Measuring Emotion: Behavior, Feeling and Physiology

Group 2Hannah StolarczykKimberly VillalvaStephanie Regan

Barbara Kim

In the discussion of neural circuits, what is added? Fig. 11.2

• Appetitive and Aversive motive systems directly activated by primary reinforcement

• Plasticity in circuitry• Circuit can regulate

ongoing cognitive processing

• Highly processed stimuli can become its inputs

SensoryThalamu

s

SensoryThalamu

sAmygdalaAmygdala

Dorsal

Ventral

Dorsal

Ventral

NucleusReticularis

PontisCaudalis

NucleusReticularis

PontisCaudalis

AutonomicNervousSystem

AutonomicNervousSystem

Potentiated Startle

HypothalamusHypothalamus

Blood PressureIncrease

Behavior

Freezing

Active Defense

Fight/flight

CentralGray

CentralGray

What is IAPS (eye-aps)?International Affective Picture

System

• IAPS is a standardized database that uses photographs for emotional Research.

• The categories have neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant settings, and have a wide range between humans and animals.

• The standardized photographs allow for easy replicability, and a basis for consistency.

Explain SAM. Why do the authors think it useful? How does it connect with their theory?

• Self Assessment Manikin

• Used to report levels of valence, attraction/ aversion

activation, and control

• Assists subjects in quantifying inner states

Figure 11.3

Shows a strong relationship in both Appetitive and aversive directions

Each structure starts in the neutral territory, and stems into areas of high pleasant arousalAnd high unpleasant arousal.

Figure 11.3

The IAPS distribution maintains a consistent shape, supporting the theory that emotion stems from two sources and each varies in the level of arousal.

What do the authors mean by “distribution?" Why is this notion important?

• A distribution is an arrangement of values of a variable showing their observed frequency of occurrence

• Distribution Importance- it shows the patters of affective results

– Shows bimotivational structure – the IAPS distribution has a consistent shape, supports theory that emotion stems from two sources(appetitive and defensive) and each vary in arousal levels

– Each structure starts in the calm area, and goes either to the high arousal pleasant or high arousal unpleasant quadrant (Pattern of results)

Figure 11.4

Illustrares changes across the life span– Young Girls distribution is clustered

in 3 groups: pleasant, neutral, unpleasant

• find pleasant and unpleasant pictures exciting; don’t have fine discriminations in arousal

– Mature Women distribution has a linear relationship between pleasure and arousal

• find lower arousal in pleasant pictures than for pictures the rated as pleasant

– This relationship is even stronger in adults with anxiety disorders

– Adolescence the distribution is similar to that for college students

Amygdalectomy patient rated unpleasant pictures rated as low arousal and also couldn’t respond to aversive/dangerous situations with urgency. Flight/Fight response appeared disrupted.