Week 7: Neuroscience of Emotion & Stress Flashcards
What are emotions?
The current view is emotions are valanced responses to stimuli and/or internal representations that:
- involve changes in multiple systems (experiential, behavioural, physiological)
- distinct from moods
- can be learned or unlearned responses
- involves appraisal of stimuli in term of current goals (assessing significance)
- depend on different neural systems
What is the difference between emotion and mood?
Emotion = short term/ triggered Mood = more frequent state
What are the 3 components of emotion?
Physiological reaction - unconscious / automatic process
Behavioural Response - fight or flight
Feeling - conscious
Explain Basic and Complex emotions.
According to Ekman, Basic emotions are innate, universal and short lasting. There are discrete categories, facial expressions which are universal
Complex emotions are longer lasting, and are not universal, being socially and culturally learned. They require more cognitive processing
What are the dimensions of emotion?
Valence - positive/negative
Arousal - intensity of response
Approach / Withdraw
Can be a continuum
What did case of Phineas Gage Show?
An iron bar which protruded through the skull resulting in vast personality changes. Damage was shown to be in the medial prefrontal lobe which are important for executive function and emotions
What was Darwin’s Theory of Evolution of Emotional Expression?
Expressions of emotion evolved from indicating behaviours that an animal will do next
Will enhance to evolve communicative functions
What is the James-Lange Theory of emotion?
Stimulus triggers autonomic / skeletal response which triggers emotions
e.g. Perception of Bear –> Physiological Reaction –> feeling of fear
What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion?
Stimulus triggers autonomic/skeletal responses (emotional expression) and emotion in parallel
The responses occur at the same time
What is the appraisal theory?
Perception –> cognitive appraisal –> response
What is the Singer-Schater Theory?
Blend of the James Lange and Appraisal theory
e.g. perception –> general physiological reaction –> cognition –> emotion
What structure must be in tact for sham rage to occur?
Hypothalamus
What is Kluver-Bucy Syndrome?
Rare neurological disorder caused by the bilateral damage to the Amygdala and Anterior Temporal Lobe
Major Symptoms:
- lack of fear
- memory loss
- visual distractibility
- emotional blunting
- urge to put objects in mouth
- hyper sexuality
- placidity
What are the brain areas involved in emotional processing?
Amygdala Thalamus Hypothalamus Prefrontal cortex Insula
However no single area is responsible for processing emotions
What is the role of the autonomic nervous system in emotions?
Fight/flight response
