emotion

Question 1

3 components of an emotional repsonse

Answer 1

○ Behavioural - muscle movements appropriate for the situation
○ Autonomic - facilitate behaviours by providing quick mobilisation of energy for vigorous movement
○ Hormonal - reinforce autonomic responses

Question 2

What is the role of the central nucleus?

Answer 2

• After the central nucleus has been destroyed, animals no longer show fear to stimuli that have been paired with aversive events
• They act more tamely when handled by humans, show lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and are less likely to incur stress related illness

Question 3

Consequence of long-term stimulation of the central nucleus

Answer 3

Stress induced illnesses such as gastric ulcers (Henke, 1982)

Question 4

Describe extinction

Answer 4

• Rather than forgetting the association, the animal learns that the conditioned stimulus is no longer followed by an aversive stimulus
  The conditioned response is inhibited rather than forgotten

Question 5

Describe the role of serotonin in risk-taking behaviours.

Answer 5

• 5-HIAA is a metabolite of serotonin (5HT). Increased levels of 5-HIAA in cerebrospinal fluid indicates a higher level of serotonergic activity.
• Monkeys with low 5-HIAA demonstrated increased risk taking behaviour and a large percentage of them were killed by other monkeys

Question 6

Describe the role of serotonin in aggression

Answer 6

• Lower levels of 5-HIAA in the CSF (demonstrating low serotonin release rate) are associated with aggression and other forms of antisocial behaviour.
• Prozac, a serotonin agonist, reduces irritability and aggressiveness

Question 7

The role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in aggression

Answer 7

• Inputs to the vmPFC provide information about what is going on in the environment and what is being planned in the rest of the frontal lobe
• Outputs from the vmPFC affect a variety of behaviours and physiological responses, including emotional responses organised by the amygdala
• e.g Phineas Gage

Question 8

The role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in Moral Decision Making

Answer 8

In an fMRI study, vmPFC activated when people consider moral dilemmas. Not activated when people consider non-emotional decisions.

Question 9

Describe the James-Lange theory of emotion

Answer 9

1. Emotion-producing situation elicits a set of physiological responses
2. Emotion-producing situation also elicits certain behaviours
   Feedback from the organs and 3. muscles involved in these responses constitutes how we feel emotion

Question 10

Describe the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

Answer 10

• Thalamus sends simultaneous signals to the cortex (conscious experience) and the autonomic nervous system (arousal and behaviour).
• Cannon severed nerves in the autonomic nervous system in cats. He found that despite them not being able to experience somatic signals, the cat could still demonstrate anger, fear and pleasure