EMOTION
Overview How Does the Brain Process Emotion? How Can You Tell if Someone is Lying? What Causes Emotion?
How Does the Brain Process Emotion? Autonomic Nervous System – Sympathetic functions (e.g., inhibit digestion) – Parasympathetic functions (e.g., stimulate digestion) Fight or Flight Response Limbic System
How Does the Brain Control Facial Expressions? Voluntary expressions controlled by motor cortex Involuntary expressions controlled by limbic system Universality suggests innate component
How Can You Detect a Lie? Assumption is that lying is associated with emotions such as guilt and anxiety Attempt to detect physiological correlates of these emotions
Polygraph Test Measure physiological changes – Galvanic Skin Response – breathing – blood pressure High false alarm rates
Detecting Lies from Facial Expressions Trained observers can spot “faked” facial expressions Based on voluntary vs. involuntary control
What Causes Emotions? James-Lange Theory Schacter-Singer Theory
James-Lange Theory A situation causes physiological changes (heart rate, breathing, hormones) and behavior (running, fighting) The brain labels the changes as emotions
Evaluating the James-Lange Theory Similar physiological changes for different emotions People with spinal cord injuries still experience emotions
Schacter-Singer Theory A situation causes physiological changes We interpret environmental cues
Evaluating the Schacter-Singer Theory Interpretation of arousal depends on the context Emotions can occur without physiological changes