious
46
Information flow: Reflexive
Sensory receptors --> pons
47
Information flow: Automatic/low-road
Sensory receptors --> Thalamus --> amygdala
48
Information flow: Conscious
Thalamus --> Visual cortex --> amygdala
49
Positive vs. Negative Emotions
- While those broad definitions appear true, it is also true that positive and negative emotions aren't exactly the same - Amygdala - often associated with negative emotions - Nucleus succumbens - Reward, drugs, addiction (Positive emotions) - Dopamine - positive
50
The Effects of Unbalanced Positive Emotions: Too much
- Impulsive - reward-oriented - As if wearing horse-blinders - Manic
51
The Effects of Unbalanced Positive Emotions: Too little
- Unmotivated - Apathetic
52
The Effects of Unbalanced Negative Emotions: Too much
- Anxiety/ depressive disorders - Chronic stress - "frozen in indecision"
53
The Effects of Unbalanced Negative Emotions: Too little
- Bad choices - Repeated mistakes - Antisocial behaviour
54
What is the "right" amount of emotion?
Too little = Apathetic, unguided Moderate is best!! Too much = over anxious, impulsive
55
Stress
Reaction to harm or threat
56
Stressors
Stimuli that cause stress
57
Chronic Psychological stress
Most clearly linked to ill health
58
Stress & Hippocampus
- Hippocampus has many glucocorticoid receptors Following stress: - Dendrites of pyrimidal cells are shorter and less branched - Acute release of cortisol - healthy, it is the chronic release of too much that becomes a problem
59
Important part of the Stress response sytem
Amygdala has a straight connection to the beginning
60
Stress Response
Adrenal Gland releases cortisol hypothalamus responds to level of cortisol (Releases CRH) Which interacts with pituitary gland (releases ACTH) Which again interacts with adrenal gland and cortisol
61
Immune function of emotion system
Fight foreign agents, bacteria
62
Pain function of emotion system
Protect against immediate external agents
63
Anxiety function of emotion system
To protect against non-immediate external agents
64
Effects of stress on immune functions depends on...
Type of stress - Acute stressors - improve immune function - Chronic stressors - impair immune functions
65
Cytokines
Cause inflammation and fever
66
Example of stress triggering stress hormone
Women awaiting surgery who were certain they did not have breast cancer have milder stress than others
67
Stress leads to an immune response - Study
- Rats receive tail shock and have their temperature read before, during, and after the procedure - Remarkably, the tail shock leads the rat to show signs of fever - Also showed elevated white blood cell counts

Brain and Behaviour (6 decks)

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