Week Seven - Emotion

Question 1

What are Emotions?

Answer 1

Valenced responses to external stimuli and/or internal representations that:

• involve changes in experiential, behavioural and physiological systems.
• are distinct moods
• can be learned or unlearned
• involves appraisals of stimuli

Question 2

What are the 3 components of emotion?

Answer 2

1) A physiological reaction (automatic & unconscious) ie. butterflies in stomach
2) A behavioural response ie. fighting/fleeing
3) A feeling (conscious & subjective)

Question 3

What are the basic emotions?

Answer 3

Anger
Fear
Sadness
Enjoyment
Disgust
Surprise

These are universal, innate and short-lasting

Question 4

What are complex emotions?

Answer 4

Longer lasting with n universal facial expressions.

eg. Parental love, jealousy

Can be socially or culturally learned

Question 5

What 3 dimensions can emotion be broken down to?

Answer 5

Valence (positive/negative)
Arousal (intensity)
Approach/withdraw (motivation)

Question 6

Explain Charles Darwin’s theory of the Evolution of Emotional Expression

Answer 6

Expressions of emotions evolved from behaviours indicating what an animal is likely to do next - enhances communication

Question 7

What is the principle of antithesis?

Answer 7

There are opposing body movements/stances in regard to emotion

Question 8

What is the James-Lange theory of emotion?

Answer 8

Proposes that a stimulus triggers autonomic/skeletal response which triggers response

ie. 1) perception of bear 2) physiological reactions 3) feeling of fear

Question 9

What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion?

Answer 9

Proposes that a stimulus triggers autonomic/skeletal response (emotional expression) and emotion in parallel.

ie. 1) Perception of bear 2) physiological response & feeling of fear

Question 10

What is the Appraisal Theory (Lazarus)?

Answer 10

Emotion is the result of the appraisal of risk/benefit

perception > cognitive appraisal > emotion > response

Question 11

What is the Singer-Schacter Theory?

Answer 11

perception > general physiological reaction > cognition > emotion

Question 12

Explain the Sham Rage finding in cats and the role of the Hypothalamus?

Answer 12

Decorticated cats exhibited extreme and unfocused aggressive responses.

Found hypothalamus was needed for the expression of aggression

Question 13

What does bilateral damage to the Amygdala cause? What is this?

Answer 13

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome

- The lack of fear (putting objects in mouth, memory loss etc)

Question 14

What brain areas are involved in Emotional Processing?

Answer 14

Amygdala
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Prefrontal Cortex
Insula (disgust)

Question 15

Explain the process of the HPA Axis

Answer 15

Amygdala: Detects things in environment that are dangerous

Prefrontal Cortex: Regulates stress by making things seem less scary

Hypothalamus: Wakes up pituitary gland

Pituitary Gland: Releases hormones telling the adrenal gland to release cortisol

Cortisol: Travels through the blood and tells other body parts to react to stress

Question 16

What 3 main points have advanced the understanding of brain mechanisms in emotion?

Answer 16

Brain activity associated with each human emotion is diffuse

There is usually motor and sensory activity

Brain activity for experiences, imagines or observed emotion is similar

Question 17

What is the Urbach-Weithe disease (SM case study)

Answer 17

Deficits in identifying/reproducing fearful emotional expressions of others

Question 18

What do lesions in the Amygdala do?

Answer 18

Blocks fear conditioning (but not UCR to aversive stimulus)

Question 19

Explain the Low-Road and High-Road pathways

Answer 19

Low-Road: Fast subcortical pathway via the thalamus & Rapid detection of threat

High-Road: Slower cortical pathway. Complex analysis of stimuli

Question 20

What is contextual fear conditioning?

Answer 20

Pairing an aversive stimulus with the context

Question 21

What is the most critical area of the Amygdala in conditioned fear?

Answer 21

The lateral Nucleus

Question 22

How is conditioned fear suppressed?

Answer 22

By the prefrontal cortex inhibiting the lateral amygdala

Question 23

How does the Hippocampus mediate conditioned fear learning?

Answer 23

By informing the lateral amygdala about the context of the fear-related event

Question 24

Outputs from what area regulate defensive behaviour and physiological responses

Answer 24

Outputs from the central nucleus regulate defensive behaviour and physiological responses?

Question 25

What does the case of SP (amygdala damage) signify about the Amygdala?

Answer 25

SP did not show a response to blue square when repeatedly paired with electric shock but knew she would be shocked when presented with the square (same when told she will get a shock)

Suggesting that the Amygdala is important for the implicit aspect of learning associations

Question 26

Explicit learning occurs through?

Answer 26

Interactions between the hippocampus and amygdala

Question 27

Mild arousal enhances what?

Answer 27

Explicit memory for emotional events (blocked by amygdala damage)

Question 28

How does the Amygdala play a role in enhancing attention to emotional stimuli?

Answer 28

Amygdala play a role in enhancing attention to emotional stimuli by enhancing early sensory processing via feedback projections to the sensory cortex

Question 29

What is the role of the Orbitofrontal Cortex?

Damage to this area results in?

Answer 29

Understanding rewards and punishment to guide adaptive behaviour

Disinhibited, inappropriate behaviours, poor decision making

Question 30

Explain Gross’s Model of emotional regulation

Answer 30

Can be antecedent focused (reappraisal of the stimulus in non-emotional terms)

OR

Response focused (Suppression of an emotional expressive behaviour)

Question 31

What parts of the brain are activated/deactivated when reappraisal or suppression of an emotional reaction is present?

Answer 31

Activates medial portions of the orbitofrontal cortex and cingulate cortex

Decreased activation of the amygdala

Question 32

What is stress short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic)?

Answer 32

ST = adaptive and improve immune function
LT = maladaptive and impair immune function

Question 33

Other than the HPA Axis, what else do stressors activate?

Answer 33

The sympathetic NS

Question 34

What are psychosomatic disorders?

Answer 34

Medical disorders with psychological causes

Question 35

What are pathogens?

Answer 35

Disease causing agents

Question 36

What is the role of the immune system?

Answer 36

Protects us from infectious diseases by detecting and identifying antigens.

Question 37

What are the 2 divisions of the mammalian immune system?

Answer 37

Innate Immune System

Adaptive Immune System

Question 38

Explain the role of the Innate Immune System

Answer 38

First line of defence

• Attacks generic classes of pathogens
• If fails, now up to Adaptive Immune System

Question 39

Explain the role of the Adaptive Immune System

Answer 39

Targets specific pathogens 
Has memory (basis of vaccines)

Question 40

Stress or mistreatment early in life can cause?

Answer 40

Brain and endocrine abnormalities such as increased risk of psychiatric disorders

Question 41

What are of the brain is susceptible to stress?

Answer 41

The Hippocampus

- we see a disruption on hippocampus dependent tasks

Question 42

Dendrites of pyramidal cells become what following stress?

Answer 42

Shorter and less branched