Lecture 25 Flashcards
What is the study of emotion?
5 pts
- Emotions: AKA Affective states
- Until recently, the study of mind was largely neglected due to scientific bias against studying’what cannot be observed’
- Positivist/behaviourist movements of 1900’s
- Brain research has largely ignored centres of emotion (e.g. hippocampus, amygdala)
- Focused on frontel lobes (logic, decision-making, ‘higher level functions’)
What is the brain?
6 pts
- Seat of consciousness
- Sense of self
- Memories - short and long term
- Thoughts - ideas, logic, knowledge, information
- Feelings - moods, emotions
- Highly conserved: same basic systems and networks in humans and animals
What is emotions/affective states?
5 pts
- Emotions evolved asadaptive neurological functions
- But remain poorly understood…intellect vs emotions
- Evolutionary perspective - emotions have a function
- Emotions are protective: (fear, anger, jealousy)
- Central to social bonding: (love, maternal care, sexual attraction)
Where do emotions come from?
7 pts
Probably will be a question on ROM and RAM
- Mid and hind brain (sub-cortical regions)
- Brain research has focused more on cognition and intelligence (frontal lobes/cortex)
Computer analogy: - ROM, read-only memory = “primitive functions” and emotions
- RAM, random-access memory = “cognitive functions”
Evolutionary layering: new layers build onto older regions - hind-brain -> mid-brain -> fore-brain
- Similar emotions, brain regions andpathways are found across all mammalian species = homology
What is the triune brain model?
5 pts
- Reptilian, limbic and neocortical regions
- Emotions are based in limbic and reptilian regions
- Layers added over time
- Reptilian brain: exploration, aggression, sex
- Limbic system: social bonding, play
- Neocortex: thought, language
What did Charles Darwin determine about the expression of the emotions in man and animals?
5 pts
- Darwin’s biological approach linked emotions to their origins in animal behaviour
- Cultural factors: play only an auxiliary role in the shaping of emotions
- All human cultures share similar emotions
- Homology: the same systems are present in man and animals
- Six emotional states: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust
What is the history of the study of emotion?
2 pts
- 19th century - mentalism: unscientific approaches, metaphysics were popular in the Victorian era
- 20th century - Positivism, Behaviourism: a more scientific approach; focused only on observable and measurable events, so deliberately ignored the inner workings of the brain (‘Black Box’)
What is affective neuroscience?
1 pt
The study of the neural correlates of emotions
How do emotions work?
3 pts
- Emotions are a primary response
- Physiological changes result from the emotion, not from higher thought/cognitive process
- Event -> Emotion -> Arousal-> Understanding
What are the emotional networks?
7 pts
- Emotions arise from medial brain regions
- cognitive responses are secondary to the emotional response - Emotional networks are genetically determined
- Specific pathways and neurotransmitters
- Functions of emotions:
- Positive emotions - comfort/seeking
- Negative emotions - discomfort/protective
What are the positive and negative emotional networks?
3 pts
- Affective states evolved to deal with goalsand threats in the environment
- Positive networks: associated with goals
- evoke electrical self stimulation (SS) when brain region stimulated - Negative networks: associatedwith threats
- evoke avoidance response when brain region stimulated
What is the networks and functions of the positive emotional networks?
4 pts
- Seeking - motivation, appetitive behaviours
- Lust - sexual attraction
- Care - maternal behaviour, bonding
- Play - experience, learning, ‘fun’
What are the neurotransmitters for the positive emotional networks?
7 pts
- Dopamine
- Endorphins
- Estrogen
- Testosterone
- Oxytocin
- Serotonin
- GABA
What is the networks and functions of the negative emotional networks?
3 pts
- Grief - reunite with mother, social group
- Fear - avoid danger
- Rage - protect self, offspring
What are the neurotransmitters for negative emotional networks?
4 pts
- Adrenaline
- CRH
- Substance P
- Glutamate
