Question 1

As shown in this figure, facing a potentially threatening stimulus, such as a snake dangling from a branch in front of you, activates two pathways in the brain. The direct pathway involves _____, and the indirect pathway involves _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As shown in this figure, facing a...

Question 2

The Critical Thinking box "Are Women Really More Emotional Than Men?" presents research on gender differences in the experience and expression of emotions. In general, this research indicates that:

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that men and women have similar emotional experiences but differ in how they express those emotions. Women may be more likely to express emotions such as sadness or fear, while men may be more likely to express anger or aggression. However, this is not a universal pattern, and there is variation within genders as well. The idea that women are inherently more emotional than men is a stereotype that is not supported by the evidence.

Question 3

According to research described in the Focus on Neuroscience box "Emotions and the Brain," sadness, happiness, anger, and fear each produce:

Accepted Answer

The research described in the Focus on Neuroscience box "Emotions and the Brain" suggests that each of the emotions - sadness, happiness, anger, and fear - produces a distinct pattern of brain activation and deactivation.

Question 4

Your textbook discusses the neural pathways responsible for instinctual fear responses that occur when you perceive a threatening stimulus. Why does this instinctual fear response take place before you have time to consciously evaluate the stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The direct thalamus to amygdala pathway bypasses the cerebral cortex where conscious evaluation of the stimulus would typically take place. This allows for a rapid, instinctual response to a perceived threat before conscious thought and evaluation can occur.

Question 5

Rats with a damaged amygdala:

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is important for acquiring and expressing fear responses through classical conditioning. Rats with a damaged amygdala cannot acquire a classically conditioned fear response, hence the correct answer is C.

Answer: A and B are incorrect
 There is no evidence to suggest that rats with damaged amygdala will eat anything and never become satiated, or that they will overproduce leptin and become extremely lean.

Answer: D is incorrect
 Rats with damaged amygdala have impaired fear conditioning, so they are not more easily classically conditioned to fear-inducing stimuli than rats with intact brains.

Question 6

The Focus on Neuroscience box "Emotions and the Brain" describes a PET scan study investigating brain activation during recall of emotional memories. According to the box, what does activation of the somatosensory cortex in response to an emotional memory indicate?

Accepted Answer

Activation of the somatosensory cortex in response to an emotional memory indicates that the body's peripheral nervous system is involved in feeling an emotion. This is because the somatosensory cortex receives input from sensory receptors throughout the body, suggesting that emotional experiences are accompanied by physical sensations.

Question 7

People with a damaged amygdala:

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is involved in processing emotions, including fear and threat detection. Damage to the amygdala can impair the ability to recognize emotional expressions, such as distinguishing between friendly and threatening faces.

Question 8

The Focus on Neuroscience box "Emotions and the Brain" describes the use of PET scans to study brain areas that were activated when participants recalled emotional memories. Activation of which brain area indicated that the body's peripheral nervous system was also involved in feeling an emotion?

Accepted Answer

The somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing sensory information from the body, including information about touch, pain, and temperature. If this area is activated during recall of emotional memories, it suggests that the body's peripheral nervous system is involved in feeling the emotion, as peripheral nervous system signals from the body are being processed in the somatosensory cortex. The other brain areas listed (hippocampus, visual cortex, and amygdala) are involved in different aspects of emotional processing, but their activation does not necessarily indicate involvement of the peripheral nervous system.

Question 9

Which neural pathway carries crude information about a threatening stimulus and activates a rapid instinctual alarm response?

Accepted Answer

The thalamus sends sensory information to the amygdala via a direct pathway for rapid processing and activation of an instinctual alarm response. This pathway is responsible for carrying crude information about a threatening stimulus. Choices A, C, and D do not accurately reflect this specific neural pathway.

Question 10

The Critical Thinking box "Are Women Really More Emotional Than Men?" presents research on gender differences in the experience and expression of emotions. According to the information the box presents, which of the following is (are) TRUE?

Accepted Answer

The Critical Thinking box presents research that supports all three statements as true. Specifically, research has found that women report experiencing and expressing more sadness, fear, and guilt, while men report experiencing and expressing more anger and hostility. Additionally, societal gender roles often encourage men to express emotions that emphasize power and assertiveness and women to express emotions that imply self-blame, vulnerability, and helplessness. Therefore, all of the statements in answer choice D are true based on the information presented in the box.

