Chapter 11 book notes Flashcards
Does seeing something dangerous activate the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system?
It depends. If the danger is distant, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, but if it is close, it activates the sympathetic nervous system.
Observations on pure autonomic failure support which theoretical statement about emotions?
The statement that the intensity of emotional feeling depends on autonomic responses.
What is the relevance of Botox to the facial-feedback hypothesis?
Botox to the frowning muscles makes it harder to frown, and decreases depression, as the facial-feedback hypothesis predicts.
What dimensions of emotions did researchers find in the temporoparietal junction of the right hemisphere?
Polarity (pleasant vs. unpleasant), intensity, and complexity.
Why does the usual way of testing recognition of emotions overestimate accuracy?
The usual procedure is to ask people to match six faces to six labels. After you identify one or more for sure, you improve your chances of guessing the other ones correctly.
What biological factor influences the ability to recognize people’s emotional expressions?
People with better connections between the frontal cortex and the anterior temporal cortex tend to be better at recognizing facial expressions.
What brain activity influences decisions on moral dilemmas?
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex compares utilitarian (cognitive) information and the expected emotional outcome. People with damage in this area tend to put less weight on the emotional aspects.
Keyword: pure autonomic failure
The nervous system completely or almost completely ceases activity. The heart and other organs continue to function, but the nervous system no longer regulates them.
Keyword: facial-feedback hypothesis
Facial expressions can modify mood. Smiling may make you feel happier, and frowning may make you feel unhappy.
Keyword: limbic system
The forebrain areas surrounding the thalamus
Keyword: behavioral activation system (BAS)
The activity of the left hemisphere, especially its frontal and temporal lobes
Keyword: behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
The activity of the right hemisphere, especially its front and temporal lobes
Who first identified the sympathetic nervous system with fight-or-flight activities?
Walter Canon
Pure autonomic failure impairs which aspect of emotions?
Intensity of feelings
The facial feedback hypothesis makes which of these predictions?
Increased frowning will decrease happiness.
Researchers found three gradients of response in the right temporoparietal junction as people watched an emotional movie. What were those dimensions?
Polarity, intensity, complexity
Which brain area is associated with the behavioral activation system and a tendency to approach?
The left hemisphere
Certain research studies overestimated people’s abilities to recognize facial expressions of emotion because they used which research method?
Matching questions
The ability to memorize emotional expressions correlates to what?
Connections between the frontal cortex and the anterior temporal cortex
Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex increases which tendency in making decisions?
More utilitarian decisions
What does MAOA do?
After the reuptake of serotonin or one of the catecholamines in the presynaptic cell, the enzyme MAOA breaks down some of the excess molecules into an inactive form.
What relationship did Caspi et al. (2002) report between enzyme MAO(v)A and antisocial behavior?
According to the report by Caspi and associates, a combination of serious maltreatment during childhood and lower levels of MAO(v)A increased antisocial behavior.
Why might the effects of testosterone injection be stronger for women than men?
Men already had enough testosterone that the amount administered might not significantly alter their behavior.
What does a measurement of 5-HIAA indicate?
Measurements of 5-HIAA, a metabolite of serotonin, indicate how much serotonin has been released and replaced.
How do testosterone and cortisol affect aggressive behavior?
Testosterone tends to increase aggressive, dominant behaviors. Cortisol tends to inhibit compulsive behaviors, including aggression. The research so far with humans finds only a weak effect of each.
What does amygdala research tell us about the concept of fear?
What we call fear is not a single thing, but a combination of individual reactions.
What aspect of fear depends on the bed nucleus of stria terminalis?
It is responsible for long-term changes in emotional arousal and anxiety.
Given that the amygdala becomes more active when an expression is harder to interpret, can you explain why it does not respond strongly to happy faces?
Smiling faces are easy to interpret!
Why do people with amygdala damage have trouble recognizing expressions of fear?
They fail to make eye contact.
What does the evidence suggest about biological bases for anxiety disorders?
Some people are predisposed to anxiety disorders either because of increased responsiveness of the amygdala and associated areas or because of less ability of the prefrontal cortex to suppress anxiety responses.
What transmitter abnormalities are common in people with panic disorder?
Low levels of GABA and increased release of orexin occur in people with panic disorder.
What conclusion emerges from studies of twins, one with PTSD and one without?
A smaller-than-average hippocampus is both a risk factor and a result of PTSD.