The Limbic System, Emotion, and Motivation

• Chapter 9 focuses on the limbic system, emotion and motivation
• Learning objectives include explaining theoretical perspectives on emotions, identifying responsible brain structures and the nervous system, and explaining theoretical perspectives on motivation.

Emotions

• Emotion involves asking what an emotion is, what defines feelings, how feelings are measured, and the physiological reaction of emotion
• Emotion is an increase or decrease in physiological activity accompanied by feelings characteristic of the emotion
• Often accompanied by a set of behaviors or facial expressions
• The sympathetic nervous system is involved in regulating emotions, activating the body during arousal and events requiring emotional responses
• The sympathetic nervous system increases respiration rate, sweat gland activity, and blood pressure/heart rate, diverting blood to muscles for fight or flight
• The sympathetic nervous system decreases digestion
• The autonomic nervous system is involved in motor-related functions
• The sympathetic nervous system relates to strong emotional demand, and helps the body cope with high-demand events

Muscular Activation and Emotion

• Muscular activation is involved in the external expression of emotion
• Bodily tension can arise from muscular activation
• Physiological arousal and emotions can be explained with the James-Lange theory (1893), cognitive theory (1962), and integrative embodiment theory of emotions (2013)

James-Lange Theory

• Emotional experience results from physiological arousal that precedes it
• Different emotions are the result of different patterns of arousal
• Physiological arousal leads to an emotional experience
• Sweating and palpitations can culminate in an emotional experience of fear

Cognitive Theory

• The identity of emotion is based on cognitive assessment of the situation, and the intensity of the physiological arousal contributes only to the intensity of the emotion
• Cognition can mix up environmental cues to explain emotion
• Swaying footbridges and sexual attraction is cited with the theory of misattribution of arousal

Integrative Embodiment Theory of Emotions

• Barlassina and Newen (2013) argue neither physiological response nor congnitive assessment adequately explain emotions
• Bodily sensations are a critical component of emotion, but these perceptions must be integrated with cognitive information
• Facial expressions contribute to emotional experience
• Induced facial poses may influence how a person interprets their environment
• Holding a pen between the teeth produces a smile, and between the lips produces a frown

Emotional Brain Structures

• The limbic system is the brain structure mainly responsible for emotion, it has a network of structures arranged around the upper brain stem
• It is located at the forebrain
• The hippocampus is responsible for memory, and the amygdala for emotion
• Later research has found the emotion involves structures at all levels of the brain contrary to the amygdala-centric view
• Deficiencies in this area may cause people to be unable to make rational judgments or restrain violent urges
• Abnormalities to this area are seen in most people with depression and schizophrenia

Motivation

• Motivation refers to the set of factors that initiate, sustain, and direct behaviors
• Approaches to motivation are defined by instinct, drive, incentive, and arousal theory

Instinct

• Instinct is a complex behavior that is automatic, unlearned, unmodifiable, and occurs in all members of a species (Birney and Teevan, 1961)
• Examples are migration and parental behavior in animals
• Examples in humans are caring for young through a parental instinct, as well as survival instincts under attack

Drive Theory

• Needs derive from physical conditions
• Drinking when thirsty and eating when hungry represent examples
• Any bodily systems must be kept in balance or equilibrium, which involves homeostasis
• If bodily balance is disrupted, an aroused condition or drive impels the individual to engage in eating, drinking, and seeking warmth

Incentive Theory

• People are motivated by external stimuli, not just internal needs (Bolles, 1975)
• External stimuli involve incentives such as clothing, mates, valuable things, money, and good grades

Arousal Theory

• People behave in ways that keep them at their preferred level of stimulation (Fiske and Maddi, 1961)
• Different people maintain different optimum arousal levels for activating sensation seeking behaviours
• Adrenaline junkies and eating fugu is cited

Chapter 9 explores the limbic system, emotion, and motivation. It examines theoretical perspectives on emotions, identifies responsible brain structures and the nervous system. It also explains theoretical perspectives on motivation.