17- The Evolution of Emotions

Question 1

Recent research indicates that emotions are central to

Answer 1

Decision making

Question 2

Responses to emotional expressions are

Answer 2

Lateralised in the brain both in man and animals

Question 3

Emotional intelligence is likely to have important effects on

Answer 3

Social success i.e. considerable adaptive value

Question 4

Darwin recognised that human facial expressions had a common

Answer 4

Evolutionary origin with non-human primates and were largely innate

Question 5

Universality in human facial expressions first proposed by

Answer 5

• Darwin

- Later demonstrated by Paul Ekman

Question 6

Jaak Panksepp proposes 4 basic emotional systems

Answer 6

• Fear
• Seeking
• Panic
• Rage

Question 7

Components of emotion

Answer 7

• Triggered by events of some significance
• Co-ordinated set of changes in brain and body
• Have onset, dynamic course and offset
• Appear adaptive in that directed towards coping with challenge posed by triggering event

Question 8

Relevant dimensions

Answer 8

• Level of arousal

- Valence (positive or negative)

Question 9

Key function of emotional signalling

Answer 9

Facilitates social cohesion and reduces uncertainty –facilitates sexual and social interactions

Question 10

John Ohala

Evolutionary explanation for a smile

Answer 10

• dominance displays involve the corners of the mouth moving forward, lowering the vocal tract resonances, making an animal sound larger
• non-threatening vocalisations involve drawing the lips back, smile face, makes animal sound smaller

Question 11

Waller et al. 2016

Crested macaque

Answer 11

Crested macaque can predict social outcome from facial expression

Question 12

Workman’s Theory (Workman et al., 2000)

Answer 12

• Pro-social, approach, Left hemisphere

- Anti-social, withdraw, Right hemisphere

Question 13

Which visual field cues are used more for detecting negative emotion cues on faces

Answer 13

Left-visual field cues

Question 14

When vervet male monkeys lose their dominance position what happens

Answer 14

• Serotonin fell dramatically
• Behaviour changed: huddled, rocking back and forth, refusal to eat
• Reversed when monkeys given serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Question 15

Bartalet al Science 2011

Empathy in rats

Answer 15

• 2 containers, one with trapped rat and one with chocolate chips
• Uncontained rat opened both and shared food

Question 16

Consolation in animals

Answer 16

Uninvolved bystander provides contact comfort to recent victim of aggression