PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Limbic System, Thalamus, Amygdala

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Martha Savage

Document Summary

Emotions are our body"s adaptive response--> to enhance our survival. Emotions are a mix of: physiological arousal (heart pounding, expressive behaviour (quickened pace, consciously experienced thoughts (is this a kidnapping?) and feelings (sense of fear and later joy) First comes a distinct physiological response, then (as we observe the response) comes out experienced emotion. Concludes that our physiological arousal and our emotional experience occur simultaneously. Believed that our physiology and cognitions - perceptions, memories, interpretations- together create emotion. Emotions have two ingredients: physical arousal and a cognitive label. Similar to james-lange theory (emotion grows from our awareness of our body"s arousal), but also believed that emotions are physiologically similar --> an emotional experience requires a conscious interpretation of the arousal. Research showed the different hemispheres of the brain cortex is associated with different emotions. Ie: left hemisphere --> positive moods and emotions right hemisphere --> negative moods and emotions. Left hemisphere = rich supply of dopamine receptors.