Emo Behaviors

Question 1

What are the 3 components of emotion?

Answer 1

Cognition, feelings, and actions. (Feelings is considered the most central of the three).

Question 2

Which system do emotional situations arouse?

Answer 2

The autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Question 3

The ANS consists of how many branches? What are they?

Answer 3

2 branches; the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

Question 4

Who was the researcher responsible for identifying the “fight or flight” response of the SNS?

Answer 4

Walter Cannon (1871 - 1945)

Question 5

Explain the James-Lange Theory.

Answer 5

The James-Lange theory consists of the idea that the order of events during a stressful or arousing event is in reverse of standardly held common-sense. That is to say, you would expect to experience an emotive instinct and then your body would act on that sensation. The theory holds that, instead, one would experience a situation, then respond with either and action correspondent with fear or rage, then experience the related emotion (i.e. running away causes the experience of fear, and fighting causes experience of rage).

Question 6

What occurs during pure autonomic failure?

Answer 6

output from the autonomic nervous system to the body fails, either completely or almost completely. Heartbeat and other organ activities continue, but the nervous system no longer regulates them. Someone with this condition does not react to stressful experiences with changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or sweating.

Question 7

According to the James-Lange theory, what kind of person should feel no emotion?

Answer 7

Someone who experiences a condition called pure autonomic failure would be expected to report no emotion. With this condition organ activities and physiological changes regulated by the autonomic system would remain detectably unaffected by any arousing stimuli [i.e. in a fearful situation they would likely not experience sweating, quickened heartbeat, or decrease in hunger, etc.]. (however, the person may have a cognitive understanding of the appropriate related emotion).

Question 8

How might researchers get people to smile or frown without using these words?

Answer 8

Researchers may ask participants to hold a pen, either with their teeth or their lips/mouth—this may result in a smile or frown. Also, another study attached golf tees to a persons eyebrows and required the tips to touch one another forcing a frown.

Question 9

What is the limbic system?

Answer 9

the forebrain areas surrounding the thalamus. (critical for emotion). (is considered to be a part of the amygdala).

Question 10

Which structures comprise the limbic system?

Answer 10

cingulate gyrus, anterior thalamic nuclei, septal nuclei, frontal lobe, olfactory bulb, fornix, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, mamillary bodies.

Question 11

What is the primary taste cortex?

Answer 11

The insula

Question 12

The insula is important for which kind of emotion and which kind of sensation?

Answer 12

The emotion of disgust, and the sensation of taste.

Question 13

What is the behavioral activation system (BAS) marked by?

Answer 13

Activity of the left hemisphere (particularly the frontal and temporal lobes) w/ low to moderate autonomic arousal and a tendency to approach (characterizing either happiness or anger).

Question 14

Describe the Behavioral Inhibition System.

Answer 14

Associated with increased activity of the frontal and temporal lobes of the right hemisphere. Increases attention and arousal, inhibits action, and stimulates emotions (e.g. fear and disgust).

Question 15

Which hemisphere appears to be more responsive to emotional stimuli?

Answer 15

The right hemisphere.

Question 16

Explain the “Wada procedure”

Answer 16

Injection of a drug into the carotid artery in an effort to anesthetize and isolate each hemisphere of the brain.

Question 17

What are the contributions of the right hemisphere to emotional behaviors and interpreting other people’s emotions?

Answer 17

Activation of the right hemisphere is associated with withdrawal from events and social contact. The right hemisphere is also more specialized than the left for interpreting other people’s expressions of emotions.

Question 18

Damage to which part of the PFC results in deficient guilt sensations?

Answer 18

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Question 19

If brain damage impairs someone’s emotions, what happens to the person’s decision making?

Answer 19

After brain damage that impairs emotion, people make impulsive decisions, evidently because they do not quickly imagine how bad a poor decision might make them feel.

Question 20

Name each of the identified structures in this photo.

Answer 20

Question 21

What is a method to decrease anger other than “counting to 10”?

Answer 21

Lying on your back (e.g. posturing yourself in a more helpless position)

Question 22

What is MAO_A?

Answer 22

Monoamine oxidase. An enzyme which breaks down the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and seratonin.

Question 23

What relationship did Caspi et al. (2002) report between the enzyme MAO_A and antisocial behavior?

Answer 23

Overal, people with genese for high or low production of MAO_A do not differ significantly in their probability of antisocial behavior. However, among those who suffered serious maltreatment during childhood, people with lower levels of the enzyme showed higher rates of antisocial behavior.

Question 24

What does the “triple imbalance hypothesis” state?

