Module 41: Theories of Physiology of Emotion Flashcards
Emotion
A response of the whole organism involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors and conscious experience
James-Lange Theory of Emotion
Emotion is caused by physiological response to stressor
The theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological response to an emotion-arousing stimulus
Stimulus leads to arousals which leads to emotion
How did Walter Cannon disagree with the James-Lange theory of emotion?
“Does a racing heart signal fear or anger or love?”
The body’s responses - heart rate, perspiration, and body temperature- are too similar, and they change too slowly, to cause the different emotions
Cannon-Bard Thalamic Theory of Emotion
That an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers physiological responses and the subjective experience of emotion
Respond emotionally to stressor at the same time the physiological changes in your body happen
*After exposure to a stimulus, sensory signals are transmitted to the thalamus then it relays information to two structures the amygdala and the brain cortex
How are the amygdala and the sympathetic nervous system involved in emotion?
The amygdala is responsible for the instantaneous emotional response (fear, rage, etc.) and the cerebral cortex directs the response
Simultaneously, the sympathetic nervous system sends signals to the muscles and other parts of the body, causing them to tense or prepare for fight-flight or freeze
Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory of Emotion
Our physical reactions and our thoughts (perceptions, memories, and interpretations) together create emotion
Physical arousal + cognitive appraisal
An emotional experience, they argued, requires a conscious interpretation of arousal
Spillover Effect
Arousal spills over from one event to the next
Does cognition matter?
A stirred-up state can be experienced as one emotion or another, depending on how we interpret and label it- has been replicated in dozens of experiments and continues to influence modern emotion research
Does cognition have to precede emotion?
Robert Zajonc contended that we actually have many emotional reactions apart from, or even before, our conscious interpretation of a situation
What are the brain’s pathways for emotion?
Sensory input may be routed to the cortex, via the thalamus for analysis and then transmission to the amygdala, or directly to the amygdala, via the thalamus for an instant emotional reaction
“High Road”
Some complex emotions like hatred and love travel a high road. A stimulus following this path would travel via the thalamus to the brain’s cortex. There it wold be analyzed and labeled before the response command is sent out via the amygdala
“Low Road”
Some simple emotions such as likes, dislikes, and fear take what Joseph LeDoux called the more direct low road, a neural shortcut that bypasses the cortex. A fear provoking stimulus would travel from eye or ear via the thalamus directly to the amygdala
Zajonc-LeDoux
Some emotional responses are immediate, before any conscious appraisal
Lazarus (Richard)
After being exposed to a stressor, you appraise the threat, then you feel the emotion, then you have a body response
Our brains process vast amounts of information w/p conscious awareness, and that some emotional responses do not require conscious thinking therefore - appraisal may be effortless
What are the basic emotions?
Anger, Fear, Disgust, Sadness, & Happiness
How are emotions and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) related?
The autonomic nervous system controls the arousing and calming of the physiology of the body in times of crisis or stress by activating the sympathetic division and the parasympathetic division
How does the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system activate the body in crisis?
The SNS directs your adrenal glands to release epinpherine and norepinephrine, the liver pours extra sugar into the bloodstream, respiration, heart rate and blood pressure increase, digestion slows, pupils dilate, perspiration increases, and blood clots more quickly
How does the parasympathetic division of the ANS calm the body in a crisis?
The PNS gradually calms your body, as stress hormones slowly leave your bloodstream. Respiration, heart rate and blood pressure decrease, pupils constrict, salivation, and digestion activate
Can one brain region be responsible for different emotions?
yes, for instance the insula, a neural center deep inside the brain which is activated when we experience various negative social emotions such as disgust, lust, and pride
Do different emotions trigger different brain circuits?
yes
amygdala - angry faces
depression - more right frontal lobe activity
positive personalities - more left frontal lobe activity
Polygraphs
measure emotion-linked autonomic arousal, as reflected in changed breathing, heart rate, and perspiration
Not accurate enough to justify widespread use in business and law enforcement
