Chapter 9 Limbic System, Emotion & Motivation PDF

SSD1123 INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE Chapter 9 Limbic System, Emotion & Motivation  To explain different theoretical perspectives to why emotions occur Learning To identify brain structures and nervous Objectives system responsible for emotions...

SSD1123 INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE Chapter 9 Limbic System, Emotion & Motivation  To explain different theoretical perspectives to why emotions occur Learning To identify brain structures and nervous Objectives system responsible for emotions To explain different theoretical perspectives that leads to motivation Previously, … Brain structures  What is an emotion? “Feelings”? Emotions How can feelings be measured? Physiological reaction of emotion Emotion An increase or a decrease in physiological activity that is accompanied by feelings that are characteristics of the emotion often accompanied by a set of behaviors or facial expressions  Which system is involved in regulating emotions? Sympathetic nervous system (remember from the previous chapter) SNS activates the body during arousal – events that require emotional demands e.g. facing stress, being threatened or anxious, etc. Increases: Respiration rate Sweat gland activity Blood pressure/heart rate (and divert blood to the muscles for fight or flight response) Decreases Digestion RECAP… RECAP… Perform motor-related functions The Sympathetic nervous system (relating to strong emotional demand) Autonomous Help body to cope with high demand events E.g. emotional stress, physical emergencies Nervous Fight or flight response System Parasympathetic nervous system Help body to conserve energy E.g. normal daily events Rest and digest response @ feed and breed response  Think about when you smile or Muscular running away from @ attacking insects you don’t like activation & Muscular activation is involved in the external expression of emotion Portraying Emotion Could create bodily tension e.g. aching muscles after burning the midnight oil  Explaining why do Physiological emotions occur Arousal & James-Lange theory (1893) Emotions: Cognitive theory (1962) Theories Integrative embodiment theory of emotions (2013) James-Lange Theory Emotional experience results from the physiological arousal that precedes it, and different emotions are the result of different patterns of arousal. Physiological arousal  Emotional experience Sweating and palpitations leads to an emotional experience of fear Cognitive Theory: Attribution the identity of the emotion is based on the cognitive assessment of the situation, and physiological arousal contributes only to the emotion’s intensity Swaying footbridge and sexual attraction: when our cognition mixes up environmental cues to explain emotions Cognitive Theory: Misattribution of Arousal “Take this example: You’re walking across a shaky suspension bridge, 200 feet above rocks and shallow rapids. The bridge tilts and wobbles as you cross, making you feel like you could fall over the side with every step. Your palms sweat, and your heart is beating so fast you can feel it in your mouth. To what do you attribute this arousal? Fear, correct? Not necessarily.” Further reading: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psysociety/fear-and-love- on-a-shaky-bridge/# Integrative embodiment theory of emotions Barlassina and Newen (2013) argue that neither physiological response nor cognitive assessment is adequate to explain emotions Bodily sensation are a critical component of emotions, but these perceptions must be integrated with cognitive information Contribution of facial expressions to emotional experience Strack, Martin & Stepper (1988) experiment Induced facial poses to influence how the person interprets the environment Participants were asked to hold a pen between the teeth (producing a sort of smile) or between the lips (producing a frown) Participants in the smiling condition rated cartoons as more amusing than participants in the frowning condition Which brain structure is responsible for eliciting emotions? The Emotional Brain Brain structure responsible mainly for emotion: ____? Limbic system: a network of structures arranged around the upper brain stem – located at forebrain Limbic System Hippocampus (memory) and amygdala (emotion) Later research found that emotion involves structures at all levels of the brain (Damasio et al., 2000); not just amygdala  Prefrontal Cortex & Emotion The final destination for much of the brain’s information about emotion before action is taken Deficiencies in the area causes people to unable to make rational judgments, restraint violent urges Abnormalities to this area are seen in most people with depression and schizophrenia MOTIVATION Definition of Motivation refers to the set of factors that initiate, sustain, and direct behaviors.  Instinct Theoretical Approaches Drive theory to Incentive theory Motivation Arousal theory Instinct a complex behavior that is automatic, unlearned, and unmodifiable, and occurs in all the members of a species (Birney & Teevan, 1961) E.g. migration and parental behaviour for animals E.g. in humans: caring for their young because of a parental instinct, survival instincts when attacked Drive theory Needs arise from physical conditions E.g. we drink because we are thirsty; we eat because we are hungry Bodily response towards drive theory: homeostasis – any particular bodily systems must be kept in balance or equilibrium If the balance is disrupted, an aroused condition or drive is produced which impels the individual to engage in appropriate action such as eating, drinking, or seeking warmth Incentive theory people are motivated by external stimuli, not just internal needs (Bolles, 1975) External stimuli = incentives = clothing, mates, valuable things, money, good grades  people behave in ways that keep them at their preferred level of stimulation (Fiske & Maddi, 1961) Different people have different Arousal theory optimum levels of arousal which activates the sensation seeking behaviours E.g. adrenaline junkie; eating fugu Chapter 9 Ended Thank you! 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