Download Emotions and the Brain: An Exploration of Fear, Anger, and Happiness - Prof. Robert Gordon and more Study notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 1 C. Experienced emotion • 1. Fear • 2. Anger • 3. Happiness 2 1. Fear • In our primitive years, the list of potential fears was short. However, through conditioning, the list has grown longer. In addition, many fears are observed through observation. For example, our fear of telling the truth was established when we watch one our siblings get punished for lying. Observation is a powerful ingredient in acquiring fears. 3 1. Fear • From a biological perspective, persons seem to be biologically predisposed to learn some fears more quickly than others. Researchers have identified different structures in the brain’s limbic system that appear to be linked to fear. For example, if there is damage to the amygdala, an organism cannot be conditioned to fear. 4 1. Fear • Persons suffering damage to the hippocampus may react with fear but not recall why this is so. Damage to the amygdala indicates that one is unable to acquire a fear. An intact amygdala and hippocampus are quite adaptive because we remember what we fear. Individuals with a damaged amgydala will most likely swim with the sharks. 5 1. Fear • Persons suffering damage to the hippocampus may react with fear but not recall why this is so. Damage to the amygdala indicates that one is unable to acquire a fear. An intact amygdala and hippocampus are quite adaptive because we remember what we fear. Individuals with a damaged amgydala will most likely swim with the sharks. 6 1. Fear • As we know, some individuals are fearful of any sight or sound. However, others appear to be “fearless.” The sensation seeker or daredevil seems to have a less active amygdala. The consequence of a broken leg or head injury does not appear to stop them from returning to the same sensation seeking activities. This phenomenon has been connected to slowing of serotonin reuptake in the amygdala. 7 2. Anger • Anger is a primary emotion that can be triggered from others’ violations to a minor hassle. Anger can range from rage to annoyance. Despite the media’s attention to our culture’s anger problem, the majority of us can control our anger and channel it into assertive interactions with our offenders. 8 2. Anger • Anger was once an adaptive emotional response (remember guys we evolved from gladiators!). Today, researchers have linked chronic anger to heart disease. Furthermore, the idea of “venting one’s anger” or releasing a catharsis has not been supported. A cartharsis is defined as an “…releasing aggressive energy (through action or fantasy relieves aggressive urges. 9 2. Anger • The catharsis hypothesis has not been supported in the literature. In other words, hitting a punching bag only commits one toward aggressive acts. As noted by anger researcher, Brad Bushman, “Venting to reduce anger is like using gasoline to put out a fire.” Let’s take a look at our culture’s perception of anger. Is it really something that humors us? 10 3. Happiness • Psychologists have recently investigated the “happy” emotion. Though justified, they have spent significant time studying the negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and anger. As noted by Myers, one of the most consistent findings in the psychological literature is the “feel-good, do-good phenomenon.” That is, “happiness just doesn’t feel good, it does good.” 11 3. Happiness
