Emotional Behaviors Lecture Notes PDF

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS PSY104 BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY LESSON 7  TOPIC OBJECTIVES A. Define emotion and explain different theories related to it Discuss the brain areas associated with emotions Learn the Functions of Emotions B. Attack and Escape Behaviors C...

EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS PSY104 BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY LESSON 7  TOPIC OBJECTIVES A. Define emotion and explain different theories related to it Discuss the brain areas associated with emotions Learn the Functions of Emotions B. Attack and Escape Behaviors C. Stress and Health  THE 3 COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONS C - COGNITIONS (“This is a dangerous situation”) B - BEHAVIORS (“run to the nearest exit”) A - AFFECT /FEELINGS (“I feel frightened”) Of these 3, feelings are the most central to our concept of emotions. Emotional situations arouse the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which has 2 branches: sympathetic NS prepares the body for brief “fight or flight response” while the parasympathetic NS saves energy and prepares for later events  THE JAMES-LANGE THEORY Common sense holds that we first feel an emotion, which then changes our autonomic NS response (eg. increases our heart rate) and prompts other responses. In contrast, according to the James-Lange theory, the autonomic arousal and skeletal actions come before the emotional response. What we experience as an emotion is the label we give to our response: “I am afraid because I run away; I am angry because I attack” The cognitive appraisal comes first, and it leads to an action. Arousal and action lead to the feeling aspect of the emotion. THE JAMES-LANGE THEORY  IS PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL NECESSARY FOR EMOTIONS? Emotions do not require feedback from muscle movements (somatic / skeletal nervous system), but emotional feelings depend on feedback from autonomic processes. In people with pure autonomic failure (output from the ANS to the body fails completely or almost completely) report that they feel their emotions much less intensely than previously. (Heims et.,al.,2004)  IS PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL SUFFICIENT FOR EMOTIONS? According to James-Lange theory, emotional feelings results from the body's actions. If your heart rate accelerates & breathing rate increases would you suddenly feel an emotion? If you smile / laugh for the sake of doing it, would you become happier? People with Mobius syndrome are unable to move their facial muscles to make a smile, but they still report feeling happiness and amusement Overall, our perceptions of the body's actions contribute to our emotional feelings, the more important contributions come from the ANS not muscle activity.  BRAIN AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH EMOTIONS The Limbic System (containing the amygdala and hippocampus) - the brain areas surrounding the thalamus has been regarded as critical for emotions. Researches suggest that the brain responds very quickly (120-180ms) to a photo of a face showing an emotional expression, indicating that the human brain is specialized to attend strongly to faces. Of all emotions, the only one for which the evidence suggests brain localization is disgust. The insular cortex (insula), which contain the primary taste cortex, is strongly activated when research subjects were shown a disgusting picture. The insula reacts not only to disgust but also to frightening photos  HEMISPHERES AND EMOTIONS The BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION SYSTEM (BAS) located at the left hemisphere (esp in the frontal and temporal lobes) is marked by low to moderate autonomic arousal and a tendency to approach. It is related to feelings of happiness and anger. Increased activity of the frontal and temporal lobes of the right hemisphere is associated with the BEHAVIOR INHIBITION SYSTEM (BIS), which increases attention and arousal, inhibits action and stimulates emotions such as fear and disgust.  HEMISPHERES AND EMOTIONS On the average, people with more activity on the frontal cortex of the left hemisphere tend to be happier, more outgoing and more fun-loving. People with greater right hemisphere activity tend to be more socially withdrawn, less satisfied with life and more prone to unpleasant emotions (Kynyazev et.,al.,,2002; Urry, et.,al.,2004) The right hemisphere appears to be more responsive to emotional stimuli than the left. Listening to either laughter or crying activates the right amygdala more than the left (Sander & Scheich,2001)  THE FUNCTIONS OF EMOTIONS If we evolved the capacity to experience and express emotions, emotions must have been adaptive to our ancestors, and they probably are to us as well. Fear alerts us to escape from danger Anger directs us to attack an intruder Disgust tells us to avoid something that might cause illness The adaptive value of happiness, sadness, embarassment and other emotions is less obvious, although research have suggested some possible plausibilities “gut feeling” - people who are good at detecting autonomic responses may have valid gut feelings over dangers that they cannot identify consciously.  EMOTIONS AND MORAL DECISIONS We base many important decisions partly on emotional considerations - how we think one outcome or another will make us feel. The trolley dilemma The footbridge dilemma The lifeboat dilemma The hospital dilemma When we are making a decision about right or wrong, we seldom work it out rationally, instead we rely on what “feels right.” After we have decided we try to think of a logical justification (Haidt, 2001).  IN SUM, Accdg to James-Lange theory, the feeling aspect of emotion results from the feedback from the actions of the muscles and organs. Feedback from facial movements or other actions can strengthen an emotional feeling, but they are not necesarry for such feelings. Activation of the frontal and temporal regions of the left hemisphere is associated with approach and the BAS. In contrast, the corresponding areas of the right hemisphere are associated with withdrawal, decreased activity & BIS. The right hemisphere is more effective than the left in recognizing emotional expressions. Brain damage that impairs emotional feelings and responses also impairs decision making. People decide badly because they cannot imagine their emotional reactions to possible consequences. B. STRESS & HEALTH  STRESS AND HEALTH Behavioral Medicine emphasizes the effects on health of diet, smoking, exercise, stressful experiences, and other behaviors. Emotions and other experiences influence people's illnesses and patterns of recovery.  