Lecture 12

Question 1

What are emotions compared to feelings?

Answer 1

• Emotions are automatic physiological and behavioral responses to situations
• Feelings are what more intelligent species attach to these behaviors, like happiness.

Question 2

How did Ekman and Friesen study facial expressions?

Answer 2

• They compared facial expressions between western people and disconnected tribes.
• Both had the same facial expressions.

Question 3

What are 6 physiological responses of fear? How about behavior?

Answer 3

1. Sweating
2. Stress Hormones
3. Faster Breathing
4. More Blood Flow to Muscles
5. Tensed Muscles
6. Suppressed pain
   - Behavior is things like facial expression and arousal

Question 4

Why can you not get a potentiated startle with amygdala damage?

Answer 4

• Because the amygdala is involved in the conditioning of fear stimuli. Without it you would not respond to this.
• You still have physiological responses to unconditioned stimuli

Question 5

How do the three Parts Of the Amygdala Interact (3 steps)? Where does output go to (3)?

Answer 5

Basolateral group:
1. The Input comes into the Lateral Nucleus
2. It is then processed further in the basal nucleus
3. It is then outputted by the Central Nucleus.

Output:
- Lateral Hypothalamus for sympathetic nervous system
- Dorsal Motor Nucleus for Inhibiting Parasympathetic nervous system
- Activates HPA axis for more energy (via cortisol)

Question 6

How does the HPA-axis work (6 steps)? What areas does cortisol inhibit?

Answer 6

1. A stress signal leads from the amygdala the activation of the Parventricular hypothalamic Nucleus .
2. The hypothalamus then secretes CRH (corticotropin hormone)
3. The CRH stimulates the secretion of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) hormone into the blood
4. ACTH stimulates Adrenal gland to produce Cortisol
5. Cortisol breaks down proteins in the muscles for energy release.
6. It then inhibits further activation of: hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, frontal lobe and hippocampus

Question 7

How does stress impair the immune system?

Answer 7

• Lymphocytes have to travel to the location where immunologic defense is needed
• They know where to go because of Cytokines
• Cytokines are disrupted by Cortisol.

Question 8

What is the James-Lange theory on the feeling of emotions (3 steps)

Answer 8

1. There is an event that produces a physiological and behavioral reaction
2. You try to explain the reasons for these reactions
3. Your brain decides that you must be feeling …. emotion.

Question 9

What is the difference between a spontaneous expression and Voluntary expression and what do lesions show?

Answer 9

• In a spontaneous expression is an automatic response to a situation via the ancient basal ganglia.
• A voluntary expression is a “fake” expression on command. via the newer motor cortex.

Voluntary paresis and emotional paresis shows that these two expressions are activated trough different pathways

Question 10

How do facial expressions change your physiological responses?

Answer 10

• when you make a certain facial expression, this activates the physiological responses to this expression.
• So then you feel the emotion