College 5

Question 1

What are 3 important components of emotion?

Answer 1

1. Physiological arousal
2. Expression
3. Subjective feeling

Question 2

What are 3 models based on the components of emotions, and what do they say?

Answer 2

1. James-Lange theory: physiology drives other processes
2. Cannon: cognitions drive other processes
3. Strack: expression drives other processes (controversial)

Question 3

What are some overarching dimensions of emotion? (3)

Answer 3

1. Valence: positive/negative coloring of emotions (also termed: pleasure)
2. Arousal: activity level, sleepy to hyper-energetic
3. Dominance/ relaxation: lesser used, soort intensiteit level

Question 4

What does Russell’s dimensional model provide?

Answer 4

A two-dimensional space for all emotions. It is a strong simplification but provides an organization tool for feelings. x-axis is valence, y-axis is arousal

Question 5

Waar hangt de set basisemoties die een onderzoeker kiest van af? (4)

Answer 5

1. Relation to action readiness/motivation
2. ‘Hardwired’ or unlearned
3. Universality between cultures
4. Separability in brain signals

Question 6

What does the comparative perspective entail? And from what components is it built? (4)

Answer 6

It compares animals to humans to deduce which emotions are the basic emotions
1. Survival advantage of various emotions
2. Emotions are ‘hardwired’ in the mammalian brain
3. Increasing knowledge on complex emotional processing in non-human animals (non-mammals)
4. Implications for ethical treatment of animals

Question 7

What is the classic notion of motivation?

Answer 7

Maintaining homeostasis

Question 8

What is a more recent notion of motivation? And what is it informed by? (4)

Answer 8

A behavioral drive. Informed by:
1. Survival needs
2. Predicted reward
3. Emotions
4. Instinct to explore

Question 9

How does reward function as a motivator?

Answer 9

It works as an incentive salience: somthing is meaningful because it is gonna give a reward –> instigates behavior

Question 10

What is the pleasure cycle?

Answer 10

appetitive –> consummatory –> satiety. It plays a big role in addiction

Question 11

What does the expectancy theory of motivation entail?

Answer 11

What we do is influenced by the expectancy of what we will get out of it, influences the effort we put into it.

Question 12

What does the self-determination theory entail?

Answer 12

The influences of different kinds of motivation (amotivation, extrinsic, intrinsic) on the regulatory processes that follow

Question 13

What types of reward are there? (3)

Answer 13

1. Primary reward –> rewards with a survival advantage (food, sex, etc)
2. Secondary rewards –> rewards that provide access to primary rewards (money, status, popularity, etc)
3. Some unclear rewards –> why do we enjoy art and music so much?

Question 14

Where is emotion largely situated?

Answer 14

The cingulate cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex

Question 15

Where is arousal processed?

Answer 15

In the brain stem

Question 16

What is the amygdala involved in?

Answer 16

1. Emotional responses
2. Emotional coloring of learning and memory (zie ook: hippocampus)
3. Decision-making

Question 17

How do the dopamine pathways run?

Answer 17

From the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through either:
the Mesolimpic pathway that leads to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) or
the Mesocortical pathways that leads to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and NAc

Question 18

What are the inputs and outputs of the Nucleus Accumbens?

Answer 18

Inputs: VTA, but also prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamic nuclei
Output: mainly in the pallidum

Question 19

Why is the integration of emotional and cognitive systems so important?

Answer 19

Many cognitive functions are modified by emotion or reward values

Question 20

What is the connection between emotion and memory?

Answer 20

Highly charged emotional events also have a high retention, but strong negative emotions can also negatively impact explicit memory retention (PTSD)

Question 21

What is the connection between emotion and attention?

Answer 21

More emotionally salient stimuli will be better perceived and are harder to ignore

Question 22

What is the core function of reward?

Answer 22

It appears to be learning. Perceived result in pleasant or unpleasant stimuli drives approach/avoidance behavior. Expected reward increases performance, but also creates stress through loss aversion

Question 23

What disorders in motivation and reward can there be? (3)

Answer 23

1. Avolition/ apathy: underproduction of speech, movement and emotional response. Lack of initiation
2. Anhedonia: lack of pleasure, core symptom in mood disorders
3. Impulse control disorders: can be seen in addiction or obsity