Question 11

The Focus on Neuroscience box "Emotions and the Brain" describes a PET scan study investigating brain activation when participants recalled different kinds of emotional memories. What were the results of this study?

Accepted Answer

The study found that each of the emotions produced a different pattern of brain activation, indicating that each emotion involved distinct neural circuits in the brain. This suggests that there is no single emotion center in the brain and that emotional processing is more complex and distributed throughout different brain regions.

Question 12

Which statement best characterizes the relationship between emotions and physiological arousal?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that different emotions are accompanied by distinct patterns of physiological arousal in the body. For example, fear and anger have been found to activate different regions of the brain and produce different patterns of heart rate and breathing rate.

Question 13

In looking at gender differences on emotion, psychologist Agneta Fischer and her colleagues analyzed cross-cultural data from 37 countries around the world. The researchers found that across cultures:

Accepted Answer

The researchers found that women report experiencing and expressing more sadness, fear, and guilt, while men report experiencing and expressing more anger and hostility across cultures. This indicates a consistent gender difference in emotional expression across various societies. The other options are not supported by the research findings.

Question 14

Which brain structure is activated first when people view threatening or fearful faces?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is known to be responsible for detecting and processing emotional information, especially when it comes to fear and threat. Studies have shown that activity in the amygdala increases when people view threatening or fearful faces, suggesting that this structure is activated first. The hypothalamus is also involved in the stress response, but it is not typically the first structure to be activated. The cerebellum and the medulla are not directly involved in emotional processing.

Question 15

Brandon was waiting in line to make a deposit at the bank when he heard the man in front of him say softly to the teller, "Just give me the money now." At first Brandon thought the man was just impatient, but then he realized that the guy was a bank robber. Brandon felt afraid and started backing up slowly, looking for cover. Brandon's emotional response probably resulted from neural impulses that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Brandon was waiting in line to make...

Question 16

Which of the following statements about gender and emotion is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that in American culture, women tend to be more emotionally expressive than men. This includes both the experience and expression of emotions. However, it is important to note that this does not mean that women are inherently more emotional than men, but rather that socialization and gender roles may play a role in shaping emotional expression.

Question 17

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay were having lunch at the mall when they heard on the radio about the tragic deaths of a number of local children in a bus accident. Both were overcome with emotion. Mrs. Ramsay started to cry, but Mr. Ramsay masked his feelings. As the Critical Thinking box "Are Women Really More Emotional Than Men?" notes, this gender difference in the expression of emotion is probably a result of:

Accepted Answer

The gender difference in the expression of emotion is most likely due to the socially constructed display rules that dictate what emotions are appropriate for each gender to express in certain situations. These display rules are learned through socialization and vary across different cultures. While genetics and hormones may play a role in emotional expression differences between men and women, the cultural factors are likely the primary determinant.

Question 18

Lena often expresses her anger in private but never in public. Her husband, Leonard, sometimes expresses his anger in public but would be very embarrassed to be caught crying in public. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

The example given suggests that Lena and Leonard are following different cultural display rules for expressing their emotions. Lena follows the rule of expressing her anger in private, while Leonard follows the rule of expressing his anger in public and hiding his tears in public. This highlights how cultural norms and expectations can shape the way individuals express their emotions. The other options, such as innate characteristics or hormone levels, are not supported by the example given.

Question 19

In the indirect fear pathway described by Joseph LeDoux, what role does the cortex play?

Accepted Answer

In the indirect fear pathway, the thalamus sends sensory information to the cortex, which interprets the stimulus and determines whether it is a threat. If it is deemed threatening, the cortex sends signals back to the amygdala, which initiates the fear response. Therefore, the cortex plays a crucial role in the indirect fear pathway by interpreting and evaluating the threat level of a stimulus.

Question 20

In studies investigating the physiological components of emotion, researchers have found:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that anger is associated with an increase in skin temperature, while fear is associated with a decrease in skin temperature.

Quiz 8: Motivation and Emotion