Further theories of emotion

Question 1

somatic marker hypothesis

Answer 1

Somatic marker hypothesis-interoceptive theory of emotions (Damasio et al., 1991)- a theory for how emotions drive our decision making

 Somatic markers represent emotional reactions containing a strong physical or bodily component that supports the decision-making process

 Somatic markers guide decision making and social behaviour- in uncertain situations, somatic markers will limit the number of possible choices of behaviour, thus facilitating decision making
 When primary emotions occur, somatic markers help chose the best response; the automatic emotional response

For instance, when a somatic marker associated with a positive outcome is perceived, the person may feel happy and thereby motivated to pursue that behavior. So somatic markers (feelings) influence how we feel about something thus influence our decision making

 The amygdaka is the key place in the CNS that triggers somatic states from primary emotions. The vmPFC (frontol lobe) is the key place where all somatic markers are generated from secondary emotions
 Overall this theory proposed the amygdala mediates somatic markers as a response generated by primary emotions, whereas vmPFC is a key hub where features of a given external stimulus are converted into the visceral states associated with the biological importance of that stimulus.
 This theory says the representation of the body is necessary not only for emotions, but also for a broader core self image, crucial for feelings to arise.

Question 2

theory of constructed emotion

Answer 2

Theory of constructed emotion (Barrett 2006)-
Emotions are not hard-wired in an ancient, “reptilian” part of the brain
Emotions cannot be detected through facial expressions or any other physiological measurement
There are no “universal” emotions across people, nations, or cultures
There are no distinct parts of the brain dedicated to specific emotions (such as the amygdala for fear)
Emotions are not “reactions” to external events

• The brain creates internal models/concepts based on experience, and uses them to predict future events, chooses the best actions to deal with upcoming situations and anticipate their consequences
• The brain is constantly constructing concepts with the goal of identifying input sensory information. concepets makes it easier for the brain to process what is happening
• This theory shows emotion vary with culture and time as they are socially and experientially constructed
• Emotions are the innate ability of the brain to create assumptions or predictions to construct an emotional episode depending on a given situation
• So emotions are just brain predictions that connect bodily states to events in the environment so that the person knows how to react, only sometimes as a by product of these predictions, emotions arise.

emotions= predictions

Question 3

higher order theory of consciousness and fear conditioning (LeDoux)

Answer 3

• The basic idea of this theory is the existence of a general cortical system responsible for generating conscious experience from information received from first order networks.
• Fear conditioning is a process which the brain creates memories about the relationship of 2 events.
• The amygdala plays a key role in fear conditioning- damage to the amygdala disables fear conditioning
• The amygdala contributes to fear circuits in 2 ways; directly, by detecting the threat on an unconscious level and regulating behavioural and physiological responses. And indirectly, through cognitive systems, in the emergence of a counscious feeling of fear.
• There are 2 main afferent pathways that lead to the amygdala-
• The low road pathway- reaches the amydgdala directly form the sensory nuclei of the thalamus without prior cortical processing, activating the amygdala in 12ms
• The high road pathway- slower pathway that activates the amygdala thru tha thalamus and cerebral cortex

Question 4

evidence to somatic markers

Answer 4

inspired Dasmio- Phinneas Gage as the rod went through the forntol lobe, including the ventromdeial prefrontol cortex. He had poor decision making after the rod went throguh his head

Most evidence supporting the somatic marker hypothesis comes from empirical studies involving the Iowa Gambling Task (for a critical review see Dunn et al., 2006). This task (Bechara et al., 1994) measures decision making in ambiguous situations (see description of the task below and Table 1). The task is to repeatedly choose between four decks of cards where wins/losses are unknown in advance. The feedback on the outcome of each choice enables the identification of more advantageous and less advantageous decks over time. Studies showed that individuals with VMPFC lesions, in contrast to healthy controls, did not learn to avoid the disadvantageous decks resulting in impaired task performance.