6 Emotions 1 Flashcards
Q: How are emotions described, and what are their core features?
A: Emotions are described as multi-component phenomena, involving subjective experiences, behavioral responses, and physiological changes. Core features include the circumstances surrounding the emotion and our subjective, behavioral, autonomic, and hormonal experiences.
Q: What is the modal model of emotions?
A: The modal model of emotions suggests that emotions involve a sequence of processes, including a response, appraisal, attention, and situation evaluation. This model emphasizes the interaction between personal and situational factors in emotional experiences.
Q: What are the components of fear response, and how are they organized in the brain?
A: Fear response consists of three components: behavioral, autonomic, and hormonal. These components are organized by different neural systems, with integration for fear controlled by the amygdalae. The lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) serves as the main input, while the central nucleus (CE) is the main output.
Q: What happens when there is damage to the central nucleus of the amygdala?
A: Damage to the central nucleus (CN) of the amygdala can reduce or abolish a wide range of emotional responses. Animals with amygdala lesions no longer show fear when faced with stimuli that are paired with aversive events. For example, monkeys with amygdala lesions are not afraid of snakes, and mice act more tamely when handled by humans, showing lower stress levels and fewer stress-induced illnesses.
Q: What is the role of the lateral nucleus (LA) of the amygdala in conditioning?
A: The lateral nucleus (LA) of the amygdala is responsible for conditioned emotional responses. Neurons in LA communicate with neurons in the central nucleus (CE), which, in turn, communicate with regions responsible for the behavioral, autonomic, and hormonal components of the conditioned response.
Q: What is extinction, and how does it occur?
A: Extinction is a learned process where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is no longer followed by an aversive stimulus. While the conditioned response is inhibited, it is not forgotten. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is responsible for this inhibition.
Q: What evidence supports the role of the vmPFC in extinction?
A: Evidence supporting the role of the vmPFC in extinction includes studies showing that stimulation of the vmPFC inhibits conditioned emotional responses, extinction training activates vmPFC neurons, and lesions to the vmPFC impair extinction. (Phelps et al., 2004)
Q: How is extinction applied in the treatment of phobias?
A: Extinction-based therapies, such as exposure therapy, are used to treat phobias. Phobias involve unreasonable fear associated with specific objects or situations. Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing individuals to the feared stimulus in a controlled environment, allowing them to learn that it is not harmful. This process activates the vmPFC and inhibits the conditioned emotional response. (Lange et al.)
Q: What is the James-Lange theory of emotions?
A: The James-Lange theory suggests that emotion-producing situations elicit physiological responses and behaviors. Feedback from the organs and muscles involved then organizes how we feel emotions. In essence, according to this theory, our subjective experience of emotion is determined by the physiological changes and behaviors we exhibit in response to emotional stimuli.
Q: What evidence supports the James-Lange theory?
A: Hohman (1966) conducted a study with 25 veterans with spinal cord injuries. The findings indicated that disruptions in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) led to decreased experiences of emotional feelings, particularly if the lesion was higher. This suggests that changes in the ANS can affect emotional experiences.
Q: What evidence contradicts the James-Lange theory?
A: Cannon et al. conducted experiments on cats where they severed nerves in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Despite being able to demonstrate physiological responses associated with emotions like anger, fear, and pleasure, they found no evidence that the cats experienced the accompanying emotional feelings. This contradicts the James-Lange theory’s assertion that physiological responses directly lead to subjective emotional experiences.
Q: What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotions?
It emphasizes the role of the thalamus as the mediating center in the brain, marking one of the first theories to incorporate a neural component into the understanding of emotions.
Q: What impact did the Cannon-Bard theory have on the study of emotions?
A: The Cannon-Bard theory laid the foundation for modern theories of emotions that incorporate neural systems into our understanding. For example, MacLean (1959) expanded on this idea by proposing the involvement of the limbic system in emotional processing.
Q: What is the Schachter-Singer theory of emotions?
A: The Schachter-Singer theory, also known as the two-factor theory, suggests that emotional experiences result from the interaction between physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. It was one of the first theories to incorporate cognition into the understanding of emotions.
Q: How was the Schachter-Singer theory tested?
A: Schachter and Singer (1962) conducted a classic experiment where participants were injected with adrenaline (under the guise of a vitamin) and placed in a room with an actor who either acted euphoric or angry. The findings indicated that participants interpreted their physiological arousal based on the context provided by the actor’s behavior, leading to different emotional experiences.
