Wk3 - Approach vs. Avoidance

Question 1

What idea does the prefrontal lateralisation of emotion refer to?

Answer 1

The idea that the left frontal cortex and the right frontal cortex underly different types of behaviours

Question 2

What 3 behaviours is the left frontal cortex associated with?

Answer 2

Approach-related behaviour

Pro-social behaviour

Extraversion

Question 3

What 3 behaviours is the right frontal cortex associated with?

Answer 3

Avoidance-related behaviour

Anti-social behaviour

Introversion

Question 4

Is there evidence to support the prefrontal lateralisation of emotion dichotomy?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What properties underlie the left and right prefrontal dichotomy in emotion?

Answer 5

Motivational properties of emotion (e.g., approach vs avoidance motivation)

Question 6

What are examples of approach emotions?

Answer 6

Positive emotions

Guilt

Anger

Question 7

How is guilt considered an approach or pro-social emotion?

Answer 7

We feel bad for causing someone else pain. We feel guilt for pro-social reasons.

Question 8

How is anger considered an approach emotion?

Answer 8

When we are angry we approach a situation with strong motivation.

Question 9

How can we look at the prefrontal activation and lateralisation in research?

Answer 9

Compare the left frontal and right frontal EEG activity

Question 10

How do we calculate alpha asymmetry?

Answer 10

Left frontal alpha activity - right frontal alpha activity

Question 11

What is the alpha frequency band?

Answer 11

8-12 Hz

Question 12

What does greater alpha activity tell us?

Answer 12

Lower cortical excitation

Question 13

What does lower alpha activity tell us?

Answer 13

Greater cortical excitation

Question 14

If there is a greater amount of left alpha, what does this tell us?

Answer 14

The right frontal cortex is more active

Question 15

What is the relationship between glucose metabolism and alpha activity?

Answer 15

Inverse relationship

More glucose = less alpha activity

Question 16

What is a greater amount of cortical excitation in left prefrontal regions linked with?

Answer 16

Pro-social emotional traits

Question 17

Outline a study that demonstrates the link between a cognitive task and emotional states and traits

Answer 17

Resting EEG recorded before and after 6 weeks

3rd session - participants performed a cognitive task in which they were presented with sets of word-pairs and were required to choose the pair that went together best

The word pairs differed in affective tone

Question 18

What would the 2 EEG rest recordings indicate?

Answer 18

Stable, trait measure of asymmetry (unrelated to tasks)

Question 19

What did the researchers find in the study on cognitive task & emotion?

Answer 19

Participants with greater activity in their left frontal cortex selected significantly more positive word-pairs

Question 20

Would relative alpha activity be high or low in the left frontal cortex if there is a high activation?

Answer 20

Low relative alpha power = greater activity (inverse relationship)

Question 21

What is a positivity index?

Answer 21

A measure of the number of times the participant chose positive word-pairs that went together best over negative or neutral word-pairs

Question 22

What relationship was found between positivity index and EEG asymmetry?

Answer 22

More activity in left frontal cortex = selected more positive word-pairs = higher positivity index

More active right prefrontal cortex = lower positivity index

Question 23

What does the experiment on cognitive task and emotion tell us?

Answer 23

Prefrontal lateralisation can predict participants emotional responses

Resting asymmetry can be linked to emotional traits

Resting asymmetry pre-experiment can predict task-related emotional responses

Asymmetry during task performance can be linked to emotional states

Question 24

How is there prefrontal lateralisation in terms of valence and threat?

Answer 24

Right hemisphere is more vigilant and used to process threat

Question 25

When are responses to threatening stimuli faster?

Answer 25

When threatening stimuli are presented to the left hemifield and processed by the right hemisphere

Question 26

Is there evidence to suggest lateralisation of emotion?

Answer 26

Yes (cognitive task and emotion, threatning stimuli experiment)

Question 27

What do we not know about the lateralisation of emotion?

Answer 27

It is not certain what type of emotion this is / whether it is lateralisation of positive or negative affect

Could be lateralisation of approach/withdrawal motivation

Could be lateralisation related to vigilance and threat