18 Questions
What are emotions according to the text?
Combination of physiological responses, changes in behavior, and subjective feelings
Explain the role of the amygdala based on the text.
Critical role in fear processing; supports discrete theories of emotions
How does the text differentiate between emotions and moods?
Emotions are immediate responses to specific objects or situations, while moods are diffuse and long-lasting emotional states
What was the result of the experiment involving S.M. and emotional faces?
S.M. could detect the location of emotional faces within normal range for fear, anger, and threat
Explain the categorial theories of emotions discussed in the text.
Small set of basic emotions that are discrete, innate, and universal
What is the difference between emotions and moods according to the text?
Emotions are immediate responses, while moods are long-lasting emotional states
What is the general regulatory role of the prefrontal cortex with regards to emotions?
Positive emotions ('approach')
Which hemisphere of the brain is associated with processing negative emotions?
Right hemisphere
Initially, which hemisphere was thought to be specialized for processing emotions based on patients with unilateral cortical damage?
Right hemisphere
What is the valence hypothesis regarding the focus of each hemisphere in emotion processing?
Left hemisphere focuses on positive emotions; right hemisphere focuses on negative emotions
What is one approach in decoding emotions using multivariate analysis?
Decoding the brain
What is a debated aspect regarding the nature of emotions in terms of brain regions?
Discrete vs dimensional
What is the main hypothesis proposed by Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis?
Emotions guide behaviour and decision making.
Which brain region plays a regulatory role in emotion according to Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis?
Prefrontal cortex.
How do emotions affect decision making?
Emotions guide decision making through somatic markers.
What is the relationship between prefrontal cortex activity and amygdala activity?
Inverse relationship.
What role does the amygdala play in emotional processing?
Salience processing.
What is the difference in prefrontal cortex activity between up-regulation and down-regulation of emotional response?
More prefrontal activity in both cases.
Study Notes
Emotions and the Brain
- Emotions are complex psychological and physiological states that influence our thoughts and behavior.
- The amygdala plays a crucial role in detecting and processing emotional stimuli, particularly threats, and triggers a response to ensure survival.
Emotions vs. Moods
- Emotions are intense, short-term responses to specific events or stimuli, whereas moods are longer-lasting, more general affective states.
- Emotions are often accompanied by distinct physiological and behavioral responses, whereas moods are more subjective and subtle.
Amygdala and Emotional Processing
- The amygdala is responsible for associating emotional significance with stimuli, and its activation is often accompanied by an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and other physiological responses.
- The amygdala plays a key role in fear conditioning, and its lesions can lead to impaired emotional processing.
Emotions and Decision Making
- Emotions play a critical role in decision making, as they help us evaluate potential outcomes and make choices based on perceived risks and rewards.
- The somatic marker hypothesis proposes that emotions are crucial for decision making, as they provide a "gut feeling" or instinctive response to potential choices.
Brain Regions and Emotions
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a regulatory role in emotions, helping to modulate emotional responses and make rational decisions.
- The PFC is involved in down-regulation of emotional responses, reducing the emotional impact of a stimulus.
- The amygdala and PFC have an inverse relationship, with increased amygdala activity corresponding to decreased PFC activity, and vice versa.
- The right hemisphere is associated with processing negative emotions, while the left hemisphere is involved in processing positive emotions.
- The valence hypothesis proposes that the right hemisphere focuses on negative emotions, while the left hemisphere focuses on positive emotions.
- The right hemisphere was initially thought to be specialized for processing emotions, based on patients with unilateral cortical damage.
Decoding Emotions
- One approach in decoding emotions using multivariate analysis is to identify patterns of brain activity that correspond to specific emotional states.
- A debated aspect of emotions is the extent to which they are localized to specific brain regions, with some theories proposing a more distributed network of emotional processing.
Somatic Marker Hypothesis
- The somatic marker hypothesis proposes that emotions are essential for decision making, as they provide a "gut feeling" or instinctive response to potential choices.
- According to the somatic marker hypothesis, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) plays a critical role in emotion regulation and decision making.
Regulation of Emotions
- The prefrontal cortex is involved in the regulation of emotions, helping to modulate emotional responses and make rational decisions.
- Up-regulation of emotional response is associated with increased activity in the amygdala and decreased activity in the PFC, while down-regulation is associated with the opposite pattern.
- The amygdala plays a crucial role in the regulation of emotions, particularly in response to threats or negative stimuli.
Test your knowledge on the main ideas of cognitive and affective neuroscience, including the concepts of cognition and affect, emotions, physiological responses, changes in behavior, and subjective feelings.
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