Chapter 11 (Emotions, Aggression, and Stress)

Question 1

emotion

Answer 1

A subjective mental state that is usually accompanied by distinctive behaviors as well as involuntary physiological changes

Question 2

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 2

The part of the autonomic nervous system that acts as the “fight or flight” system, generally activating the body for action.

Question 3

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 3

The part of the autonomic nervous system that generally prepares the body to relax and recuperate.

Question 4

facial feedback hypothesis

Answer 4

The idea that sensory feedback from our facial expressions can affect our mood.

Question 5

evolutionary psychology

Answer 5

A field of study devoted to asking how natural selection has shaped behavior in humans and other animals.

Question 6

brain self-stimulation

Answer 6

The process in which animals will work to provide electrical stimulation to particular brain sites, presumably because the experience is very rewarding.

Question 7

medial forebrain bundle

Answer 7

A collection of axons traveling in the midline region of the forebrain

Question 8

nucleus accumbens

Answer 8

A region of the forebrain that receives dopaminergic innervation from the ventral tegmental area.

Question 9

decorticate rage

Answer 9

Also called sham rage. Sudden intense rage characterized by actions (such as snarling and biting in dogs) that lack clear direction.

Question 10

limbic system

Answer 10

A loosely defined, wide-spread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other to form a network. These nuclei are implicated in emotions.

Question 11

Kluver-Bucy syndrome

Answer 11

A condition, brought about by bilateral amygdala damage, that is characterized by dramatic emotional changes including reduction in fear and anxiety.

Question 12

fear conditioning

Answer 12

A form of classical conditioning in which a previously neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unpleasant stimulus, like foot shock, until the previously neutral stimulus alone elicits the responses seen in fear.

Question 13

amygdala

Answer 13

A group of nuclei in the medial anterior part of the temporal lobe.

Question 14

aggression

Answer 14

Behavior that is intended to cause pain or harm to others.

Question 15

intermale aggression

Answer 15

Aggression between males of the same species.

Question 16

testosterone

Answer 16

A hormone, produced by male gonads, that controls a variety of bodily changes that become visible at puberty. One of a class of hormones called androgens.

Question 17

serotonin

Answer 17

A synaptic transmitter that is produced in the raphe nuclei and is active in structures throughout the central nervous system.

Question 18

psychopath

Answer 18

An individual incapable of experiencing remorse.

Question 19

stress

Answer 19

Any circumstance that upsets homeostatic balance.

Question 20

alarm reaction

Answer 20

The initial response to stress.

Question 21

adrenal medulla

Answer 21

The inner core of the adrenal gland.

Question 22

epinephrine

Answer 22

Also called adrenaline. 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.

Question 23

norepinephrine

Answer 23

Also called noradrenaline. A neurotransmitter produced and released by sympathetic postganglionic neurons to accelerate organ activity.

Question 24

adrenal cortex

Answer 24

The outer rind of the adrenal gland.

Question 25

adrenal steroid hormone

Answer 25

A steroid hormone that is secreted by the adrenal cortex.

Question 26

cortisol

Answer 26

A glucocorticoid stress hormone of the adrenal cortex.

Question 27

adaptation stage

Answer 27

The second stage in the stress response, including successful activation of the appropriate response systems and the reestablishment of homeostatic balance.

Question 28

exhaustion stage

Answer 28

A stage in the response to stress that is caused by prolonged or frequently repeated stress and is characterized by increased susceptibility to disease.

Question 29

stress immunization

Answer 29

The concept that mild stress early in life makes an individual better able to handle stress later in life.

Question 30

epigenetic regulation

Answer 30

Changes in gene expression that are due to environmental effects rather than to changes in the nucleotide sequence of the gene.

Question 31

psychosomatic medicine

Answer 31

A field of study that emphasizes the role of psychological factors in disease.

Question 32

health psychology

Answer 32

Also called behavioral medicine. A field of study that focuses on psychological influences on health-related processes, such as why people become ill or how they remain healthy.

Question 33

psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 33

The study of the immune system and its interaction with the nervous system and behavior.