chapter 11: emotions, aggression, and stress Flashcards
emotion
a subjective mental state that is usually accompanied by distinctive behaviors as well as involuntary physiological changes
sympathetic nervous system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that acts as the “fight or flight” system, generally activating the body for action
parasympathetic nervous system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that generally prepares the body to relax and recuperate
polygraph
recording of multiple physiological measures to detect lying during an interview
facial feedback hypothesis
the idea that sensory feedback from our facial expressions can affect our mood
evolutionary psychology
a field of study devoted to asking how natural selection has shaped behavior in humans and other animals
brain self-stimulation
the process in which animals will work to provide electrical stimulation to particular brain sites, presumably because the experience is very rewarding
medial forebrain bundle
a collection of axons traveling in the midline region of the forebrain
nucleus accumbens
a region of the forebrain that receives dopaminergic innervation from the ventral segmental area
decorticate rage
sudden intense rage characterized by actions that lack clear direction; also called sham rage
limbic system
a loosely defined, widespread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other to form a network; implicated in emotions
Klüver-Bucy syndrom
a condition, brought about by bilateral amygdala damage, that is characterized by dramatic emotional changes including reduction in fear and anxiety
fear conditioning
a form of classical conditioning in which a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unpleasant stimulus until the previously neutral stimulus alone elicits the responses seen in fear
amygdala
a group of nuclei in the medial anterior part of the temporal lobe
aggression
behavior that is intended to cause pain or harm to others
intermale aggression
aggression between males of the same species
testosterone
an androgen, produced by the male gonads, that controls a variety of bodily changes that becomes visible at puberty; linked to aggression
serotonin
a synaptic transmitter that is produced in the raphe nuclei and is active in structures throughout the central nervous system; inhibits aggression
psychopath
an individual incapable of experiencing remorse
stress
any circumstance that disrupts homeostatic balance
alarm reaction
the initial response to stress
adrenal medulla
the inner core of the adrenal gland
epinephrine
a compound that acts both as a hormone (secreted by the adrenal medulla under the control of the sympathetic nervous system) and as a synaptic transmitter; also called adrenaline
norepinephrine
a neurotransmitter produced and released by the postganglionic neurons to accelerate organ activity; also called noradrenaline
adrenal cortex
the outer rind of the adrenal gland
adrenal steroid hormone
a steroid hormone that is secreted by the adrenal cortex
cortisol
a glucocorticoid stress hormone of the adrenal cortex
adaptation stage
the second stage in the stress response, including successful activation of the appropriate response systems and the reestablishment of homeostatic balance
exhaustion stage
a stage in the response to stress that is caused by prolonged or frequently repeated stress and is characterized by increased susceptibility to disease
stress immunization
the concept that mild stress early in life makes an individual better able to handle stress later in life
epigenetic regulation
changes in gene expression that are due to environmental effects rather than to changes in the nucleotide sequences of the gene
psychosomatic medicine
a field of study that emphasizes the role of psychological factors in disease
health psychology
a field of study that focuses on psychological influences on health-related processes, such as why people become ill or how they remain healthy; also called behavioral medicine
psychoneuroimmunology
the study of the immune system and its interaction with the nervous system and behavior
