Lecture 10: emotion Flashcards
components and basics of emotion
What are the three core components of emotion?
- subjective experience (feelings)
2.Physiological patterns (e.g., heart rate, sweating). - Behavioral responses (e.g., facial expressions, actions)
What is the role of the limbic system in emotions?
The limbic system is an evolutionary-old, universal system responsible for emotion processing. It supports adaptive interactions with the environment but is not the only brain system involved in emotion.
How are emotions observed across species?
Emotions like terror, disappointment, and hostility are observed in humans and animals, supporting Darwin’s idea of innate basic emotions shared across species.
Basic emotions and Ekmans criteria
What are the six basic emotions identified by Ekman?
- Anger
- Fear
- Sadness
- Disgust
- Happiness
- Surprise
What criteria did Ekman use to define basic emotions?
Distinctive universal signals.
Presence in other primates.
Distinctive physiology and universal triggers.
Rapid onset, brief duration, automatic appraisal, and unbidden occurrence.
What additional criteria did Ekman propose in 1999 for basic emotions?
Developmental appearance, distinct thoughts, memories, images, and subjective experiences unique to each emotion.
Theories of emotion
What is the James-Lange theory of emotion?
Emotions arise from physiological arousal:
Stimulus → Physiological response → Emotion.
What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion?
Emotional and physiological responses occur simultaneously but independently:
Stimulus → Thalamus → Emotion + Physiological response.
How does the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory explain emotion?
Emotions depend on two factors:
Physiological arousal.
Cognitive interpretation of that arousal.
What is an example supporting the two-factor theory?
Arousal after a roller coaster may be labeled as excitement or fear, depending on the context.
Amygdala and emotion
What are the main divisions of the amygdala, and their roles?
Basolateral complex: Connects to the striatum to control actions in response to threats.
Centromedial complex: Controls innate emotional behaviors via connections to the brainstem.
Cortical nucleus: Involved in olfaction.
What is Klüver-Bucy syndrome, and what does it illustrate about emotion?
Bilateral removal of the anterior temporal lobes causes symptoms like hypersexuality, lack of fear, and inappropriate behaviors, demonstrating the temporal lobes’ role in emotional regulation.
Fear learning in and the amygdala
How does the amygdala contribute to fear learning?
The amygdala associates stimuli with threats, forming conditioned fear responses via classical conditioning (e.g., pairing a tone with a shock).
What are the two pathways in LeDoux’s theory of emotion processing?
- High road: Cortex-mediated, slower, detailed emotional evaluation.
- Low road: Subcortical, fast, direct via the thalamus to the amygdala.
What evidence supports LeDoux’s theory of the low road?
Humans react faster to emotional stimuli (e.g., threats) than neutral stimuli, and the amygdala processes threat signals even without cortical input.
What is affective blindsight, and what does it reveal?
Patients with visual cortex damage can still respond to emotional stimuli subconsciously, showing alternate pathways for emotion processing.
Emotion and Learning
How does emotion influence learning, as shown in fear conditioning studies?
Emotional tagging by the amygdala enhances memory consolidation for events with emotional significance.
What role does the amygdala play in instructed fear?
The amygdala generates physiological fear responses to learned associations, even without direct experience.
Amygdala and Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
What is emotional tagging, and how does it impact memory?
Emotional tagging by the amygdala retroactively enhances memory consolidation for neutral events linked to later emotional experiences.
How does emotional arousal affect the hippocampus and memory?
Emotional arousal strengthens hippocampal plasticity, making memories of emotionally significant events more durable.
Stress and emotion
How does stress affect memory and emotion?
Acute stress can enhance memory.
Chronic stress impairs memory and emotion regulation by damaging the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
What role does cortisol play in emotional memory?
Cortisol modulates the amygdala and hippocampus, influencing memory consolidation and emotional responses.
The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) and Emotion
What is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in emotion?
The OFC integrates emotional signals into decision-making, linking past experiences with current choices.
What is the somatic marker hypothesis?
Proposed by Damasio, it suggests that bodily (somatic) emotional states guide decision-making by signaling the potential consequences of actions.
What evidence supports Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis?
Patients with OFC damage fail tasks like the Iowa Gambling Task, where emotional cues guide advantageous decisions.
Who was Patient S.P., and what does her case reveal about emotion?
