Question 1

The periaqueductal gray appears to be involved in which one of the following processes related to emotion?

Accepted Answer

The periaqueductal gray is involved in various processes related to emotion, including attenuating the pain response, being activated by signs of distress and negative emotion, and engaging caregiving tendencies.

Question 2

MacLean (1990, 1993) proposed that the human forebrain includes three distinct systems, each of which developed in a distinct phase of vertebrate evolution. According to MacLean, the striatal region is:

Accepted Answer

MacLean's triune brain model proposes that the human brain is structured into three parts that evolved sequentially. The striatal region, according to MacLean, represents the earliest and most basic part of the forebrain, involved in fundamental survival functions such as movement, territoriality, and social grouping, making all the provided options correct.

Question 3

Recent work by Carsten de Dreu and colleagues (2010) suggests that oxytocin promotes:

Accepted Answer

Carsten de Dreu and colleagues' research on oxytocin has shown that it promotes prosocial behaviors, but these behaviors are often directed more towards members of one's in-group rather than towards out-groups. This includes in-group favoritism and the tendency to attribute more complex emotions and moral capacities to in-group members. Therefore, all the options listed are aspects of how oxytocin influences social behavior according to their findings.

Question 4

MacLean (1990, 1993) proposed that the human forebrain includes three distinct systems, each of which developed in a distinct phase of vertebrate evolution. According to MacLean, the limbic system is:

Accepted Answer

The limbic system, according to MacLean, is responsible for behaviors such as maternal caregiving, infant attachment, vocal signaling, and play, which are characteristic of mammals.

Question 5

Davidson et al. (1990) had subjects watch amusing and gruesome film clips. Analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and subjects's facial expressions during the viewings of these films revealed that positive facial expressions (e.g., a smile) were associated with _____________; whereas negative facial expressions (e.g., a wrinkling of the nose) were associated with ________________:

Accepted Answer

Davidson et al. (1990) found that positive emotions (e.g., happiness, indicated by a smile) were associated with increased activity in the left frontal region of the brain, while negative emotions (e.g., disgust, indicated by a wrinkling of the nose) were associated with increased activity in the right frontal region. This research supports the notion of lateralization of emotion in the brain.

Question 6

Genetically based asymmetries of function have been called affective styles by Davidson (1993) who arrived at this formulation in part based on a developmental study in which children encountered a robot and a stranger carrying a tray of toys. Children whose behavior led them to be classified in the uninhibited group ____________________ and showed relatively more EEG activation on the _______________.

Accepted Answer

Children classified as uninhibited are more likely to explore new environments and show curiosity, which is associated with greater left hemisphere EEG activation, linked to approach-related emotions and behaviors.

Question 7

The phenomenon called "sham rage" was documented by Cannon who observed that:

Accepted Answer

Sham rage is a phenomenon where animals exhibit intense, aggressive behaviors despite the absence of the cerebral cortex. Cannon observed this in cats, indicating that such aggressive responses can occur without higher brain involvement.

Question 8

The basic tendency underlying desire, compassion, and enthusiasm is:

Accepted Answer

The basic tendency underlying desire, compassion, and enthusiasm is approach. These emotions and drives are oriented towards moving closer to or engaging with something or someone, rather than withdrawing from it.

Question 9

Joseph LeDoux (1993, 1996) proposed that it is the amygdala, rather than the limbic system as a whole, that is the emotional computer for the brain. LeDoux's thesis derives from evidence including that the amygdala:

Accepted Answer

LeDoux's thesis is supported by evidence that the amygdala receives direct sensory inputs from the thalamus, allowing it to quickly process emotional stimuli.

Question 10

Lane et al. (1997) would predict that a person's response to the sweet taste of a ripe strawberry would be associated with:

Accepted Answer

Lane et al. (1997) posited that emotional experiences are associated with more left-frontal than right-frontal activation in the brain. The sweet taste of a ripe strawberry, likely eliciting a positive emotional response, would align with this theory.

Question 11

According to Kent Berridge, the nucleus accumbens and dopamine are central to:

Accepted Answer

Kent Berridge's research suggests that the nucleus accumbens and dopamine are more involved in "wanting" and motivational aspects of behavior, rather than the direct experience of pleasure or "liking."

Question 12

Neurotransmitters are:

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are chemicals released into synapses to quickly activate or inhibit neurons or muscle fibers.

Question 13

The opiates are central to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The opiates are central to:
...

Question 14

Affiliative behaviours like touch and soothing vocalizations elicit the release of _________; which in turn bring about the powerful feelings of warmth, calmness, and intimacy:

Accepted Answer

Affiliative behaviors such as touch and soothing vocalizations trigger the release of opiates in the brain, which are responsible for feelings of warmth, calmness, and intimacy.

Question 15

Eisenberger and her colleagues have proposed a social rejection thesis that implicates the dorsal region of the anterior cingulate in which of the following ways?

Accepted Answer

This region, the dorsal region of the anterior cingulate, is implicated in helping humans detect and respond to cues of rejection, separation, and exclusion, according to Eisenberger and her colleagues' social rejection thesis.

Question 16

The _________ portions of the prefrontal cortex are centrally involved in self-representation, empathy, and experiences of reward, receiving input from the nucleus accumbens.

Accepted Answer

The medial prefrontal cortex is involved in self-representation, empathy, and reward experiences, and it receives input from the nucleus accumbens.

Question 17

The ____________ region of the prefrontal cortex is centrally involved in the representation of goals, approach- and withdrawal-related tendencies, and is thought to represent anticipated rewards and punishment in consciousness.

Accepted Answer

The orbitofrontal cortex is involved in decision-making and the representation of anticipated rewards and punishments, playing a key role in goal representation and approach- and withdrawal-related tendencies.

Question 18

Cunningham and colleagues (2004) asked participants to make judgments about the valence and emotional intensity of positively and negatively valenced concepts such as murder, love, gun control, and abortion while fMRI technologies captured activation in different areas of the brain. The key conclusion drawn by Cunningham et al. was that the amygdala is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cunningham and colleagues (2004) asked participants to...

Question 19

Distal affiliative cues like smiles and gestures serve as incentive stumuli; they motivate approach-related tendencies served by the release of:

Accepted Answer

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the brain's reward system, motivating approach-related tendencies by signaling the anticipation of a reward, such as the positive social interactions indicated by smiles and gestures.

Question 20

Important biological functions like eating, sexual behavior, aggression, and bodily temperature are controlled by which one of the following brain regions?

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating vital biological functions such as eating, sexual behavior, aggression, and body temperature control.

Quiz 6: Brain Mechanisms and Emotion