Lecture 6 - Social and Emotional Brain 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is an emotion?

A

A mental and physiological state that guides our behaviour. Inherent survival value

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is Mentalising?

A

Inferring / attributing another person’s mental state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is Mirroring?

A

Sharing the mental states of others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is a mood?

A

Emotional state that has extended over a long time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is Darwin’s Theory of emotion?

A

Emotions are innate - form of communication through changes in posture, facial expressions etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is Ekman’s (1972) basic emotions theory?

A

Expressions, voice intonation, body movement are all the same for 6 basic emotions cross culturally - for survival

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What was Ekman’s study?

A

New Guinea tribe members recognised western facial expressions and VICE VERSA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the 6 basic emotions?

A

Happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, anger

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the ID’s role in emotions - Freud

A

Primitive urges - basic emotional needs for survival
Emotions are unconscious biases that drive behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is James-Lange Theory of emotions?

A

Physiological responses to stimuli cause emotions
Stimulus -> Automatic arousal behavioural response (sweating then running away) -> feedback from organs and muscles involved cause emotions (fear)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What did Schacter & Singer, 1962 drug study find to contradict James-Lange

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is Cannon-Bard Theory of emotions?

A

Stimulus -> activity in Thalamus -> emotion (fear) -> physiological changes (sweating)
Emotion occurs first then bodily reaction produced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the Somatic Marker Hypothesis (Damasio, 1996)

A

Somatic markers are bodily responses associated with emotions that help us make decisions (unconscious).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How does the Somatic Marker Hypothesis work?

A

Stimulus -> physiological response -> Interoception (ability to interpret internal bodily senses) -> brain retrieves stored emotions associated to this -> decision making

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the Papez circuit?

A

Old emotional system proposed by Papaz
Circuit of structures interconnecting the hypothalamus and cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does the Theory of Constructed emotions propose? - Feldman-Barret (2017)

A

There are no distinct emotional categories - emotions are constructed based on experiences.
Interaction between 3 components:
- Core affect
- Conceptual knowledge
- Situational context

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is Core Affect (Theory of Constructed emotion)?

A
  • 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.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is Conceptual Knowledge (Theory of Constructed Emotions)?

A

Emotions constructed though application of knowledge - cognitive schemas, cultural beliefs, social learning (experiences)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is Situational Context (Theory of Constructed Emotions)?

A

External stimuli, social cues, environmental factors, cultural norms that can all influence emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What brain areas linked to Core Affect?

A

Medial Temporal Lobes, Cingulate and Orbitofrontal Cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Basic Emotion Theory V.S Theory of Constructed Emotions

A

BET - emotions are innate (same 6 basic emotions)
TCE - emotion are dependent on experience and context - constructed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What do lesions to the Orbitofrontal cortex entail?

A

Poor social functioning, lower empathy, less embarrassment and guilt - experience less MORAL emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the amygdala?

A

Almond shaped mass of gray matter, buried bilaterally in anterior portion of temporal lobes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is Kluver-Bucy syndrome?

A

Neurological disorder - caused by bilateral amygdala and temporal lesions

25
Q

What are features of Kluver-Bacy syndrome?

A
  • Hyperorality: tendency to examine objects with their mouth, can sometimes explore others inappropriately
  • Visual agnosia: Difficulty recognising familiar objects / faces
  • Emotional changes: Blunt or reduced expression of emotions, lack of empathy or fear
  • Hypersexuality or excessive eating
26
Q

What is LaBar et al. (1998) electric shock study?

A

Learning a fear response to electric shock with neutral stimuli = fMRI showed amygdala activation
Skin conductance response and amygdala activation correlates with conditioned fear responses

27
Q

What are Skin Conductance Responses?

A

Anticipatory skin responses - measures autonomic arousal and emotional processing without conscious awareness

28
Q

Amygdala lesions and Skin Conductance Responses

A

Fail to show SCR but can verbally learn ASSOCIATION

29
Q

Hippocampus lesions and Skin Conductance Responses

A

SCR present but they cannot recall association

30
Q

What is the role of the Amygdala?

