Chapter 15: Emotions, Aggression, and Stress Flashcards
Emotion
A subjective mental state that is usually accompanied by distinctive behaviors, feelings, and involuntary physiological changes.
What are the 4 aspects of emotion?
- Feelings
- Actions
- Physiological Arousal
- Motivation
What does the aspect of feelings consist of?
Private and subjective feelings
What are examples of actions of emotions?
Defending or laughing
What does the aspect of physiological arousal consist of?
Somatic or autonomic responses
What is an example of physiological arousal?
Increased heart rate
What does the aspect of motivation consist of?
Programs to coordinate responses and solve problems
What are the 4 views that explain the cause of emotion?
- Commonsense View
- James Lange Theory
- Cannon-Bard Theory
- Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory
Commonsense View
Feelings trigger autonomic responses
What is an example of an autonomic response?
Stomach churning
James Lange Theory
Autonomic reaction triggers feelings
Why do emotions differ according to the James Lange Theory?
Different physiological responses
What is the problem with the James Lange Theory?
Autonomic changes can be slow and are often the same across different emotions.
Cannon-Bard Theory
Emotion is independent of the simultaneous physiological changes that accompany it.
What change does the Cannon-Bard Theory help support?
A changing environment
What role does the cerebral cortex play in the Cannon-Bard Theory?
It decides the emotional response and activates the sympathetic response.
Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory
Physiological responses are interpreted in terms of stimuli.
What does the emotional state result from in the Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory?
The interaction of physiological activation and cognitive interpretation
Describe the experiment that supported Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory.
Participants were given an injection of epinephrine and placed in a room with either a happy or angry confederate.
What was the major finding from the Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory experiment?
The subjects who were given an injection of epinephrine reported emotions similar to the confederate that they were with.
What does research show that counters the Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory?
The theory states that physiological arousal is nonspecific, but research shows different patterns of autonomic responses to positive/negative emotions.
What can the Schachter and Singer Cognitive Theory not fully account for?
What creates emotions.
Individual Response Stereotypy
The tendency of individuals to show the same response pattern to situations throughout their lifespan.
What happens to infants who are “highly reactive” to stimuli?
They may later have phobias/fear responses
Polygraph
“Lie detector”
- Measures bodily responses (heart rate and blood pressure)
What is the polygraph based on?
The assumption that lying produces an emotional and physiological response.
Are polygraphs reliable?
NO
- Anxiety can produce similar responses to “lies”
What are newer methods of lie detection?
Brain imaging
What do brain imaging techniques recognize when an individual is lying?
Some regions can be selectively activated by lying
What is a problem with brain imaging and lie detection?
It is highly problematic to detect individual lies
What does Paul Ekman say about facial expressions?
There are distinctive expressions for…
- Anger
- Sadness
- Happiness
- Fear
- Disgust
- Surprise
- Contempt
- Embarrassment
What can be detected across cultures?
Similar facial expressions that are used to express different emotions.
What is still under debate regarding facial expressions?
The extent of cultural influence
What is the relationship between isolated non-literate groups, and literate groups in regards to facial expressions?
The isolated non-literate groups are less likely to agree with judgements of certain facial expressions from literate groups.
(surprise and disgust)
What kind of communication are facial expressions considered?
Paralinguistic Communication
Paralinguistic Communication
An accessory to communication; not just something we automatically do
What are facial expressions commonly used for?
To interpret and understand other parts of communication (language)
What does Darwin suggest about expressions and emotions?
Expressions and emotions came from a common ancestor.
What did Darwin note about facial musculature?
There is a similarity in facial musculature and nerves in human/non human primates.
What is an example of similar facial musculature?
Chimps and baboons smile similarly
Evolutionary Psychology
Examines how evolutionary selection pressures have shaped the behavior of humans and other animals.
What does evolutionary psychology suggest?
Emotions are broad motivational programs that coordinate various responses to solve adaptive problems.
What are examples of emotions helping solve adaptive problems?
- Maintaining corporative relations with other members of your group
- Choosing a mate
- Avoiding predators
- Finding food sources
Successful Fear Response
Escaping/fighting off predators
What does successful fear response lead to?
