PSY1003 W5 Biopsychology of emotion Flashcards
What are physiological response associated with?
The Physiological response or changes are typically associated with the autonomic nervous system- what happens to the body (increase in heart rate, breathing, sweating).
Darwin’s theory of emotions
Darwin observed that emotions were displayed in all species, how they display emotions are very similar and overlap. Emotional response tends to accompany emotional state, regardless of species.
James lange theory (quick overview)
Psyciological arousal => emotion fear
Cannon-bard theory (quick overview)
=> psysiological arousal.
=> Emotion fear.
Two factor theory
<==> psysiological arousal <==> emotion fear
James-lang theory
suggest that any emotion induced sensory stimuli are received and interpreted by the cortex, which triggers changes in the visceral organs via the autonomic nervous system and in the skeletal muscles via the somatic nervous system. Then the autonomic and somatic responses trigger the experience of emotion in the brain.
Cannon-bard theory
emotional stimuli have two independent excitatory effects. They excite both the feeling of emotion in the brain and the expression of emotion in the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. Parallel processes that have no direct causal relation.
Two factor theory (modern day view)
each of the three principal factors in an emotional response – the perception of the emotion-inducing stimulus, the autonomic and somatic responses to the stimulus, and the experience of the emotion- can influence the other two. Propose that all the aspects interact
Emotions are not all associated with what?
Evidence indicates that not all emotions are associated with the same pattern of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. But there’s no evidence that each emotion is characterized by a distinct pattern of ANS activity.
key structures of the limbic system
Key structures: amygdala, mammillary body, hippocampus, fornix, cingulate cortex, septum, olfactory bulb, and hypothalamus
fear
the easiest emotion to infer from behavior in various species.
Clenching muscles, eyes widening, sense of hiding, Not displaying threat in return, showing submission.
Fear conditioning in animals
rat exposred to a tone (Condition stimulus) Tone + shock (condition response) rat associated the tone with the shock, fear even without a shocl.
Fear conditioning
establishment of fear in response to a previously neutral stimulus (the CS) by presenting it, usually several times, before the delivery of an aversive stimulus (US).
Fear conditioning: Humans
Little Albert = A + rat, neutral response, slightly intrigued. Then they had a loud noise + A, he had instinctual response, crying. They associated the rat + noise = A not happy. But now albert as associated the rat with the loud noise, and he now has a conditioned response, albert crying.
Instinctual reaction
an instinctual survival response.
Amygdala
receives input from all sensory systems, (believed to be where emotional significance of sensory signals is learned and retained.)
Damage/ Lesions of the amygdala can affect fear conditioning. Several pathways carry signals from the amygdala to brain-stem structures that control the various emotional responses.
Amygdala pathway to the periaqueductual Gray (PAG) of the midbrain.
elicits appropriate defensive responses (which is more behavioural),
Amygdala pathway to the lateral hypothalamus
elicits appropriate sympathetic responses (increased arousal)
Kluver-Bucy Syndrom
Syndrome observed in monkeys whose anterior temporal lobes had been removed. The symptoms showed they were constantly consuming anything that was addible, increased in sexual activity at objects, repeatedly investigate objective with their mouth. Complete lack of fear. (fear and amygdala)
Emotion-cognition interaction
evidence of activity in the medial prefrontal lobes when emotional reactions are being cognitively suppressed or re-evaluated. The Hippocampus’ role: remembering experiences to influences future response behavior.
Valence model
proposes that the right hemisphere is specialized for processing negative emotions and the left hemisphere is specialized for processing positive emotion.
Why emotions matter?
Emotions are a major part of mental life: relationships, work, art.
Emotions motivate actions e.g. Hate.
Mental health disorders are linked to defective emotions.
Emotions are biologically valuable: evaluation, attention, motivation, social connection.
Stress
Unusual demand (personal, social, physical)=> perceived as (significant, and adversity) => responses (emotional, cognitive, physiological) => results (adaptation or not, coping/failure to cope, cost/benefits)
Stress
can be defined as our mental, physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions to any perceived demands or threats. What are your stressors? = Stress is quite a personal and subjective experience.
Short-term stress
the stress response produces adaptive changes that help the animal respond to the stressor. Stress response: activation of the anterior-pituitary adrenal-cortex system.
Types of stress: Positive
Brief increase in heart rate, mild elevations in the stress hormone.
Types of stress: tolerable
serious, temporary stress responses bffered by supportive relatinships
Types of stress: Toxic
Prolonged activation of stress response systems in the absence of protective relationships
Innate immune response
Response is much faster and it’s not specific to any antigen. It responds to all sorts of foreign material.
Adaptive immune response
slower reaction, specific to an antigen
stress (2)
physiological and psychological response to demands
Fear (2)
Emotional response to perceived or actual threat
Anxiety
anticipatory response to unknow threat
WHat happens when stress becomes anxiety
anxiety is when feelings of being anxious and stressed don’t go away, can’t’ be controlled easily happen for no particular reason.
