Emotion Flashcards
What’s the definition of emotion?
A state associated with stimuli that are rewarding (i.e. that one works to obtain) or punishing (i.e. that one works to avoid). The stimulant often have inherent survival value.
What are the key characteristics of emotions?
Emotion is a state associated with stimuli that are rewarding or punishing; are transient in nature; they have a hedonic value, meaning that they are subjectively liked is disliked.
Emotions have a particular “feeling state” in terms of an internal bloody response (e.g. sweating, heart rate, hormone secretion).
Emotions illicit particular external motor outcomes in the face and body, which include emotional expressions.
What is mentalising?
The process of inferring or attributing mental states to others.
What is mirroring?
The process of sharing the emotions or mental states of others.
What is the definition of mood?
An emotional state that is extended overtime (e.g. anxieties and mood and fear is an emotion).
What are motor expressions?
External motor outcomes in the face and body associated with emotional states.
What is the basic emotions approach?
The postulation is as follows: A small number of distinct emotions that is thought to have been shaped by different evolutionary demands and are linked to distinct neural substrates in the brain. The specific facial expressions do not vary across cultures
What two dimensions do Feldman- Barett assume that emotions are in?
Pleasant-unpleasant and high-low arousal
What is the term for Feldman-Barret’s system?
Core affect
What is the idea behind the Feldman-Barret theory?
Categories of emotions are constructed (and can be differentiated from each other)
What is the central part of Roll’s theory concerned with?
The dimensions of reward and punishment, their presence/absence and intensity.
What are moral emotions, and how are they defined?
Emotions tied to behavior evaluation based on social and cultural norms.
How do “basic emotions” theories differ from the constructed emotions approach?
Basic emotions are innate; constructed emotions depend on context and appraisal.
What role do cultural norms play in moral emotions?
They shape moral emotions by defining acceptable behavior.
What is the function of the amygdala?
The amygdala seems to be activated and related to the memory of certain emotions (especially fear, but not only) and also when we learn something that has an emotional component.
Where is the amygdala placed?
It is a small structure in the temporal lobe placed next to the hippocampus.
brain region concerned with the output of bodily responses
anterior cingulate
the ___ receives inputs (via the thalamus) relating to pain, and may regulate feelings of pain
anterior cingulate
activity in the ___ correlates with self-reported distress during social exclusion
anterior cingulate
What is the Kluver-Bucy syndrome? (hints: monkeys, amygdala lesions)
In monkeys after bilateral amygdala and temporal lesions, an unusual tameness and emotional blunting; a tendency to examine objects with the mouth; and dietary changes
What is skin conductance response (SCR)?
It is changes in electrical conductivity on a person’s skin, triggered by certain stimuli (e.g. emotional or familiar stimuli)
neurons containing the neurotransmitter, dopamine, project from the midbrain to a region in the ___ called the nucleus accumbens
ventral striatum
dopamine release in the ___ of male rats increases when a female is introduced to the cage, and increases further if they have sex
nucleus accumbens
dopaminergic neurons are encoding reward based on
the difference between the predicted reward and actual reward
Computing the current value (within the current context) of a stimulus is a general function of what brain area?
Orbitofrontal cortex
What is the function of the insula?
involved in body perception and contains the primary gustatory cortex. Responds to feeling and seeing disgust (including moral disgust)
Where is the insula placed?
A region of the cortex buried beneath the temporal lobes
What is fear conditioning?
If a stimulus that does not normally elicit a fear response such as an auditory tone (unconditioned stimulus, CS -) is paired with a stimulus that normally evoke a fear response (termed conditional response) = the tone will come to elicit a fear response by itself (becomes a conditioned stimulus, CS+)
Simply put: When we cut out the amygdala in a mouse it cannot learn to fear the sound. If we train a healthy mouse, it will forget the training/conditioning when cutting out the amygdala
Where in the brain is activation found when a rewarding smile is expected but an angry face is instead presented? (Kringelbach & Rolls, 2003)
Lateral orbitofrontal cortex
What brain regions are activated by moral emotions according to fMRI studies?
The amygdala, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex.
What happens to moral emotions in patients with damage to the orbitofrontal cortex?
They show less empathy, guilt, and unusual moral judgment.
