week 9: creativity

Question 1

what are benefits of expression?

Answer 1

• reduced stress
• elevated mood
• improved cognition
• greater enjoyment
• enhanced empathy

Question 2

what are benefits of appreciation?

Answer 2

• reduced anxiety
• elevated mood
• greater productivity
• improved theory-of-mind

Question 3

what are the physiological responses to music?

Answer 3

• uniform emphasis reduces blood pressure (parasympathetic)
• crescendos increase blood pressure (sympathetic)(exciting)

Question 4

what brain parts are positively and negatively associated with pleasure from music?

Answer 4

pleasure positively correlated
- nucleus accumbens: reward reinforcement
- insula: process signals from bodily organs based on emotions
- ACC: attention

pleasure negatively correlated
- amygdala: felt more safe/calm
- ventromedial PFC: decreased emotional regulation since amygdala is already calm

Question 5

do endorphins play a role in music?

Answer 5

• yes because midbrain region is activated
• midbrain is where endorphins are produced
• blocking endorphins with naloxone reduces thrills and chills from music

Question 6

what does relaxing music do?

Answer 6

• increased relaxation and reduced cortisol levels
  increased oxytocin (trust/love)

Question 7

what parts of the brain are activated when looking at visual art?

Answer 7

nucleus accumbens: rewarding/motivating

orbitofrontal cortex: emotional processing, habits, rewards

Question 8

in patients recovering from stroke adding art therapy to physical therapy, what were the benefits?

Answer 8

• improved physical function
• decreased depression
• better quality of life
• less pain symptoms

Question 9

what are the brain associations with awe?

Answer 9

• striatum: habits
  practicing good mindful habits
• lateral PFC: imagination
• hippocampus
  going to same relaxing spot/relating to past experineces

Question 10

what is the flow state?

Answer 10

a balance between challenges and abilities where one finds peak fulfillment

Question 11

what are some elements of flow?

Answer 11

• clear goals every step of the way
• actions and awareness are merged
• distractions are excluded from consciousness
• no worry of failure
• self-consciousness disappears
• sense of tine gets distorted
• activity becomes autotelic (done for it’s own sake)