emotions and stress Flashcards
What does the James-Lange Theory propose about the relationship between physiological arousal and emotion?
The experience of an emotion follows physiological arousal.
What is the facial feedback hypothesis?
Facial expressions associated with specific emotions initiate physiological changes consistent with those emotions.
What is the main idea of the Cannon-Bard Theory?
The experience of an emotion and physiological arousal occur simultaneously.
According to the Cannon-Bard Theory, what role does the thalamus play in emotional response?
The thalamus sends signals to the cerebral cortex and the sympathetic nervous system simultaneously.
What does Schachter and Singer’s Two-Factor Theory describe?
The experience of emotion results from physiological arousal followed by a cognitive label for that arousal.
What is misattribution of arousal?
The tendency to mislabel arousal when its cause is unknown or ambiguous.
What is excitation transfer theory?
Physical arousal from one event can intensify arousal from a later unrelated event.
List the three assumptions of excitation transfer theory.
- Physical arousal decays slowly
- Residual arousal can intensify subsequent arousal
- People often misattribute the source of their arousal
What is the main premise of Lazarus’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory?
Differences in emotional reactions are due to different appraisals of events.
Define primary appraisal according to Lazarus’s theory.
Evaluating an event to determine if it is irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful.
What occurs during secondary appraisal?
Identifying coping options and the likelihood they will adequately deal with a stressful event.
What is reappraisal in Lazarus’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory?
Monitoring the situation and changing primary or secondary appraisals as appropriate.
What is LeDoux’s Two-System Theory focused on?
The interaction of two systems that respond to threatening stimuli, particularly in fear.
What does the subcortical system in LeDoux’s theory do?
Reacts quickly and automatically to threatening stimuli with physiological and defensive responses.
What is the role of the cortical system in LeDoux’s Two-System Theory?
Processes sensory information and generates the conscious feeling of fear.
True or False: According to the James-Lange Theory, emotions precede physiological reactions.
False
Fill in the blank: Zillman’s excitation transfer theory explains how physical arousal from one event can be transferred to _______.
[a later unrelated event]
Who was among the first to link emotions to specific areas of the brain?
Papez
Papez proposed the Papez circuit in 1937.
What structures are included in the Papez circuit?
- Hippocampus
- Mammillary bodies
- Thalamus
- Cingulate gyrus
What has subsequent research clarified about the Papez circuit?
It is involved more with memory than emotion.
What role does the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex play in emotion?
Mediates happiness and other positive emotions.
What is produced by damage to the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex?
Catastrophic reaction involving depression, anxiety, fear, and paranoia.
What role does the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex play in emotion?
Mediates sadness and other negative emotions.
What is produced by damage to the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex?
Indifference reaction involving inappropriate indifference and/or euphoria.
What is the primary function of the amygdala?
Recognizing fear in facial expressions and attaching emotions to memories.
What type of response can electrical stimulation of the amygdala produce?
Fear or rage response.
What happens when there are bilateral lesions in the amygdala?
Loss of the fear response without a loss of other emotional responses.
What does the hypothalamus regulate in relation to emotions?
Physical signs of emotion through communication with the autonomic nervous system and pituitary gland.
What can bilateral lesions in certain areas of the hypothalamus produce?
Rage.
What is Selye’s model of stress called?
General adaptation syndrome.
What are the three stages of Selye’s general adaptation syndrome?
- Alarm reaction stage
- Resistance stage
- Exhaustion stage
What occurs during the alarm reaction stage of stress?
Increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
What happens during the resistance stage of stress?
Physiological functions return to normal while cortisol circulates at an elevated level.
What characterizes the exhaustion stage of stress?
Physiological processes begin to break down.
What model challenges Selye’s general adaptation syndrome?
McEwen’s allostatic load model.
What is allostasis in relation to stress?
Processes that allow the body to achieve stability by adapting to change.
What is allostatic load?
Wear-and-tear on the body and brain due to chronic stress or repeated episodes of acute stress.
What can prolonged allostatic load lead to?
Allostatic overload.
What are some potential consequences of allostatic overload?
- Dysregulation of the immune system
- PTSD
- Major depressive disorder
- Substance use disorder
- Other stress-related psychiatric disorder
What factors can influence the nature of allostasis and consequences of allostatic load?
- Genetic makeup
- Resilience
- Perceptions about the controllability of the stressor
