Cognitive Approach - Emotions and Decision Making

Question 1

what is the somatic marker hypthesis

Answer 1

it suggests that good decision making depends on an ability to access appropriate emotional information linked to the situation in which the decision is being made

suggested by Antonio Damasio in 1994

Question 2

Bechara et al (1999)

Answer 2

Aim: Investigate the effects of vmPRC damage on decision making

Participants: 13 healthy, 5 with vmPRC damage

Procedure:
1. Played online ‘gambling’ game in which they had to select one of 4 decks of cards (a,b,c,d). After clickly on the deck, participants were told they either won or lost a certain amount of money
2. Decks A and B would give higher and higher losses as the game went on, participants were expected to realise these were ‘bad’ decks and avoid them
3. A test of skin conductive response was used to measure players’ emotional reaction to the game

Results:
1. Normal group quickly learnt to avoid A and B.
2. After 10 trials they showed stress reaction when hovering their mouse over decks A and B
3. Brain damage continued to choose bad decks and showed no stress reaction

Conclusion
1. Participants with vmPRC damage don’t experience somatic markers, leading to poor decisions
2. emotional feelings are necessary for good decision making

Question 3

vmPRC

Answer 3

region thats responsible for decision making (ventromedial prefrontal cortex)

Question 4

Bechara et al (1999) Evaluation

Answer 4

Strengths: supports somatic marker hypothesis

Limitations: small sample size

Question 5

Bechara et al (1999) Evaluation

Answer 5

Strengths: supports somatic marker hypothesis

Limitations: small sample size

Question 6

Wright and Racow (2017)

Answer 6

Aim: test somatic marker hypothesis

Participants: Volunteer sample of 20 British undergraduates

Procedure:
1. standardised computer test, participant was presented with a balloon
2. They had to pump it by clicking a button. Each click -> more money
3. Each pump -> more emotional risk-> GREATER REWARD

Results:
1. Bad decisons did result in increased emotional response (shown by Galvanic Skin Response)

Conclusion:
1. No evidence that somatic marker helped participants avoid bad decisions

Question 7

Evaluation of somatic marker hypothesis

Answer 7

Bechara et al: not only a lack of emotional feedback that leads to poor decision making

Wright and Racow: Somatic marker didn’t help avoid bad decisions

Question 8

somatic markers

Answer 8

feelings in the body that we associate with emotions