Patient S.P. had bilateral amygdala damage and could not recognize fearful facial expressions. Despite understanding other emotions, her inability to process fear highlights the amygdala’s critical role in fear perception.
How does the Iowa Gambling Task demonstrate the role of emotion in decision-making?
Participants choose between risky and safe decks. Healthy individuals learn to avoid risky decks, while patients with OFC damage fail to use emotional feedback for advantageous decisions.
How does the amygdala interact with the OFC in decision-making?
The amygdala provides emotional signals (e.g., fear or reward anticipation), while the OFC integrates these signals to guide complex decision-making.
What is the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in emotion?
The ACC monitors conflicts and errors, helping to regulate emotional responses and mediate decision-making under uncertainty.
Facial Expressions and Emotional Processing
What is the role of the fusiform gyrus in emotion?
The fusiform gyrus, particularly the fusiform face area (FFA), processes facial features, enabling recognition of emotional expressions.
How does the amygdala process facial expressions of fear?
The amygdala detects subtle fear signals, even when faces are presented briefly or peripherally, enhancing survival through rapid threat detection.
What is the relationship between facial expressions and cultural norms?
While basic emotions are universal, the intensity and context of emotional expressions vary across cultures due to display rules.
Stress and Emotion Regulation
What is the relationship between stress and emotion regulation?
Acute stress can enhance emotional focus, while chronic stress impairs regulation by weakening the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
How does the HPA axis contribute to stress responses?
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases cortisol in response to stress, preparing the body for action while influencing emotional processing.
How does cortisol affect memory consolidation for emotional events?
Moderate cortisol levels enhance memory consolidation by strengthening connections between the amygdala and hippocampus.
How does chronic stress damage the brain?
Chronic stress increases amygdala activity but reduces the volume and function of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, impairing memory and emotion regulation.
Emotion and Learning
What is the role of the amygdala in classical conditioning?
The amygdala associates neutral stimuli with emotional outcomes, forming conditioned responses (e.g., pairing a tone with a shock).
How does emotional learning differ in extinction versus conditioning?
Conditioning: Strengthens the association between a stimulus and emotion.
Extinction: Weakens this association by repeated exposure without reinforcement.
What brain areas are involved in extinction learning?
The prefrontal cortex suppresses amygdala activity, while the hippocampus tracks the context of extinction.
How does emotional tagging enhance memory?
Emotional arousal activates the amygdala, which prioritizes emotionally significant events for consolidation in the hippocampus.
What evidence shows the amygdala’s role in emotional memory enhancement?
Amygdala lesions reduce the memory advantage for emotional events compared to neutral ones.
Emotion, Attention, and Perception
How does emotion influence attention?
Emotional stimuli, such as faces or threatening objects, capture attention more effectively, leading to faster processing and enhanced focus.
What is the attentional blink, and how is it affected by emotion?
The attentional blink is a failure to detect the second target in a rapid visual sequence. Emotional words reduce the blink, showing enhanced processing of emotionally salient stimuli.
How does the amygdala influence sensory processing?
The amygdala modulates activity in early sensory cortices, enhancing the detection of emotionally relevant stimuli.
Social and Moral Emotions
What are examples of moral emotions, and why are they significant?
Examples include guilt, shame, and pride. These emotions reinforce social norms, guide ethical behavior, and promote cooperation.
hat brain regions are critical for moral emotions?
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) are involved in perspective-taking and evaluating social and moral contexts.
Cultural and Individual Differences
How do cultures differ in emotional expression and regulation?
Individualistic cultures emphasize expressiveness, while collectivistic cultures value emotional restraint and prioritize group harmony.
What are individual differences in emotional reactivity influenced by?
Genetics (e.g., serotonin transporter gene), early experiences, and temperament all shape how individuals react emotionally to stimuli.
Emotion in Disorders
How is emotion processing affected in depression?
Depression is associated with reduced reward sensitivity in the ventral striatum and increased amygdala activity for negative stimuli.
What role does the prefrontal cortex play in anxiety disorders?
Reduced prefrontal activity leads to impaired regulation of amygdala-driven fear responses, contributing to heightened anxiety.
How does PTSD affect emotional processing?
PTSD involves hyperactive amygdala responses and impaired prefrontal regulation, leading to heightened fear and intrusive emotional memories.
Emotion and Memory Integration
How do emotions enhance memory retrieval?
Emotional arousal reactivates the amygdala, improving the recall of emotionally salient events, especially under stress.
