Question 1

Based on comparison of the autonomic nervous systems of different species, Steven Porges (1995, 1998) has made a case for three stages in the evolution of the autonomic nervous system. A first stage produced the _________ which is present in _________.

Accepted Answer

The first stage in the evolution of the autonomic nervous system, according to Steven Porges, produced the dorsal vagal complex, which is present in all species. This is part of his Polyvagal Theory.

Question 2

Restorative processes are driven by the _______________ branch of the autonomic nervous system and include __________________.

Accepted Answer

Restorative processes, such as digestion, are driven by the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and recovery.

Question 3

Results from studies employing Levenson and colleagues's directed facial action task reveal:

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

Which of the following is a method that psychologists use to measure the activity of the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

The method described in option A, assessing the relationship between respiration and heart-rate cycles to capture activation in the vagus nerve, is a valid approach to measure the activity of the autonomic nervous system. This technique is related to heart rate variability (HRV), which is influenced by the autonomic nervous system and is a recognized method for assessing its activity.

Question 5

Based on comparison of the autonomic nervous systems of different species, Steven Porges (1995, 1998) has made a case for three stages in the evolution of the autonomic nervous system. According to Porges, the last portion to evolve was the _____________ and it is this system that allows the actions necessary for _____________.

Accepted Answer

According to Steven Porges and his Polyvagal Theory, the last portion of the autonomic nervous system to evolve was the ventral vagal complex. This system is associated with the social engagement system and allows for the actions necessary for positive emotions and social interactions.

Question 6

Damasio (1994) proposed the somatic marker hypothesis, a thesis that is supported by which of the following reported findings related to patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex?

Accepted Answer

Patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex often exhibit a lack of emotional response, supporting the somatic marker hypothesis which suggests emotions guide decision-making.

Question 7

Paula Niedenthal (2007) offered an important line of theorizing on what is called embodiment and conducted studies in which participants were asked to match words (e.g., vomit, sun, fight) with emotion categories (e.g., "disgust" "anger" "joy"). Categorizing words related to joy led to activation of the ________ muscle(s):

Accepted Answer

The zygomaticus muscle is involved in smiling, and the orbicularis muscle is involved in actions related to the eyes that occur during expressions of joy, such as squinting or crinkling. Paula Niedenthal's work on embodiment suggests that processing emotions involves activating the same muscles used in expressing those emotions.

Question 8

Mark Leary and colleagues (1992) carefully analyzed situations that produce the blush. They discerned specific elicitors of the blush and proposed a specific cause:

Accepted Answer

Negative self-focused attention is the specific cause of blushing, as proposed by Mark Leary and colleagues (1992).

Question 9

Levenson and colleagues employed a directed facial action task to study how autonomic activity corresponds with various facial expressions. Their results challenged:

Accepted Answer

Levenson and colleagues' findings challenged Cannon's critique of autonomic specificity, which argued that emotions do not have distinct autonomic patterns. Their research suggested that different facial expressions are associated with specific autonomic responses, supporting the idea of autonomic specificity.

Question 10

Paula Niedenthal (2007) offered an important line of theorizing on what is called embodiment and conducted studies in which participants were asked to match words (e.g., vomit, sun, fight) with emotion categories (e.g., "disgust" "anger" "joy"). Categorizing words related to anger led to activation of the ________ muscle(s):

Accepted Answer

Categorizing words related to anger leads to activation of the corrugator muscle, which is involved in frowning and is associated with negative emotions such as anger.

Question 11

Giacomo Rizzolatti and colleagues (1996) reported that mirror neurons located in the ____________ of monkeys' brains fire when _______________.

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons, discovered in the pre-motor cortex of monkeys, fire both when the monkey observes an intended action performed by another monkey and when it performs the same action itself. This discovery has implications for understanding imitation and social learning in humans as well.

Question 12

Kok and Fredrickson (2010) assessed people's vagal tone at the beginning and end of a nine-week study, and in between these two assessments they had participants report on their daily experience of positive emotions and the strength of their social connections. The key finding from this study was that:

Accepted Answer

Kok and Fredrickson (2010) found that individuals with higher initial vagal tone showed greater increases in social connectedness and positive emotions over time. Additionally, they discovered that increases in social connections and positive emotions over the nine weeks were associated with increases in vagal tone at the end of the study. Therefore, all the statements are correct and reflect the key findings of their research.

Question 13

Evidence that supports William James's claim regarding autonomic specificity and emotion includes all but which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

William James's claim regarding autonomic specificity suggests that different emotions are associated with different patterns of autonomic arousal. Choice B, which states that the same pattern of physiological arousal is present in organisms encountering a threat and those receiving a reward, contradicts this claim by suggesting a lack of specificity in autonomic responses to different emotional states.

Question 14

The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system:

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, which includes increasing heart rate and cardiac output (A), causing physical reactions such as goosebumps as part of emotional responses (B), and can reduce the activity of natural killer cells, affecting immune responses (C).

Question 15

One branch of the neuroendocrine system particularly relevant to emotion is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, whose activation results in the release of the stress-related hormone ________ into the bloodstream.

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, when activated, results in the release of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, into the bloodstream. Cortisol is known for its role in the body's stress response.

Question 16

Cannon criticized James's autonomic specificity on the following grounds:

Accepted Answer

Cannon argued that autonomic responses are too slow to account for the quick shifts in emotions we experience, challenging James's theory that each emotion corresponds to a specific pattern of autonomic activity.

Question 17

The two factors in Schachter and Singer's (1962) two-factor theory are:

Accepted Answer

Schachter and Singer's two-factor theory of emotion posits that emotion is based on two factors: physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation (construal) of that arousal.

Quiz 5: Bodily Changes and Emotion

Based on comparison of the autonomic nervous systems of different species, Steven Porges (1995, 1998) has made a case for three stages in the evolution of the autonomic nervous system. A first stage produced the _ which is present in _.

Restorative processes are driven by the _ branch of the autonomic nervous system and include ____.