emotions, stress, exec funct

Question 1

emotions are not irrational

Answer 1

beh: startle response, decision making. near misses like in gambling feel bad initially but also keep us playing

Question 2

If we wanted to have good content validity, how would we operationalize any given emotion?

Answer 2

Emotions are processes that involve assessment of value and are directed. They help us seek pleasure and avoid discomfort. They influence our behaviours
Can be operationalized by physiological, expressive, subjective, beh, cog, data and responses

Question 3

. How does emotion influence our behaviour? Is this behaviour flexible, or rigid, or both?

Answer 3

Behaviour can be flexible and rigid. Our beh can change depending on our emotions, usually emotions guide us towards beneficial behaviours, but sometimes we misapply our emotions

Question 4

Describe sham rage, Klüver-Bucy syndrome, and the Papez “circuit”. How were these early studies conducted? What did they tell us about emotion in the brain?

Answer 4

Sham rage: removing the cerebral cortex. Extreme anger from mild stimuli. Biting, clawing, hissing, arching back. Only sham when it was triggered by unthreatening stimuli.
Kluver bucy syndrome: behavioural impairment associated with damage to both temporal lobes. Results in hyperorality, hypersexuality, visual agnosia, amnesia
Papez circuit: limbic ‘system’.. Amygdala, hypothalamus, mammillary body, hippocampus, forniz, cingulate cortex, septum, olfactory bulb. Strong connections to the nucleus accumbens and the frontal cortex

Question 5

What does the amygdala do? Is it simply “the fear centre”? Justify your answer using evidence from emotional and not-strictly-emotional studies, using a wide variety of methodologies.

Answer 5

No one to one region to function areas.
Lots of overlap with non emotional functions (esp with decision making)
Different brain areas can play parts in different parts of the same emotion
Amygdala is imp for fear: fearful faces even when theyre covered, artificial stimulation of amygdala increases vigilance, attention, anxiety
Amygdala is not just for fear: in rats and humans it can be necessary for the acquisition of fear but not expression,

Question 6

Similarly, explain the roles of the insula using evidence presented in class.

Answer 6

Insula can be part of: anger, frustration, anguish, pain. Ultimatum game and slot machine task.
Insula can also have non emotional functions such as interoception and gustation

Question 7

Similarly, explain the roles of the anterior cingulate cortex using evidence presented in class.

Answer 7

ACC can be part of decision making (esp with decision conflict) and error monitoring

Question 8

Describe the dual pathways of stress, including their activation during stressful events.

Answer 8

HPA axis- cortisol pathway. Immediate effects from epinephrine and norepinephrine
Sympathetic responses
Hormones (epinephrine) and neurotransmitters (cortisol)

Question 9

Is stress good or bad for you? Be sure to consider duration of stress, and how this relates to our daily lives.

Answer 9

Stress in small amounts (short term) is good for us
Stress in large amounts (long term) is not good for us
Stress immunization: exposure to stress that is controllable will teach you to handle stress better over the long term

Question 10

Describe executive functions and the role of the prefrontal cortex. What is the relationship between executive function, the PFC, and stress?

Answer 10

PFC is ‘in charge’ of executive function. Think planning, organizing, multi-tasking, decision making, etc
Executive functions are what make us successful people.
Chronic stress can get rid of executive function ability
Acute stress can enhance executive function ability