Biological and Affective Bases of Behavior Essay Exam 1

1) List three ways we quantify human emotion.

CAT, CON, COMP

1) Categorical (self report): emotions stem from intrinsic systems of the brain and can be clarified at the biological level

2) Social-constructivist (observation): emotional regulation is influenced by social learning

3) Componential (physiological): emotions are learned states created during early social development based off of autonomic experiences that accompany behavior patterns

1a) Explain why it is important to use more than one way to study human emotion. 

Human emotion is broad and fluid and cannot be globally evaluated by one method of quantification. It is important to evaluate and view human emotion from a variety of lenses to strive for the most culturally, biologically, socially, and psychologically aware understanding of human emotion.  

2) How can knowing about affective neuroscience, that emotional processes include subjectively experienced feelings, help you be a good counselor and assessor? 

• Provide a scientific understanding of the workings of the brain and how it translates to behavior  

• Help provide effective psychoeducation to clients  

3) Both genetic makeup and environmental influences can regulate emotional development. Give an example of this. 

trauma, genetic predisposition, child observation of parent, environment

4) Describe one of the systems in the brain that are involved in evoking emotions. In the description include the name and function of the brain area, neurotransmitters implicated in this area, and the connections between this area and other regions. 

• Amygdala – recognition of emotions/initial response

• Hippocampus – processing of emotions  

• Hypothalamus – physiological response to emotions

• Amygdala - hippocampus - hypothalamus circuit

• Glutamate and GABA are the minions doing the work, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin are the “puppeteers running the show”

5) Give two pieces of evidence to support that emotional expression can be directly tied to sleep health. 

• DOPE Fight or flight, dreams and thought processing

• Overactivity of amygdala causes a constant state of fight or flight; neurotransmitters such as dopamine are active during sleeping and wake states, if emotional regulation systems are dysregulated (too much or not enough of these transmitters), then our sleep cycles and sleep quality are also negatively affected 

• Unhealthy emotional regulating style can cause distressful dreams due to the brain trying to process our cognitive thoughts and emotions while we sleep, but distressful dreams can cause our sleep quality to go down  

6) Feelings generated by reinforcement circuits drive behavior and not all of these behaviors lead to successful and productive living. Identify a factor or event that may predispose a person to prioritize unhealthy behavior over productive ones. 

• Identify a factor: could be trauma, genetic predisposition, chronic stress, poor early home life, poor models of emotional reactivity, parent involved in drugs or child involved in drugs to escape the home life  

• Reward circuit reinforces unhealthy behavior  

• Nucleus accumbens and amygdala (hyperactivity) are part of the reward circuit  

• Prefrontal cortex (underactivity) (these bad behaviors look like a good idea because of the rewards and avoiding of traumatic thoughts)  

7) Explain the proposed link between the limbic system (specifically the amygdala) and areas of the prefrontal cortex with regards to Emotional Intelligence. 

• Emotional intelligence determined by the balance between the limbic system (generates signals) and prefrontal cortex (regulates signals)  

• Amygdala triggers initial response  

• PFC evaluates signals from amygdala and contextualizes emotions and make decisions  

• Good balance – high emotional intelligence  

• Poor balance – low emotional intelligence  

8) Humans tend to be organized into sexually male and sexually female forms. Explain why human development does not allow this organization system to be strictly binary. In other words, why a person’s sex is not necessarily their gender. 

• Genes, chromosomes, brain organization vs gonad organization  

• Gender – culture and experience  

• Hormones (testosterone, estrogen, dihydrotestosterone), development of organs  

9) Describe the role of Oxytocin release in humans pair bonding, mating, and social facilitation. 

• Oxytocin – present during sex (pair bonding), birth, breastfeeding (mother-child bonding) 

• Social facilitation – same circuit just not as intense of a release which is why it was not discovered earlier on, influenced by touch (hugs) or eye contact (facial recognition)  

10) Explain how active rough-and-tumble play can lead to greater emotional intelligence. 

 

• Develop social, physical, and emotional boundaries  

• Healthy outlets for aggression  

• Regulate amygdala – proper fight or flight response