Being more likely to pass genes onto the next generation
What is the development of emotions at birth?
Some emotions are present
What is the development of emotions at 9 months?
All basic emotions are present
What is the development of emotions from 18-24 months?
- Self Awareness
- Embarrassment
- Empathy
- Envy
What is the development of emotions from 2-3 years?
Evaluative emotions develop
(pride, guilt, regret, shame)
Brain Self-Stimulation
Animals will work to provide electrical stimulation to brain sites (experience is very rewarding)
Is brain self-stimulation possible in humans?
Yes
What does brain self-stimulation help examine?
The number of sites in the brain that animals will work to stimulate
Medial Forebrain Bundle
A collection of axons traveling in the middle region of the forebrain.
Where does the medial forebrain bundle run?
Midbrain -> hypothalamus
Nucleus Accumbens
An important target involved in the dopaminergic circuit
What do the sites active in brain self-stimulation stimulate?
Cells and axons that are normally carrying information regarding rewarding stimuli
Decorticate Rage
A sudden intense rage in dogs with their cortex removed
What is the prefrontal cortex’s relationship to rage?
It inhibits rage
Why was the Papez Circuit developed?
To explain emotions
- couple more structures were added
What did the Papez Circuit lead to?
The limbic system
Limbic System
A widespread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other to form a network (important in emotions).
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
Bilateral amygdala damage in monkeys
What is Kluver-Bucy Syndrome characterized by?
Emotional changes such as reduction of fear and anxiety.
What did further studies recognize about the amygdala?
It is a key stricture in the mediation of fear
Where is the amygdala located?
Temporal lobe
What parts of the brain does disgust activate?
The insula and putamen
What parts of the brain does laughter activate?
The prefrontal cortex
What effect does stimulating the prefrontal cortex have?
Relieves depressed moods
What has been used to study other emotions in humans?
Neural circuitry
What are the expressional differences of the two hemispheres?
Right: Reading people’s emotions
Left: More emotionally expressive
The ___ hemisphere controls the ___ hemisphere.
Right, left
What effect does damages to the two hemispheres have on their emotional tone?
Right: Damage causes patients to be cheerful
Left: Damage causes patients to produce depressive symptoms
What are the recognition of emotions in vocal messages differences of the two hemispheres?
Right: Better at identifying emotional tone
Left: Better at interpreting the meaning of the message
What does each ear strongly project to?
The opposite hemisphere
What are the 3 conclusions of reactions to visual stimuli in the right hemisphere?
- Reacts more quickly and accurately
- Better at discriminating facial expressions in others
- Dominant in expressing emotions
How do you determine cerebral differences?
- Present information to one visual field or another (or ear)
- Measure the reaction times to identifying emotions
Which side of the face is more emotionally responsive?
The left side
What are different emotions accompanied by?
Differences in brain activity
What is unique about the emotions love and envy?
They can bilaterally increase activity in some areas while decreasing activity in other areas
Where does the emotion love have increased activity?
Insula and anterior cingulate
Where does the emotion love have decreased activity?
- Posterior cingulate
- Amygdala
- Right prefrontal
What is the emotion love compared to?
Friendship
What can the same brain region participate in?
Different emotions
What does the amygdala have a large role in?
Emotions and fear
What effect does classical conditioning have on rodents?
It can elicit fear
Explain how classical conditioning works.
- Pair a stimulus with an aversive stimulus (shock)
- Eventually after recognizing the first stimulus follows with shock, the rodent will fear the non aversive stimulus.
Where does the amygdala send its reactions to stimulus?
Central Nucleus of Amygdala
Central Nucleus of Amygdala
Transmits information to the brainstem centers
What is produced when signals are sent to the central nucleus of the amydala?
Production of autonomic changes indicating fear
What are examples of autonomic changes that show fear?
- Freezing
- Changes in blood pressure
What are the 3 pathways of emotional responses?
- Central Gray Pathway
- Lateral Hypothalamus Pathway
- Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Pathway
Central Gray Pathway
Evokes emotional behaviors
Lateral Hypothalamus Pathway
Evokes autonomic responses
Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Pathway
Evokes hormonal responses
What are the 3 pathways of emotional response evoked by?
Activation of the lateral amygdala
Explain the Patient S.M Case.
