Potential Essays

Question 1

Emotion
R Adolphs et al,
(1994 )

Answer 1

Studies in animals have shown that the amygdala receives highly processed visual input, contains neurons that respond selectively to faces, and that it participates in emotion and social behavior.

With the help of one such rare patient, findings that suggest the human amygdala may be indispensable to:

1. recognize fear in facial expressions;
2. recognize multiple emotions in a single facial expression; but
3. is not required to recognize personal identity from faces.
4. First described by scientists in 1994,[1] she has had exclusive and complete bilateral amygdala destruction since late childhood as a consequence of Urbach–Wiethe disease

R Adolphs et al,
(1994 )

Question 2

Moral Judgement

Schein, C and Gray,K

(2015)

Answer 2

• Do moral disagreements regarding specific issues (e.g., patriotism, chastity) reflect deep cognitive differences (i.e., distinct cognitive mechanisms) between liberals and conservatives?
• Despite moral diversity, we reveal that moral cognition—in both liberals and conservativesis rooted in a harm-based template.
• Studies suggest that moral judgment occurs via dyadic comparison, in which counter-normative acts are compared with a prototype of harm.
• Dyadic morality suggests that various moral content (e.g., loyalty, purity) are varieties of perceived harm and that past research has substantially exaggerated moral differences between liberals and conservatives.

Question 3

Moral Judgement

Graham J et al

(2009)

Answer 3

1. Authors developed several ways to measure people’s use of 5 sets of moral intuitions: Harm/care, Fairness/reciprocity, Ingroup/loyalty, Authority/respect, and Purity/sanctity.
2. Across 4 studies using multiple methods, liberals consistently showed greater endorsement and use of the Harm/care and Fairness/reciprocity foundations compared to the other 3 foundations,
3. Whereas conservatives endorsed and used the 5 foundations more equally.