Emotion, Aggression, Stress, and Health – Lecture Review

A comprehensive set of 158 Q&A flashcards covering emotion theories, neural systems, aggression, anxiety, stress physiology, immune interactions, and resilience, designed to help students review key lecture concepts.

What are the three components used to define emotion?

Cognition, action, and feeling

What does emotional arousal activate in the body?

The autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic)

According to the James-Lange theory, what happens first in emotion?

Autonomic arousal and skeletal action occur before the experience of emotion

According to the James-Lange theory, what is the emotion we feel?

The label we give to the physiological (organ and muscle) arousal

What are the two predictions made by the James-Lange theory?

1) Weak autonomic or skeletal response leads to less emotion; 2) Increased response leads to stronger emotion

How do paralyzed people’s emotions challenge the James-Lange theory?

They report normal emotions, suggesting factors beyond bodily feedback contribute

What is pure autonomic failure?

A condition in which autonomic output to the body fails

How does pure autonomic failure affect emotional experience?

Emotions are felt but less intensely

What do BOTOX injections suggest about emotion?

Blocking facial muscle movement weakens emotional responses, supporting the James-Lange theory

What role do panic attacks play in testing the James-Lange theory?

Panic occurs only when high arousal is perceived as spontaneous, linking bodily arousal to emotion

What is Möbius syndrome, and how does it relate to emotion?

A congenital facial paralysis; people still experience emotions despite inability to move facial muscles

Why is emotion considered a complex concept?

Cognition, feeling, and action do not always occur together

Which brain system was traditionally considered central to emotion?

The limbic system surrounding the thalamus

What do PET and fMRI studies suggest about emotion localization?

No single brain area is solely responsible for any emotion

What facial expressions are usually considered the basic emotions?

Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise

Why are facial expressions alone not enough to judge emotion?

Several emotions can blend, and context, posture, and gestures are also important

What is the alternative to the concept of basic emotions?

Emotions vary along continuous dimensions such as strong–weak and pleasant–unpleasant

What is the Behavioral Activation System (BAS)?

A left-hemisphere (frontal/temporal) system producing low-to-moderate arousal and approach behavior

Which emotions are linked to the BAS?

Happiness and anger

What is the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)?

A right frontal/temporal system that increases arousal and attention while inhibiting action

Which emotions are associated with the BIS?

Fear and disgust

What are the adaptive values of emotion?

Fear aids escape, anger helps attack threats, and other emotions facilitate communication and quick decisions

Which brain areas become active during moral decisions?

The prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus

How does autonomic arousal influence moral choices?

Higher arousal makes people less likely to kill one person to save five

Are moral decisions made purely rationally?

No; people choose what feels right and then justify it

What happens when the prefrontal cortex is damaged?

People show blunted emotion and make impulsive, inconsistent decisions

What is the effect of ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage?

Reduced guilt and trust and inconsistent preferences

What behavior increases activity in the corticomedial amygdala?

An initial attack or aggressive act

What happens after activation of the corticomedial amygdala?

The individual is primed for further aggressive behavior

Which hormone is strongly associated with aggressive behavior?

Testosterone

When is testosterone especially linked to aggression?

When cortisol levels are low and serotonin release is low

Which neurotransmitter inhibits impulsive aggression?

Serotonin

What is serotonin turnover?

The rate of serotonin release, reuptake, and replacement, often measured by 5-HIAA levels

What does low serotonin turnover predict?

Greater impulsive aggression and violence

How does diet influence serotonin synthesis?

Tryptophan-rich diets promote serotonin synthesis, whereas poor diets reduce it

What foods are high in tryptophan?

Soy, turkey, and seeds

Which environmental factors increase the risk of violence?

Childhood abuse, living in violent neighborhoods, and exposure to lead

Which gene influences aggression when combined with maltreatment?

The MAO-A gene

What is the startle reflex?

An automatic defensive response to a sudden loud noise

How is the startle reflex used in research?

As an objective measure of anxiety

Which brain region enhances the startle reflex during fear?

The amygdala

What role does the amygdala play in fear learning?

It links learned fears to stimuli through classical conditioning

Which brain area is involved in long-term, generalized anxiety?

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)

What is Klüver–Bucy syndrome?

Tame behavior and reduced fear produced by amygdala damage in monkeys

What happens to humans with amygdala damage?

Difficulty recognizing fear in faces and a failure to focus on the eyes

Which condition causes bilateral amygdala degeneration?

Urbach–Wiethe disease

What does Urbach–Wiethe disease reveal about fear?

A person can virtually lack the experience of fear even in dangerous situations

What is panic disorder?

Recurrent periods of intense anxiety accompanied by rapid heart rate and breathing

Which brain region is implicated in panic disorder?