- The patients amygdala was bilaterally degenerated
- Showed little to no fear inducing stimuli
- Displayed dark deposits of calcium in the amygdala of both hemispheres
= fearless
Aggression
Behavior that is intended to cause pain/harm to others, either individually or in groups
Intermale Aggression
Aggression between males of the same species
What is inter-male aggression very common in?
Vertebrates
What does inter-male aggression suggest?
Evolutionary benefits
What is believed about the relationship between androgens and aggression?
Testosterone (androgens in general) promote aggression
- proven in some animal studies
What are 2 confounding variables when studying the effect of androgens on aggression?
- Experience
- Dominance
= can affect testosterone levels
What is the relationship between winning and testosterone levels?
Winners display higher levels of testosterone while losers display lower levels
What is another factor that can affect testosterone levels?
Differences in personalities
What is the relationship between serotonin and aggression?
There is a negative correlation
Ex) Mice lacking serotonin are hyper aggressive
What types of human actions are low serotonin levels found in?
- Alcohol induced violence
- Excessive military violence
- Children with poor impulse control
Ventromedial Hypothalamus (VMH)
Key role in triggering aggression on/off (rodents)
Does the VMH work better in one sex?
No it plays a role in both sexes
What is an example of the VMH triggering aggression?
Maternal Aggression
Maternal Aggression
Fierce defensive aggression of females defending their offspring
Emotional Dys-control Syndrome
Temporal lobe disorders that may underlie some human violence
What major structures does the temporal lobe contain
Limbic System =
- Amygdala
- Hippocampus
Psychopaths
People incapable of experiencing remorse
What area of the brain do psychopaths show less activity in?
Prefrontal cortex
What is the prefrontal cortex important for?
Controlling impulsive behavior
Stress
Any circumstance that upsets the homeostatic balance.
What 3 aspects fall under “stress”?
- Stress stimuli
- Stress processing
- Stress responses
Explain the bodys response to stress?.
- The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic NS to cause “fight or flight” response
2.The “fight or flight” response cause the adrenal medulla (core) to release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine
- The hypothalamus stimulates the anterior pituitary, which releases a hormone that drives the adrenal cortex to release adrenal steroid hormones (cortisol)
- The release of hormones prepares the body for action
Adrenal Cortex
The outer rind of the adrenal gland, which secretes steroid hormones, including cortisol
Adrenal Corticosteroids
Steroid hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex.
Cortisol
A glucocorticoid stress hormone of the adrenal cortex.
What are most stressors in humans?
Psychosocial nature
What is the effect of crowding?
Higher epinephrine secretion (adrenaline)
What is the trend for epinephrine and norepinephrine levels on exam day?
They peak building up to the exam; especially on exam day
Stress Immunization
The idea that mild stress early in life makes it easier to handle stress later in life.
Where did the concept of stress immunization result from?
Rat studies
Explain the rat studies in relation to stress immunization.
The rats who received increased attention from the mother after being taken away made them less affected by stress when they were older
What is the conclusion of rat studies and stress immunization?
Epigenetic modifications result from early life experiences
Psychosomatic Medicine
A field of study that emphasizes the role of psychological factors in disease.
Health Psychology
Studies psychological influences on health
Psychoneuroimmunology
Studies the interactions of the immune and nervous systems.
How does the brain affect the immune system?
Through autonomic nerves and by monitoring immune reactions
What does the immune system act as?
A sensory receptor system; informing the brain
What do the brain and immune system interact with?
The endocrine system
What is an example of the brain interacting with the immune system?
COVID and the examination of microglia in the brain
What are there reciprocal relationships between?
- Nervous system
- Endocrine system
- Immune system
What can hormones released during stress do
Suppress the immune system
- act as a short term defense mechanism
What is long term stress detrimental to?
Immune function
What is the relationship between physiological stress and immune function?
Physiological stress decreases immune function
What are Type A and Type D behavioral patterns marked by?
- Excessive driving
- Impatience
- Hostility
- Heart disease
What is the importance of stress and stress responses?
Allows our bodies to restore homeostasis/ remove the threat to homeostasis
What does chronic stress lead to?
Pathological consequences