Answer 24

Violence depends on 3 chemicals. Serotonin, testosterone, and cortisol.

Question 25

How would the “triple imbalance hypothesis” explain increased aggression?

Answer 25

A person would be considered to have a low level of cortisol (lowering inhibitions) and a higher level of testosterone (increasing natural aggressive tendencies). This person is also likely to have low serotonin levels (high levels are shows to inhibit violent impulses).

Question 26

How does testosterone influence emotional and cognitive responses to a facial expression fo anger?

Answer 26

It decreases teh ability to recognize the expression consciously but increases the responses in emotion-related areas of the brain.

Question 27

Explain serotonin turnover.

Answer 27

The amount of serotonin that neurons release and replace.

When neurons release serotonin, they reabsorb most of it and then synthesize enough to replace the amount that washed away.

Question 28

How do researchers estimate serotonin turnover?

Answer 28

Form the concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) [serotonin’s main metabolite] in the cerebrospinal fuid (CSF).

Question 29

Given that monkeys with low serotonin turnover pick many fights and in most caes die young, what keeps natural selection from eliminating the genes for low serotonin turnover?

Answer 29

Although most monkeys with low serotonin turnover die young, many of the survivors achieve a dominant status that enables them to get more of the food and to reproduce more frequently. Monkeys with high serotonin turnover survive, but at the cost of accepting a low status.

Question 30

Is it possible to alter serotonin sythesis via the diet? If so, how would this be possible?

Answer 30

Neurons synthesize serotonin from tryptophan, an amino acid found in small amounts in proteins. Tryptophan crosses the blood–brain barrier by an active transport channel that it shares with phenylalanine and other large amino acids. Thus, a diet high in other amino acids impairs the brain’s ability to synthesize serotonin.

Question 31

How could nutrasweet or maize affect a persons aggression?

Answer 31

If a person has a diet which is too high in certain amino acids (phenylalanine) these foods could increase this acid and spike aggressive behaviors. Aspartame (Nutrasweet) is about 50% phenylalanine, and maize (Amer. Corn) is high in phylalanine and low in tryptophan.

Question 32

What is the name of the enzyme that converts tryptophan into serotonin?

Answer 32

Tryptophan hydroxylase

Question 33

Why is the serotonin-aggression relationship considered to be complex?

Answer 33

Studies imply that serotonin inhibits aggressive behavior, thereby increasing the likelihood of aggression when serotonin levels are low. However, the brain is shown to release serotonin during aggressive behavior. Apparently, if serotonin levels are low prior to aggravation, the aggressive behavior is magnified when the additional serotonin is released at the outset of the aggressive encounter.

Question 34

Startle Reflex

Answer 34

the response to an unexpected loud noise

Question 35

What occurs during the startle response?

Answer 35

Auditory information goes first to the cochlear nucleus in the medulla and from there directly to an area in the pons that commands tensing the muscles (particularly the neck muscles).

Question 36

How long does it take for the full startle response to occur?

Answer 36

Less than 2/10 of a second. Information reaches the pons within 3 to 8 ms after a loud noise.

Question 37

Long term, generalized emotional arousal depends on a brain area called the ___________.

Answer 37

bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (critical for long-term adjustments of anxiety).

Question 38

Label the following areas of the stria terminalis:

1. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
2. Amygdala
3. Fornix
4. Stria Terminalis
5. Corpus Callosum
6. Hippocampus

Answer 38

Question 39

Explain the Kluver-Bucy syndrome.

Answer 39

The result of damage to the amygdala causing those afflicted to display less fear response. (The syndrome was explain in relation to monkeys)

Question 40

What is Urbach-Wiethe disease?

Answer 40

A rare genetic disorder which causes skin lesions and calcification of the amygdala until it wastes away. Therefore those afflicted experience damage isolated almost solely to the amygdala.

Question 41

Why do eople with amygdala damage have trouble recognizing expressions of fear?

Answer 41

They focus their vision on the nose and mouth. Expressions of fear depend almost entirely on the eyes.

Question 42

How is a panic disorder characterized?

Answer 42

by frequent periods of anxiety and occasional attacks of rapid breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, and trembling (an extreme arousal of the SNS).

Question 43

Panic disorder occurs in about 15% of people with _______.

Answer 43

joint laxity (double jointedness)

Question 44

Panic disorder is associated with decreased activity of _____________.

Answer 44

neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and increased levels of orexin (associated with wakefulness and activity) [drugs which block orexin receptors block panic responses].

