1. Emotions

2. What are Emotions?
• Emotions are burst of psychological arousal.
• They are feelings associated with
mood, temperament, personality, disposition, an
d motivation.
• They’re formed when numerous regions of the
brain work together.

3. The Limbic System
• The limbic system is a ring of structures are the
brainstem.
• These structures interact with sensory areas of
the neocortex and other higher brain
centers, mediating primary emotions that
manifest emotional responses such as crying or
laughing.
• It attaches emotional feelings to basic survivalrelated functions such as
aggression, feeding, and sexuality.

4. Structures of the Limbic System
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Amygdala
Cingulate Gyrus
Hypocampus
Hypothalamus
Olfactory cortex
Thalamus
Related Structures
• cingulate gyrus
• ventral tegmental
area

5. Emotional Memory System
• Uses both hippocampus and amygdala
• Adults remember both image and arousal
when faced with aversive situation
• Electric shock- increase of heart rate when
put in situation that mediates previous
shocks
• Hippocampus damage: do NOT remember
situation, arousal STILL occurs due to
amygdala. Also works vice-vera.

6. Paul Ekman’s Six Basic Emotions
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Anger
Joy
Surprise
Disgust
Sadness
Fear
Love?
Universal to all people- proven through Fore
Tribe of New Guinea (1972)

7. Robert Plutchick’s Eight Advanced Emotions
Human Feelings
Basic Feelings
Optimism
Anticipation + Joy
Love
Joy + Trust
Submission
Trust + Fear
Awe
Fear + Surprise
Disappointment
Surprise + Sadness
Remorse
Sadness + Disgust
Contempt
Disgust + Anger
Aggression
Anger + Anticipation

8. The Story of Phineas Gage
• Efficient, capable, worker working
on railroad construction site in
1848.
• BOOM! Dynamite explosion drives
meter-long iron through his head.
Entered below left eye and exited
through top of his head.
• Destroys part of frontal lobe, but
he recovers.
• Now “impatient, profane and
capricious.”

9. The Story of Phineas Gage
• Skull examined in 1990s by nueroscientists.
• Discovered the Frontal Lobe was used to
mediate emotions.
• In past, “Frontal Lobotomy” was used to
treat emotional disorders by severing
connection between frontal lobe and limbic
system
• Discovery showed Frontal Lobe is necessary
to keep motivation, foresight, decision
making intact.