Lecture 6 - Social and Emotional Brain 1 Flashcards
What is an emotion?
A mental and physiological state that guides our behaviour. Inherent survival value
What is Mentalising?
Inferring / attributing another person’s mental state
What is Mirroring?
Sharing the mental states of others
What is a mood?
Emotional state that has extended over a long time
What is Darwin’s Theory of emotion?
Emotions are innate - form of communication through changes in posture, facial expressions etc.
What is Ekman’s (1972) basic emotions theory?
Expressions, voice intonation, body movement are all the same for 6 basic emotions cross culturally - for survival
What was Ekman’s study?
New Guinea tribe members recognised western facial expressions and VICE VERSA
What are the 6 basic emotions?
Happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, anger
What is the ID’s role in emotions - Freud
Primitive urges - basic emotional needs for survival
Emotions are unconscious biases that drive behaviour
What is James-Lange Theory of emotions?
Physiological responses to stimuli cause emotions
Stimulus -> Automatic arousal behavioural response (sweating then running away) -> feedback from organs and muscles involved cause emotions (fear)
What did Schacter & Singer, 1962 drug study find to contradict James-Lange
A drug causing physiological changes did not lead to emotions. However, presence of a specific setting (an angry or happy man) lead to emotions.
The dry increased emotion but did not create
What is Cannon-Bard Theory of emotions?
Stimulus -> activity in Thalamus -> emotion (fear) -> physiological changes (sweating)
Emotion occurs first then bodily reaction produced
What is the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (Damasio, 1996)
Somatic markers are bodily responses associated with emotions that help us make decisions (unconscious).
How does the Somatic Marker Hypothesis work?
Stimulus -> physiological response -> Interoception (ability to interpret internal bodily senses) -> brain retrieves stored emotions associated to this -> decision making
What is the Papez circuit?
Old emotional system proposed by Papaz
Circuit of structures interconnecting the hypothalamus and cortex
What does the Theory of Constructed emotions propose? - Feldman-Barret (2017)
There are no distinct emotional categories - emotions are constructed based on experiences.
Interaction between 3 components:
- Core affect
- Conceptual knowledge
- Situational context
What is Core Affect (Theory of Constructed emotion)?
- The basic psychological and physiological state that underlies emotions.
- Pleasantness or Unpleasantness.
- High arousal or Low arousal (calmness).
- Foundation of emotions influenced by internal and external cues.
What is Conceptual Knowledge (Theory of Constructed Emotions)?
Emotions constructed though application of knowledge - cognitive schemas, cultural beliefs, social learning (experiences)
What is Situational Context (Theory of Constructed Emotions)?
External stimuli, social cues, environmental factors, cultural norms that can all influence emotions
What brain areas linked to Core Affect?
Medial Temporal Lobes, Cingulate and Orbitofrontal Cortex
Basic Emotion Theory V.S Theory of Constructed Emotions
BET - emotions are innate (same 6 basic emotions)
TCE - emotion are dependent on experience and context - constructed
What do lesions to the Orbitofrontal cortex entail?
Poor social functioning, lower empathy, less embarrassment and guilt - experience less MORAL emotions
What is the amygdala?
Almond shaped mass of gray matter, buried bilaterally in anterior portion of temporal lobes