Emotions and the brain Flashcards
Define emotion
- A +ve or -ve reaction to an appropriately evocative stimulus
- It is a subjective psychological process
- Complex systems that co ordinate responses, help solve specific adaptive behaviour- co operation, mating, avoiding predation
- Moods are longer lasting/not spontaneous
What are the four components of emotion
Cognitive appraisal
Physiological arousal
Subjective experience
Goal directed activity
Describe Ekman’s basic emotions
-6 universally programmed primary emotions- innate Happy Sad Fear Anger Surprise Disgust - Cross cultural studies of facial expression and blind children show consistency. Culture differences in expressiveness
Describe Plutchik’s wheel of emotions
4 pairs of opposites All other emotions derived from combo of these Joy/sadness Affection/disgust Anger/fear Expectation/surprise
Describe the first stage of emotion
Lazarus (1968)
APPRAISAL Lazarus 1968
- Primary- assessment of relevance of current situation to personal wellbeing- threat or safe
- Secondary- What can I do about it? Unfavourable- sad/anxiety, favourable- hope
Describe the second stage of emotion
through the James Lange Theory
PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL
- James Lange Theory- emotion based on feedback of bodily changes- angry bc we strike, cry bc we sorry
Comes through PNS–> CNS
Supported by drug therapy and lie detectors- B blockers decrease anxiety/subjective fear
- Unsupported by similarity of physio changes- can’t differentiate, spinal cord injury pts still experience emotions
Describe the second stage of emotion
through Canon, 1927
- Symp and parasymp parts of body act in balance with non excited state, imbalance- SNS prepares body for specific actions and mobilises emergency and stress resources, increased secretion of epinephrine
CANON-BARD
Physio changes and subjective feeling of emotional experience as a response are separate and independent
Describe the second stage of emotion
through Schachter-Singer
2 factor theory
Emotion felt, physiological arousal occurs.
Person uses immediate environment to search for emotional cues to label the arousal
Describe the third stage of emotion through Darwin (1873)
Emotional expression is innate although expressions require practice before they are fully developed
Describe the third stage of emotion through the Duchenne smile
Role of diff facial muscles in producing emotions through expressions
Obtained fake smiles by electrically stim facial muscles
Facial muscles differ in extent of voluntary control
Emotional and non emotional facial expressions
- Voluntary- pyramidal motor system- In motor cortex- Duchenne smile only involves ZYGOMATIC MAJOR muscle
Involuntary- extrapyramidal motor system- subcortical areas- ZM and orbicularis oculi
Describe the facial feedback hypothesis
Pattern of muscles during facial expression feeds back to brain, provides info for subjective feeling of emotion
- Darwin argues that intensity of emotion depends on facial expression intensity
Describe the fourth stage of emotion through Frijda’s four factor theory
Tendency of emotion to serve as an impulse for an action specific to the emotion expressed
Emotional processes are manifestations of common underlying process
Emotion is an integrated evaluative process
Anger assoc with advance, fear assoc with retreat
Which muscles/motor systems are used in the genuine or non genuine smile?
Voluntary- pyramidal motor- ZM
Involunary- extrapyramidal- ZM and orbicularis oculi
Describe the role of the amygdala in emotion
Emotional expression and association with FEAR
Learned emotional responses are processed in the amygdala, mediates autonomic expression- cognitive experience
Emotional states are mediated by peripheral autonomic, endocrine and motor systems
Describe the role of the amygdala in appraisal
Receives auditory, smell, taste, visual info- evaluate harm/benefit of stimulus
