| what is emotion? | associated with psychological response that cause action |
| what is the autonomic nervous system? | conveys sensory info to rest of brain
stimulates reflex actions
largely unconscious |
| sympathetic branch? | intense quick response
fight or flight
emergency prep |
| parasympathetic branch | non emergency prep
increasing digestion
saving energy
calms body down |
| James Lange theory | scary thing> appraisal> run away> fear
ppl with paralysis still report emotions
ppl with autonomic failure report less emotion |
| use of limbic system? | crucial to emotion & motivation
sensory input, emotional responses to pain
regulates beh. |
| what does the insula cortex do? | primary taste cortex |
| left hemisphere | beh. activation system
low autonomic arousal
approach (happiness, anger)
left frontal & temporal lobes
ppl with more activity in left- happier |
| right hemisphere | beh. inhibition system
increased attention & arousal
inhibited action
right frontal & temporal lobes |
| Wada procedure? | right hemisphere inactivated
remember sig. events
felt no emotion |
| function of emotion? | survival response
fear= run away
anger= attack |
| emotion not just linked to humans | Darwin
chimps bared teeth and smile like humans |
| basic muscles.. | always present, always symmetrical |
| non basic muscles.. | not always present, not always symmetrical |
| why are fear and anger studied together? | fear= escape (flight)
anger= aggression (fight)
fight or flight system (sympathetic NS) |
| development of aggression? | heredity & environment
genetic contribution to violence
monozygotic twins more likely to resemble other criminal beh.
smoking during pregnancy= criminal activity as adult
higher levels of testosterone |
| brain area associated with aggression? | no specific area associated with anger
hypothalamus induces aggressive attacks |
| hormones associated with aggression? | low serotonin release
based on correlations
decreased serotonin turnover |
| what is serotonin? | neurotransmitter associated with regulation |
| monkey serotonin experiment | monkeys with lowest serotonin turnover= more aggressive
all died young
overreacting to fear has problems |
| what is the startle reflex? | response to sudden loud noise
very fast
cochlea nucleus > pons > muscle tension in neck (protective) |
| what is the amygdala's role in start reflex? | disrupts startle reflex
impairing animals ability to learn which stimuli are scary
amygdala enhances startle reflex- help conditioned responses to form |
| what is the process of fear? | 1. sensory info
2. amygdala
3. midbrain
4. pons |
| what is toxoplasma? | parasite reproduces in cats
infects rats & migrates to brain
damages amygdala
rat doesn't condition fear properly
approaches cat
gets eaten |
| what is Kluver bucy syndrome? | amygdala damage makes tame monkeys
approach snakes
approach dominant monkey
amygdala doesn't control fear more inhibition |
| how does the amygdala relate to fear in humans? | emotional processing
Reponses when ppl look at emotional expressions
responds to emotional stimuli- isn't identified consciously
work out if ppl are directing emotion at you |
| patient with amygdala damage | asked to draw faces showing different emotions
couldn't depict fear |
