Amygdala Hijack Quiz

explain the role of the amygdala in detecting threats.

brains early warning system, identifies danger, initiates fight or flight

identify the major functions of the amygdala.

• fear processing

• emotional learning

• fear conditioning

• emotional memory

• social/emotional evaluation

understand the connection between the amygdala and the limbic system.

• hippocampus (form memory): talks to amygdala

• prefrontal cortex (emotional regulation): calms amygdala down

compare the effects of lesioning and stimulating the amygdala in animal research.

• lesioning: reduced fear and aggression, difficulty detecting threats, unusually tame

• stimulating: increased fear or aggression, defensive and attack behaviors, heightened arousa

define the concept of amygdala hijack.

an overwhelming emotions response that is immediate and disproportionate to the actual cause.

analyze the relationship between the amygdala and the fight or flight process.

the amygdala signals the hypothalamus and initiates the fight or flight response.

recognize the significance of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland in the stress response.

once the hypothalamus is activated from the amygdala, it activates the pituitary gland, which then further activates the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Cortisol helps increase energy and will enhance alertness.

reflect on how fear conditioning relates to the amygdala function.

this form links sensory input (tone/image) and emotional significance (fear).