Intro to cognition and emotion

Cognition alone is great for understanding basic memory and attention, but, what does it often ignore when explaining basic systems?

Cognitive theories often ignore emotion when explaining basic systems such as memory.

What context does our cognition occur in

a biological and emotional context.

What is a critical aspect of biological systems besides motivation?

Emotion

Besides strong and overwhelming emotions, what else colours our everyday lives?

More subtle emotions also colour our everyday lives

What type of emotions are listed as helping regulate social behaviour and social status?

Moral emotions

Name two moral emotions

Contempt, anger, disgust, & shame

Besides guiding life and learning, what else do emotions provide?

Emotions provide meaning to life.

What is the relationship between emotions and mental health?

Emotions are related to mental health, and chronic negative emotions can lead to life feeling miserable (e.g., depression)

If you are feeling happy, what state does this emotion help you monitor, and what behaviour does it suggest?

Happy indicates current goals are being achieved, so continue – things are going well

If you are feeling sad, what state does this emotion help you monitor, and what behaviour does it suggest?

Sad indicates the current plan has failed, so consider a new one – things are not going well

What behaviour is suggested by feeling anxious?

Anxious suggests you should monitor the environment for threat

What behaviour is suggested by feeling angry when resources are threatened or norms violated?

Angry suggests you should punish or attack etc.

What behaviour is suggested by feeling disgusted off food?

Disgusted off food suggests you reject substance and withdraw

What behaviour is suggested by feeling sympathetic?

Sympathetic suggests you want to help someone.

What is one aspect of emotion definition related to conscious experience?

The cognitive component of emotions / conscious experience (self talk, i.e. I feel happy, I’m really enjoying this, or I am useless)

What is one aspect of emotion definition related to external behaviour?

The overt expression of internal state (facial expression and body language).

What is one aspect of emotion definition related to bodily changes?

Physiological experience (e.g. heart rate, sweating, breathe, flushed face and neck, endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin etc).

According to Ekman (1993), what is a key way emotions can be partly defined?

Emotions can be partly defined by what we recognize in others’ facial expression.

Are facial expressions of emotion considered universal?

Facial expressions are pretty universal in the emotions they display (e.g., New Guinea to USA).

What evidence supports the idea that emotion is a basic biological process rather than just learned behaviour?

Studies comparing facial expressions of congenitally blind and noncongenitally blind individuals found no difference

Overt expression of internal state is important for social interactions. What evolutionary purpose does it serve?

It has an evolutionary basis

What typically accompanies emotions physiologically?

Emotions are usually accompanied by arousal of the autonomic nervous system.

What physiological responses are examples of autonomic arousal during fear?

Increased heart rate, breathing and blood pressure, dilated pupils, sweating, release of adrenalin for Fight or Flight.

What does a polygraph test measure as indicators of autonomic reactions?

The polygraph measures indicators like sweating and heart rate, also known as Galvanic skin response (GSR) or Skin conductance response (SCR)

What are the two main theories of emotion

James-Lange theory and Cannon-Bard theory.

According to the James-Lange theory, which occurs first: the conscious experience of emotion or the physiological response?

The physical response occurs prior to the conscious experience of emotion. Emotions occur because of the physiological response

What experimental evidence supports the James-Lange theory using facial expressions?

Participants forced to smile (e.g., by holding a pen in their mouth) thought jokes were funnier.

How might Botox injections provide evidence for the James-Lange theory?

Inhibiting the movement of muscles associated with worry/anxiety can reduce feelings of depression

How might beta blockers support the James-Lange theory?

Beta blockers suppress signals from the body (e.g., adrenalin), reducing physical anxiety symptoms.

What is one limitation of the James-Lange theory?

Autonomic responses can be ambiguous (e.g., is it fear, excitement, or exercise?).

According to the Cannon-Bard theory, can emotion be experienced independently of body states like autonomic responses?

Yes, they argued emotion can be experienced independently of body states.

The Cannon-Bard theory argues that autonomic responses are slower than the experienced emotion. What happens first according to this theory?

There is experience of fear, and this activates autonomic responses

What classic study provides some evidence related to heightened attraction under conditions of high anxiety, potentially linking to the Cannon-Bard idea of ambiguous arousal?

Dutton & Aron (1974), where men surveyed on a scary bridge were more likely to call the female researcher back.

What is the relationship between the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories?

They’re both useful and work together

What brain structure is associated with the rapid "fight or flight" response and receives rapid visual info from the thalamus?

The Amygdala

The rapid route to the amygdala allows detection of threat prior to conscious awareness, supporting which theory of emotion?

The James-Lange theory

Processing visual information via the visual cortex is slower and involves conscious awareness, supporting which theory of emotion?

The Cannon-Bard theory.

In humans, what specific emotional recognition is often impaired by lesions to the amygdala?

Lesions mostly impair the recognition of fear in other faces.

What brain structure is involved in processing the emotional aspects of pain and empathy when others are in pain?

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex is involved in detecting errors. What emotions are associated with error detection that help avoid future errors?

Anger and frustration.

What brain structure is essential for survival by processing the emotional aspects of disgust, such as avoiding poison?

The Insula

The Insula is involved in empathy. What specific emotional empathy does it contribute to, particularly in children's learning?

Empathy when others are disgusted.

Besides processing disgust, what else is the Insula involved in processing?

The Insula is involved in our bodily sensations (e.g., feeling itchy, sad, happy).

Patients with Huntington's disease have deficits in recognizing expressions of disgust, which is related to damage in which brain structure?

The Insula

What brain structure computes the current motivational value of rewards and is associated with the emotion of regret?

The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC)

Stimulating the Ventral Striatum is associated with what experiences?

Stimulating the Ventral Striatum is associated with pleasure + reward.

The Ventral Striatum is part of what key neurotransmitter network associated with motivation and reward?

The dopamine network.

What two brain structures are highlighted as key to emotional processing?

The Amygdala and striatum are key to emotional processing.

What neurotransmitter is highlighted as key for motivation?

Dopamine is key for motivation

Emotional networks interface with what other networks to produce action?

Emotional networks interface with motor networks to produce action.

Emotional networks interface with cognitive networks involved in what processes?

Emotional networks interface with cognitive networks involved in perception, attention, learning and memory