week 6: social Flashcards
pros of self-compassion?
- better body image and appreciation
low serotonin?
depression
- altered limbic system development and activity
- smaller amygdala: less reactive
early experiences significance?
- shapes neural development
- gene expression
- habits
epigenetics: modification of gene expression rather than genetic code
cognitive reappraisal
- changing how one thinks about a given situation
- regulating emotions
- focus on what you can control
tripartite influence
- peers, parents, media
2 meditational mechanisms that cause bodily dissatisfaction?
- internalization of thin ideal
- appearance comparison
biggest impact of comparing amongst the genders
- men: compare to athletes
- women: compare to best friend
what happens to brain when models are shown to women?
- activates anterior cingulate (attention, noticing mistakes)
- i should look like that. i’m different.
- activates amygdala
anxiety/fear/incompetence - activates dorsal striatum
engrained habits: self-criticism or shaming oneself
weight and predicted salary study?
- thinner women correlates more money
- heavier men correlates more money
body images across cultures
less socioeconomically developed: value heavier (means more wealth)
western: thinner perceived ideal
older people: heavier perceived ideal
interoceptive awareness
- sensing signals internal to the body
thirst, hunger, pain, physical sensations
what happens when interoceptive awareness is disrupted?
- eating disorders
difficulty counting heartbeats
unaware of their emotions/stress
body dysmorphic disorder (brain regions)?
dorsal striatum: habits
excessive exercise
anterior cingulate
hyper fixated on specific body part
pride and shame study
- self-referential emotions
both pride and shame
- insula (pain), DMPFC (feeling good or bad about results), nuc. accum (impulses). increases
pride
- amygdala increases
more to lose
shame
- amygdala decreases
social animals
- relationships = success
reduce stress (nuc. accum. impulse and habits)limbic system: relationships are rewarding
orphanage vs non-institutionalized children study
orphanage kids
- 15% less gray matter (cell bodies)
- larger amygdala size (more reactive and anxious)
what happens to 3 year old children who are neglected?
- smaller brain and more amygdala activity
cyberball and pain of rejection study
- fMRI while playing game of catch virtually
- stop passing it to you
- feelings of social rejection
- dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and insula (pain and mistakes: feeling bad)
dorsal anterior cingulate
involved in physical pain and social rejection
lick your kids?
- explore more
- show less fear, less stress hormones
nature or nurture mice study
- some are genetically predisposed and some are influenced by parenting styles
- comparing exploratory mice to parents that were anxious or exploratory
oxytocin
- love hormone
- increased attachment: trust
- decrease stress
less pain - hypothalamus regulates
ex: breastfeeding, hugs, caressing, sex, someone trusting you, talking
where does oxytocin come from? what is its purpose?
- oxytocin neurons from hypothalamus project to ventral tegmental area (where dopamine is produced)
- modulates reward
oxytocin and amygdala
- reduces amygdala reactivity
oxytocin and hippocampus
- growth of new neurons in hippocampus
- reverses effects of stress
types of attachment
- secure
- anxious-resistant
didn’t explore as much,
distraught, resists mom
when back, mom is
overreactive - anxious-avoidant
doesn’t react to mom
when back, didn’t explore
as much, mom is under-
reactive - disorganized
inconsistent parenting,
most toxic and detrimental
adult attachment styles
- secure
- anxious-preoccupied
uncomfy being without
close relationships,
constantly seeking
reassurance - fearful-avoidant
difficulty trusting others,
but wants to - dismissive-avoidant
doesn’t want to rely on
people
why does oxytocin not solve everything?
- men with positive maternal relationships
OT increases positive feelings - men with negative maternal relationships
OT increases negative feelings
sad babies and oxytocin study
- own baby crying
OT increased insula
OT decreased amygdala (reduce stress since you can take action to nurture) - physical force when baby cries
mothers raised gently: OT increase -> less physical force
mothers raised harsh: OT increase -> more physical force
how does oxytocin change our genetics?
- depression
particular oxytocin gene
correlates separately for anxious or dismissive attachment - oxytocin receptor gene
contributes to anxiety and depression
interact with family and environment (epigenetics)
dysregulated oxytocin?
- lower levels likely to be suicidal
- child abuse survivors
- increase drug use/addiction
addiction and isolation
rat isolated showed increase cocaine motivation
oxytocin and addiction study
- repetitive cocaine -> decrease hypothalamic OT production
- OT reduces methamphetamine effects (stimulant)
- given meth -> increase nucleus accumbens
- given meth/oxytocin -> less nucleus accumbens (trust)
OT injection -> OT stimulates hypothalamus
positive brain changes -> positive life changes
how to activate OT
talk to friends
make new friends
hug someone
get a massage
get a dog
practice gratitude
relationship drives
- attraction (dopamine)
- attachment (OT/vassopressin)
- lust (testes and ovaries)
brain regions involved with love?
- anterior cingulate (more attention to partner)
- caudate nucleus (rewarding/habits: nuc. acum. and d.s)
- ventral tegmental area (dopamine producer)
- thalamus (senses)
- anterior insula (insulate phsyical feeling of butterflies due to love)
temporo-parietal region (angular gyrus: process sense of self in relation to others and feeling connected)
what brain parts are activated in love vs lust?
lust: increase nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, and amygdala
- more impulse, rewarding, anxious yet fun
prairie vs montane voles
prairie: monogamous
many OT/vasopressin receptors (trust, comfort, connected)
montane: promiscuous
less OT receptors/vasopressin receptors
(less attachment -> cheating)
- women with certain gene for vasopressin -> cheating
- men with gene for lower dopamine receptor sensitivity -> cheating