A

Conditioned fear response

31
Q

What is the role of the Hippocampus?

A

Declarative memory for associations

32
Q

Patient DR - amygdala damage

A

Bilateral amygdala damage impaired recognition of fear expression in faces - could imagine faces of famous people but not emotional expressions

33
Q

Morris et al. (1996) - fMRI study of amygdala

A

Fearful faces activates left amygdala
Happy faces activate different brain areas
Amygdala’s involvement in FEAR

34
Q

Amygdala activation in the brain

A

Threatening stimulus -> Visual Thalamus -> Visual Cortex -> Amygdala -> Fear Response -> Physiological Changes

35
Q

Phobias and amygdala activation - Ohman & Soares (1994) study

A

Images of spiders or snakes presented to PPT with with spider or snake phobias
PPTs did not report seeing the images but SCR was measured - EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
Fast subcortical route from Thalamus to Amygdala = FAST RESPONSE TO THREAT

36
Q

What is the role of the amygdala with other emotions (not just fear)?

A
  • Involved in learning positive associations
  • Pleasant and unpleasant smells
37
Q

What is the Insula?

A

A part of the Cerebral Cortex covered by the Temporal Lobe

38
Q

What activates the Insula?

A

Disgust

39
Q

What is interoception?

A

Sensory system that monitors internal bodily states

40
Q

What is the role of the Orbitofrontal cortex?

A

Computes how rewarding the stimulus is in the current context
Important for social interactions and emotional regulation

41
Q

What did Small et al. (2001) find in there chocolate study - Orbitofrontal cortex

A
  • PPTs ate chocolate between gaps of functional imaging
  • Chocolate started off pleasant - motivated to eat it
  • This decreased after a while
  • This change in pleasure is linked to Orbitofrontal cortex activity
42
Q

What causes activity in medial regions of the Orbitofrontal cortex?

A

Pleasure and reward

43
Q

What causes activity in the lateral regions of the Orbitofrontal cortex?

A

Unpleasantness / punishment

44
Q

What is reverse learning / extinction?

A

Learning that previously rewarding stimuli is no longer rewarded

45
Q

Where is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)?

A

Above the corpus collosum, medial surface of each hemisphere

46
Q

What is the dorsal region of the ACC involved in?

A

Executive functions

47
Q

What is the ventral region of the ACC involved in?

A

Emotional processing

48
Q

What is the role of the ACC?

A
  • Motivation, cost and benefits of actions - reward or punishment
  • Processes bodily signals that characterise emotions
  • Output of bodily responses
49
Q

What is the role of the ACC in pain regulation?

A
  • Activity in the ACC when watching someone in pain - Singer et al., 2004 electric shock study
  • Physical pain and social pain
50
Q

What is the role of the ACC and social exclusion? - Eisenberger et al. (2003)

A

fMRI study - 3 conditions in a ball game (inclusion, exclusion and justified exclusion)
ACC activity correlated wit the subjective distress of social exclusion

51
Q

What is the Ventral Striatum?

A

Part of the Basal Ganglia, includes nucleus accumbens (involved in limbic circuit)

52
Q

What is the role of the ventral region of the ventral striatum? - Nucleus Accumbens

A

Brain’s reward system and plays a crucial role in motivation, reinforcement, and emotional processing.
EMOTIONS

53
Q

What is the Limbic Circuit?

A

Network of structures involved in emotions - EMOTIONAL BRAIN

54
Q

What brain areas are part of the limbic circuit?

A

Amygdala, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Cingulate cortex, Prefrontal cortex (Ventromedial prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex)

55
Q

What is the dopaminergic system?

A

Neural system that uses dopamine as major neurotransmitter - linked to substance abuse

56
Q

What did Knutson et al. (2001) Monetary reward study find?

A

fMRI activity in ventral striatum when PPT received great money reward - linked to dopamine release too

57
Q

Predicted VS actual reward and ventral striatum activation

A

Activity is greater when the reward is better than expected
If no reward - activity drops below baseline

58
Q

How do people with ASD show deficits in social reward?

A

Deficits in social communication and interaction
Social brain network (ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala) is functionally and structurally different