Question 45

The common class of anti-anxiety drugs

Answer 45

benzodiazepines (i.e. diazepam [valium], chlordiazepoxide [librium], and alprazolam [xanax])

Question 46

How do benzo’s take effect?

Answer 46

they bind to the GABA_A receptor, including a site which binds GABA as well as sites that modify the sensitivity of the GABA site. The center of the GABA_A receptor is a chloride (Cl) channel, when open is permits chloride ions (Cl-) to cross the membrane into the neuron, hyperpolarizing the cell. The chloride channel is surrounded by four units which are sensitive to GABA, benzo’s bind to three of the four sites. The benzo neither opens nor closes the Cl- channel _ it twists the receptor so that the GABA binds more easily. Benzo’s facilitate the effects of GABA.

Question 47

Name three areas where benzodiazepines exert their anti-anxiety effects?

Answer 47

The amygdala, hypothalamus, midbrain, and several other areas.

Question 48

What is the name of the experiental drug which has been shown to block the effects of alcohol?

Answer 48

Ro15-4513

Question 49

What would be the effect of benzodiazepines on someone who had no GABA?

Answer 49

Benzodiazepines faciliate the effects of GABA, so a person without GABA would have no response to benzo’s.

Question 50

Why is extinction more effective a few minutes after a brief reminder of the original learning?

Answer 50

The reminder brings the representation of the learning into a labile state from which it can be reconsolidated or extinguished.

Question 51

Explain general adaption syndrom.

Answer 51

Any threat to the body (in addition to its specific effects) activates a generalized response to the stress. This response involves 3 stages (alarm, resistance, and exhaustion).

Question 52

What are the three stages of general adaption syndrome?

Answer 52

Alarm (characterized by increased activitity of the SNS - readying the body for brief emergent activity)

Resistance (characterized by a decline of the sympathetic response - the adrenal cortex secretes cortisol and other hormones allowing prolonged alertness, immne response, and healing)

exhaustion (marked by fatigue of the body the nervous system and the immune systems)

Question 53

Explain the HPA axis function.

Answer 53

the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex. Activation of the hypothalamus induces the anterior pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the human adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol, which enhances metabolic activity and elevates blood levels of sugar and other nutrients

Question 54

What does the following image depict?

Answer 54

The HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) cortex axis

Question 55

What is an autoimmune disease?

Answer 55

The immune system consists of cells which protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other. In the event the body’s immune system is over-active it may begin to inappropriately attack it’s own cells.

Question 56

What are 2 examples of autoimmune diseases?

Answer 56

Myasthenia gravis

rheumatoid arthritis

Question 57

The most important elements of the immune system.

Answer 57

Leukocytes (white blood cells). These leukocyte cells produce cytokines and prostaglandins which are responsible for the “general adaptation syndrome” proposed by Selye.

Question 58

What are the three types of leukocytes?

Answer 58

B Cells, T cells, and Natural killer cells

Question 59

Explain B cells.

Answer 59

mature mostly in bone marrow, secrete antibodes. These cells recognize the ‘self’ antigens and attack unrecognized cells.

Question 60

Explain T cells

Answer 60

mature in the thymus gland, some attack intruders directly without secreting antibodies, other help T and B cells to multiply.

Question 61

Explain natural killer cells

Answer 61

attack tumor cells, and virus infected cells. Unlike B and T cells, natural killer cells attak all intruders indiscriminately.

Question 62

What are cytokines?

Answer 62

Small proteins produced by leukocytes and other calls which combat infections and communicate with the brain to elicit appropriate behaviors. They trigger the hypothalamus to produce fever, sleepiness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and loss of sex drive.

Question 63

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 63

The study of the relationship between the nervous system and the immune system.

Question 64

How do the effects of prolonged stress mimic the effects of ilness?

Answer 64

Prolonged stress increases release of cytokines. Cytokines tell the brain to initiate reponses to combat ilness, such as fever, inactivity, and loss of appetite.

Question 65

How does prolonged stress damage the hippocampus?

Answer 65

Stress incrases the release of cortisol, which inhances metabolic activity throughout the body. When neurons in the hippocampus have high metabolic activity, they becoe more vulnerable to damage by toxins of overstimulation.

Question 66

How do the cortisol levels of PTSD victims compare to those of other people?

Answer 66

People with PTSD have lower than normal cortisol levels in contrast to most people, who show elevated cortisol levels in response to stress.

Question 67

What evidence indicates that small than average hippocampus makes people more vulnerable to PTSD?

Answer 67

On average, PTSD victims have a smaller than average hippocampus. For those who have an idential twin, the twin also has a smaller than average hippocampus, even if he or she does not have PTSD.