Unit 10 & 11: Theories of emotions Flashcards
Whose works are biological studies on emotion based on?
Darwin
What did Darwin say about emotions?
body movements and facial expressions related to emotions have adaptive value
some emotional expressions work contrary to what is required (e.g. laughter)
Which areas are essential for experiencing emotions?
subcortical areas
-> basic adaptive processes found in subjects before full development of CNS
-> adaptive mechanisms in many animals
Which relationship also influences emotions severely?
relationship between hemispheres
Where has an impact on extrusion and emotional understanding been found?
lateral-ventral and anterior- posterior locations
What are the two ways of studying emotions proposed by Borod and Madigan?
interhemispheric: laterally
intrahemispherc: anterior-posterior/ neocortical - subcortical
Which functions did Palmero assign these structures? (Subcortical)
Processing of emotions
Preparation of emotional response
What is the amygdala in contact with?
hippocampus and basal ganglia (important for memory and attention)
hypothalamus (control of homeostasis and neuroendocrine regulation)
What is the amygdala involved in?
expressive emotional stimulation
possibly more general emotional processing function
What does Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis explain?
reasoning is influenced by neuronal functioning of areas associated with emotion
What is the right hemisphere linked with?
body representation (proprioception, heat, pressure, etc.)
Which distinction related to emotional expressions did Ekman propose?
involuntary/spontaneous: controlled by brainstem and limbic system
voluntary/ feigned: controlled by cortical brain
The long route of the amygdala
more detailed & complex analysis of emotional information before generating response in amygdala
The short route of the amygdala
faster but less elaborate emotional response
(information passes directly to amygdala with less processing)
What is the nature of the connections of the amygdala and the cortical areas and what does that mean?
bidirectional
asymmetrical: broader from amygdala to cortex
-> potential inhibition of cortex as a very complex activity
Thalamus, amygdala and sensory cortex
Thalamus activates amygdala and sensory cortex simultaneously
amygdala receives information from sensory cortex
amygdala sends projections to sensory cortex, influencing the processing of stimulation
What is the short route of the amygdala necessary for?
amygdala can resolve forms of action before information arises from sensory cortex
-> rapid response the threatening stimuli
amygdala influences processing of cortical areas
-> acts as a filter
What is the left hemisphere mainly responsible for?
controlling and modulating spontaneous emotional expression
regulating emotional responses
What is the right hemisphere mainly responsible for?
automatic emotional expression
activation of ANS
Zajonc said that emotion can occur without cognition. Why?
emotion is basic process, occurring in all animal species
emotions inevitable
difficult to alter
difficult to verbalize
Affect-cognition interaction
assessment is prior and necessary for emotional process
understanding influence of thoughts helps understand how emotion is triggered or regulated
What do assessment pathways (computed - bottom up) analyse?
significance of external stimuli and situations
What do valuation pathways (reinstated - top to bottom) state?
we automatically reinstall/ reconstruct appraisals we made on something on previous occasions
What is one way we categorize things?
based on prototypes:
similarities between apparent characteristics of an object and those of prototype
extent to which defining characteristics are met is established regardless of observable characteristics
Associative processing
situations and events organized into subjective similarity and temporal contiguity they have with other events
Rules-based processing
information and situations organized according to symbolic structures or established rules
-> useful to understand and categorize emotional information
Preparation for immediate action (behavioral functions of emotions)
involves being ready to act quickly to emotionally significant situation
-> increased processing speed for efficient response
Adaptive flexibility/ versatility (behavioral functions of emotions)
adapting consciously and flexibly to different emotional situations
adjusting emotional response
What does Forgas’ affect infusion model state?
emotions influence how we process and remember information
-> simple/ closed strategies (memorization without understanding) -> emotions have less influence
-> open and flexible strategies (critical analysis) -> emotions have more effect