Abnormalities in the hypothalamus

Which condition is linked to a smaller hippocampus?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Which gene may increase PTSD risk when combined with trauma?

A gene that controls serotonin reuptake transporter

What class of drugs is commonly used to treat anxiety?

Benzodiazepines

What do benzodiazepines do at the receptor level?

They bind to GABA-A receptors and enhance GABA’s inhibitory effects

What is GABA’s role in anxiety?

It inhibits neuronal activity, reducing anxiety levels

What is the benzodiazepine binding site called?

A modulatory site on the GABA-A receptor

Which drug blocks alcohol’s effect on GABA-A receptors?

Ro15-4513

What behavioral therapy is widely used to reduce fear?

Systematic desensitization

What is behavioral medicine?

The study of how behavior, stress, diet, and exercise affect health

How did Hans Selye define stress?

The nonspecific response of the body to any demand

What is Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome?

The three-stage stress response: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

What happens during the alarm stage of stress?

The adrenal medulla releases adrenaline and the sympathetic nervous system is activated

What occurs during the resistance stage?

The HPA axis releases cortisol to maintain prolonged alertness

What characterizes the exhaustion stage?

Fatigue, immune suppression, and illness when resources are depleted

What does the acronym HPA axis stand for?

Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal cortex axis

Which hormone does the pituitary secrete during stress?

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

What does ACTH stimulate?

The adrenal cortex to release cortisol

What is the primary function of cortisol?

It raises blood sugar and alertness but suppresses immune function over time

What are B cells?

Bone-marrow-derived white blood cells that produce antibodies

What are T cells?

Thymus-derived white blood cells that attack intruders and aid other immune cells

What do natural killer cells do?

They attack tumor cells and virus-infected cells

What are cytokines?

Proteins released by immune cells to fight infection and communicate with the brain

What behaviors do cytokines trigger in the brain?

Fever, sleepiness, and reduced appetite known as sickness behavior

What is psychoneuroimmunology?

The study of how the nervous and immune systems interact

What happens to the hippocampus with prolonged cortisol exposure?

It shrinks and memory weakens

What stress-reduction techniques are effective?

Controlled breathing, meditation, exercise, distraction, and social support

What factors influence resilience to stress?

Genetics, past experiences, physical health, and social support

What aspect of emotion is associated with hemispheric differences?

Activation versus inhibition

Which hemisphere is associated with the Behavioral Activation System?

The left hemisphere, especially frontal and temporal lobes

Define the Behavioral Activation System (BAS).

A system marked by low-to-moderate arousal and approach behaviors, linked to happiness or anger

Which hemisphere is linked to the Behavioral Inhibition System?

The right hemisphere, especially frontal and temporal lobes

Define the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS).

A system that inhibits impulses and resolves conflicts, associated with withdrawal and unpleasant emotions

How do people with greater left frontal cortex activity tend to behave?

They are happier and more extraverted

How do people with greater right-hemisphere activity tend to behave?

They are more socially withdrawn, cautious, and prone to unpleasant emotions

Which hemisphere is more active in perceiving emotions?

The right hemisphere

To what kinds of emotions is the right hemisphere especially responsive?

Negative emotions such as fear

What aspect of emotion is specifically linked to left-hemisphere activity?

Approach or activation behavior associated with happiness and anger

Restate: What is the Behavioral Activation System?

A neural system underlying approach behavior and positive or anger emotions

What emotional role is associated with the right hemisphere?

Inhibition, withdrawal, and processing of unpleasant emotions

Restate: What is the Behavioral Inhibition System?

A right-hemisphere system that suppresses impulses and mediates avoidance behaviors

How do the hemispheres differ in emotional tendencies?

Left activity correlates with happiness/extraversion; right activity with caution/negative affect

Which hemisphere is more involved in perceiving emotions?

The right hemisphere

What are the adaptive functions of fear, anger, and disgust?

Fear aids escape, anger prompts attack, disgust prevents illness

What is the general role of emotions in decision-making?

They provide quick guidance when time is limited

What is the Trolley Dilemma?

Deciding whether to pull a switch to sacrifice one person to save five

What is the Footbridge Dilemma?

Deciding whether to push a stranger onto tracks to stop a trolley and save five

What is the Lifeboat Dilemma?

Deciding whether to push one person off a crowded lifeboat to save the others

What is the Hospital Dilemma?

Considering killing one healthy person for organ transplants to save five sick patients

How do most people respond to these moral dilemmas?

Many pull the switch; fewer push a person; almost none kill for organs

Which brain regions are activated when pondering moral dilemmas?

The prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus

How does autonomic arousal affect moral-dilemma decisions?

Stronger arousal reduces willingness to kill one person to save five