STRESS AND G.A.S. STRESS - the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it according to Hans Selye (1979) Selye inferred that any threat to the body, in addition to its specific effects activated a generalized response to stress which he called the: General Adaptation Syndrome Stage 1: Alarm - increased activity of the SNS (sympathetic), for brief emergency activity Stage 2: Resistance - SNS declines, adrenal cortex releases cortisol to maintain prolonged alertness, fight infections & heal wounds Stage 3: Exhaustion - tired, inactive, vulnerable bec the NS no longer have the energy to sustain their heightened responses.  STRESS AND HEALTH Bruce McEwan (2000, p.173) proposed an alternative definition of stress: “events that are interpreted as threatening to an individual and which elicit physiological and behavioral responses” Although different from Selye, the idea remains that many kinds of events can be stressful, and the body reacts to all kinds of stress in similar ways  BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF STRESS Stress activates 2 body systems: 1. Sympathetic Nervous system - prepares the body for brief emergency “fight or flight” response 2. Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland and adrenal cortex (HPA axis) - activation of the hypothalamus induces the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the human adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol, which enhances metabolic activity and elevates blood sugar levels and other nutrients. HYPOTHALAMUS >> PITUITARY >> ADRENAL CORTEX Between the 2, the HPA axis reacts more slowly but it becomes the response to prolonged stressors like living with abusive parent / spouse.  STRESS AND HEALTH Although brief stress enhances the immune system's response and facilitates memory formation, prolonged stress drains the body of its resources it needs for other purpose. Stress activates the immune system, helping to fight viruses and bacteria. The immune system releases cytokines, which stimulate the hypothalamus to initiate activities to combat illness Because stress causes release of cytokines, it can lead to fever, sleepiness, and other symptoms that resemble those of illness  STRESS AND HEALTH The high cortisol levels associated with prolonged stress damage cells in the hippocampus, thereby impairing memory. Stress also impairs production of new neurons. Successful methods of coping with stress, such as social support, produce measurable effects in brain responses as well as in people's self-reports. Repeated exposure to highly stressful situations can result to PTSD. Evidently, people with smaller than average hippocampus and lower than average cortisol levels are predisposed to PTSD. C. ATTACK AND ESCAPE BEHAVIORS  ATTACK / AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS A provoking experience, such as fighting, or the direct stimulation of the corticomedial area of the amygdala temporarily heightens readiness to attack. Aggressive behavior relates to both genetic and environmental influences. According to a study by Caspi et.,al, (2002), people with genes for high or low production of enzyme MAOa (monoamine oxydase A) do not differ significantly in their probability of anti-social behavior. However, among those who suffered serious maltreatment during childhood, people with lower levels of the enzyme showed higher rates of antisocial behavior.  BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR AGGRESSION: TESTOSTERONE Male aggressive behavior depends heavily on testosterone which tends to be highest during reproductive season. Young adult men (having highest testosterone levels) have the highest rate of aggressive behaviors and violent crime. However, differences in testosterone levels correlate weakly with variations in aggressive behavior. In a study (van Honk & Schutter, 2007; Hermans et.,al, 2008) where females were given T injections, findings show that testosterone has an interestingly mixed effect. It increased emotional arousal / response to an angry face while decreased conscious recognition / decreased ability to regulate that emotion deliberately  BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR AGGRESSION: SEROTONIN Low serotonin turnover is associated with an increased likelihood of impulsive behavior, including violence. Monkeys with low serotonin turnover gets into many fights and in many cases die young. However those who survive have a high probability of achieving a dominant status. The role of serotonin is complex, as it is released during aggressive behavior. Apparently the release of serotonin during a hostile encounter produces bigger effects if the usual level of serotonin release is low.  ESCAPE BEHAVIORS Do we have built in / innate or unlearned fears? startle reflex (MORO REFLEX)- the response to an unexpected loud noise. Auditory information goes to the cochlear nucleus in the medulla, and from there to an area in the pons that activates tensing of the neck muscles. Information reaches the pons in 3-8ms after a loud noise and full startle reflex occurs in less than 2/10s of a second. Researchers measure enhancement of the startle reflex as an indication of anxiety or learned fears.  ESCAPE BEHAVIORS: AMYGDALA The amygdala is critical for increasing or decreasing the startle reflex on the basis of learned information. Animals with damage to the amygdala often act fearless apparently because they are slow to process emotional information. According to studies using fMRI, the human amygdala responds strongly to fear stimuli & any other stimuli that evoke strong emotional processing. The amygdala responds to emotional stimuli even when they are presented under conditions that prevent people from recognizing them consciously.  ESCAPE BEHAVIORS: AMYGDALA People with damage to the amygdala fail to focus their attention on stimuli with important emotional content, this is not evident on non brain damaged humans. Damage to the amygdala impairs recognition of fear expressions mainly because people with such damage focus on the nose and mouth, instead of the eyes when interpreting a facial expression. Anti-anxiety drugs decrease fear by facilitating the binding of the neurotransmitter GABA to the GABAa receptors, especially in the amygdala.