Chapter 11 book notes Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Does seeing something dangerous activate the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system?

A

It depends. If the danger is distant, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, but if it is close, it activates the sympathetic nervous system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Observations on pure autonomic failure support which theoretical statement about emotions?

A

The statement that the intensity of emotional feeling depends on autonomic responses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the relevance of Botox to the facial-feedback hypothesis?

A

Botox to the frowning muscles makes it harder to frown, and decreases depression, as the facial-feedback hypothesis predicts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What dimensions of emotions did researchers find in the temporoparietal junction of the right hemisphere?

A

Polarity (pleasant vs. unpleasant), intensity, and complexity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Why does the usual way of testing recognition of emotions overestimate accuracy?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What biological factor influences the ability to recognize people’s emotional expressions?

A

People with better connections between the frontal cortex and the anterior temporal cortex tend to be better at recognizing facial expressions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What brain activity influences decisions on moral dilemmas?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Keyword: pure autonomic failure

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Keyword: facial-feedback hypothesis

A

Facial expressions can modify mood. Smiling may make you feel happier, and frowning may make you feel unhappy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Keyword: limbic system

A

The forebrain areas surrounding the thalamus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Keyword: behavioral activation system (BAS)

A

The activity of the left hemisphere, especially its frontal and temporal lobes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Keyword: behavioral inhibition system (BIS)

A

The activity of the right hemisphere, especially its front and temporal lobes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Who first identified the sympathetic nervous system with fight-or-flight activities?

A

Walter Canon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Pure autonomic failure impairs which aspect of emotions?

A

Intensity of feelings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

The facial feedback hypothesis makes which of these predictions?

A

Increased frowning will decrease happiness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Researchers found three gradients of response in the right temporoparietal junction as people watched an emotional movie. What were those dimensions?

A

Polarity, intensity, complexity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Which brain area is associated with the behavioral activation system and a tendency to approach?

A

The left hemisphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Certain research studies overestimated people’s abilities to recognize facial expressions of emotion because they used which research method?

A

Matching questions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

The ability to memorize emotional expressions correlates to what?

A

Connections between the frontal cortex and the anterior temporal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex increases which tendency in making decisions?

A

More utilitarian decisions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does MAOA do?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What relationship did Caspi et al. (2002) report between enzyme MAO(v)A and antisocial behavior?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Why might the effects of testosterone injection be stronger for women than men?

A

Men already had enough testosterone that the amount administered might not significantly alter their behavior.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What does a measurement of 5-HIAA indicate?

A

Measurements of 5-HIAA, a metabolite of serotonin, indicate how much serotonin has been released and replaced.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

How do testosterone and cortisol affect aggressive behavior?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What does amygdala research tell us about the concept of fear?

A

What we call fear is not a single thing, but a combination of individual reactions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What aspect of fear depends on the bed nucleus of stria terminalis?

A

It is responsible for long-term changes in emotional arousal and anxiety.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

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?

A

Smiling faces are easy to interpret!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Why do people with amygdala damage have trouble recognizing expressions of fear?

A

They fail to make eye contact.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What does the evidence suggest about biological bases for anxiety disorders?

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What transmitter abnormalities are common in people with panic disorder?

A

Low levels of GABA and increased release of orexin occur in people with panic disorder.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What conclusion emerges from studies of twins, one with PTSD and one without?

A

A smaller-than-average hippocampus is both a risk factor and a result of PTSD.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

When benzodiazepines facilitate GABA, what happens at the postsynaptic neuron’s membrane?

A

Chloride ions enter more readily

34
Q

Keyword: amygdala

A
35
Q

Keyword: monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)

A
36
Q

Keyword: 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)

A

Seratonin’s main metabolite

37
Q

Keyword: turnover

A

The amount that neurons released and replaced

38
Q

Keyword: dual-hormone hypothesis

A

Aggressive behavior relates to facilitation by testosterone and inhibition by the hormone cortisol.

39
Q

Keyword: startle reflex

A
40
Q

Keyword: bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

A

A set of axons that connect the bed nucleus to the amygdala

41
Q

Keyword: panic disorder

A

Characterized by periods of anxiety and occasional attacks of rapid breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, and trembling—in other words, extreme arousal of the sympathetic nervous system—without any apparent reason.

42
Q

Keyword: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A

Marked by frequent distressing recollections (flashbacks) and nightmares about the traumatic event, avoidance of reminders of it, and vigorous reactions to sudden noises

43
Q

Keyword: benzodiazepines

A

Anti-anxiety medications such as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and alprazolam (Xanax) which bind to the GABA(v)A receptor

44
Q

What is known about the genetics of violent behavior in humans?

