Topic 7 - emotion and motivation

Question 1

What is leptin?

Answer 1

Leptin is a hormone (produced by fat) that reduces fat.

• Ob/ob mutant mice lack leptin and get obese.
• If you link an ob/ob mouse’s bloodstream with a normal mouse it gets thin again.

Question 2

What is the amygdala?

Answer 2

• role in fear
• activated when viewing fearful faces (fMRI)
• Lesions in amygdala –> makes animals show less fear.
• amygdala is for fear conditioning

Question 3

Agression can be from amygdala and hypothalamus.

What 2 types of aggression is caused from electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus?

Answer 3

• medial hypothalamus = ‘affective’ aggression

- Lateral hypothalamus = ‘predatory’ aggression

Question 4

What is the role of dopamine?

Answer 4

• For reward prediction error i.e surprise

- Dopamine drives ‘wanting’ or ‘motivation’

Question 5

What theory shows how emotions are made?

Answer 5

Cannon-Bard theory – emotional experience arises thalamus -> neocortex

• Physiological reaction = thalamus  hypothalamus