Social Neuroscience

Lec. #8; Emotion

1. Categorizing emotions

2. Emotions in non-human animals

3. The Role of the Amygdala in Emotion

Questions asked:

1. What role does the amygdala play in emotion?

2. It is involved in all emotion, or just fear?

3. What is the relationship between the amygdala’s role in emotion and higher cognitive functions, such as social judgement?

A. Evidence the amygdala is involved in emotion:

1) animal lesion studies: the Kluver-Bucy syndrome

2) human lesion studies

3) normal human neuroimaging studies

4) humans with psychiatric disorders

B. Interaction between physiology and cognition in emotion

1) James-Lang theory of emotion

2) Canon-Bard theory

3) Schacter’s theory and studies

C. The role of the amygdala in social judgement (see presentation outline)