A

Many rare genetic variants can increase violent behavior.

45
Q

How does the gene for the less active form of the enzyme MAOA affect the probability for aggressive behavior?

A

Increased probability for someone who was abused in childhood.

46
Q

Aggressive behavior correlates with low turnover of which neurotransmitter?

A

Serotonin

47
Q

What chemical in the cerebrospinal fluid indicates the amount of serotonin turnover in the brain?

A

5-HIAA

48
Q

According to the dual-hormone hypothesis, aggressive behavior correlates with what?

A

Increased testosterone and decreased cortisol

49
Q

Why do we know more about the brain mechanisms of anxiety than we do about other emotions?

A

Researchers can measure anxiety better than other emotions in laboratory animals

50
Q

After damage to the amygdala, what happens to the startle reflex?

A

It becomes more consistent from one time or situation to another

51
Q

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is most important for which aspect of anxiety?

A

The general background level of anxiety

52
Q

The amygdala responds most strongly to which type of emotional expressions?

A

Expressions that require some effort to understand

53
Q

Three people with amygdala damage expressed no fear under most circumstances. What did, nevertheless, evoke fear?

A

Breathing concentrated carbon dioxide

54
Q

What neurotransmitter abnormality is most common in people with panic disorder?

A

Decreased GABA and increased orexin

55
Q

What do benzodiazepines do?

A

They facilitate GABA synapses

56
Q

What function does cortisol play in the initial response to stress?

A

Cortisol increases blood levels of glucose and therefore makes energy available. It also increases alertness.

57
Q

How does McEwen’s definition of stress differ from Selye’s?

A

Selye’s definition treated favorable and unfavorable changes as equally stressful. McEwen’s definition focuses on events that an individual considers threatening.

58
Q

What kind of cell releases cytokines?

A

Leukocytes (white blood cells) release cytokines.

59
Q

What changes do prostaglandins stimulate?

A

Prostaglandins stimulate the hypothalamus to produce fever, decrease hunger, decrease sex drive, and increase sleepiness.

60
Q

Why do the effects of stress mimic the effects of illness?

A

Both release cytokines, which communicate with the hypothalamus via prostaglandins. The hypothalamus reacts with the same responses it uses to combat illness, such as inactivity and loss of appetite.

61
Q

How does prolonged stress damage the hippocampus?

A

Stress increases the release of cortisol, which enhances metabolic activity throughout the body. When neurons in the hippocampus have high metabolic activity, they become more vulnerable to damage by toxins or overstimulation.

62
Q

How might antibiotic drugs affect mood?

A

If someone has harmful bacteria in the digestive system, antibiotics might improve mood. On the other hand, most people’s intestinal bacteria are helpful, and killing them would be disadvantageous.

63
Q

Keyword: Behavioral medicine

A
64
Q

Keyword: stress

A

The nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it

65
Q

Keyword: general adaptation syndrome

A

Marked by any type of threat activating a generalized response

66
Q

Keyword: HPA axis

A

Consists of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex. Reacts more slowly than the sympathetic nervous system, but lasts as long as the stress occurs

67
Q

Keyword: adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

A

Stimulates the adrenal cortex to secret glucocorticoid hormones, mainly cortisol in humans

68
Q

Keyword: cortisol

A

Increases the blood glucose, providing the body with extra energy

69
Q

Keyword: immune system

A

Consists of cells that protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other intruders

70
Q

Keyword: leukocytes

A

White blood cells

71
Q

Keyword: antibodies

A

Y-shaped proteins that attach to antigens, like a key in a lock

72
Q

Keyword: antigens

A

Antibody generator molecules

73
Q

Keyword: cytokines

A

Combat infections and stimulate the vagus nerve, triggering the release of prostaglandins that cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the hypothalamus to produce fever, sleepiness, lack of energy, lack of appetite, and lack of sex drive

74
Q

Keyword: psychoneuroimmunology

A

Deals with how experiences alter the immune system and how the immune system in turn influences the central nervous system

75
Q

Keyword: enteric nervous system

A

A set of neurons that control digestion, stretching from the esophagus to the rectum

76
Q

Would getting married count as a stressful event under McEwen’s or Selye’s definition?

A

Seyle’s definition

77
Q

Which gland releases cortisol?

A

McEwen’s definition

78
Q

What happens to memory when people are under intense stress?

A

They remember other stressful events clearly

79
Q

How does prolonged stress cause fever?

A

Stress elevates cytokines that cause the hypothalamus to increase body temperature

80
Q

How does stress affect the hippocampus?

A

Increased metabolic rate makes the hippocampus more vulnerable

81
Q

What can increase resilience to stress?

A

Social support