Emotions
THE EVOLUTION OF EMOTIONS
Definition
Emotions are reactions to events that happen to them. The situation that triggers an emotion determines the kind of feeling an individual experiences. For example, a person feels happy when they get good news and afraid when they are in danger.
Our everyday lives are significantly impacted by how we feel. Depending on our emotions—happiness, anger, sadness, boredom, or frustration—we make decisions. We also select hobbies and occupations according to the feelings they generate.
The Brain is a Product of Evolution
💡 Ultimate causation = the reason why something has evolved, and that involves creature's history and it's the evolutionary course it's taken through time.
💡Proximate causation = what a creature wants. The point is very well made by William James.
EX- The reason why we've evolved to have feelings like hunger has to do with sustaining our body with this sort of utility we get from food. But he points out from a psychological point of view, this is not the case. 'Not one man in a billion taking his dinner ever thinks of utility. He eats because the food tastes good and makes him want more.
Kinship
Kin selection. This means that we are more likely to be kind to others who are related to us because we share genes with them. For example, animals often care for their young or groom each other, which helps their relatives survive. This behavior is beneficial because it increases the chances of their shared genes being passed on to the next generation.
Another explanation is that being kind to others can also benefit us indirectly. When we help others, they are more likely to help us in return. This creates a cooperative and supportive community where everyone benefits.
The Usefulness of Irrationality
A rational person is easily exploited: response to provocations and assault will always be appropriate.
If a person with a temper has an advantage: “Mess with me and I kill you”. If this is convincing, the person won’t be messed with. Sometimes, the capacity for excessive violence is essential to keep your resources.
Emotions (Explained)
Affective Neuroscience
Affective neuroscience examines how the brain creates emotional responses. Emotions are psychological phenomena that involve changes to the body (facial expression), changes in autonomic nervous system activity, feeling states (subjective responses), and urges to act in specific ways.
Here's a list with some of the brain part's functions:
Affect = An emotional process; includes moods, subjective feelings, and discrete emotions.
Amygdala = Two almond-shaped structures located in the medial temporal lobes of the brain.
Hypothalamus = A brain structure located below the thalamus and above the brain stem.
Nucleus accumbens = A region of the basal forebrain located in front of the preoptic region.
Orbital frontal cortex = A region of the frontal lobes of the brain above the eye sockets.
Periaqueductal gray = The gray matter in the midbrain near the cerebral aqueduct.
Preoptic region = A part of the anterior hypothalamus.
Stria terminalis = A band of fibers that runs along the top surface of the thalamus.
Thalamus = A structure in the midline of the brain located between the midbrain and the cerebral cortex.
Visual cortex = The part of the brain that processes visual information, located in the back of the brain.
The neural networks for anger and fear are near one another, but separate. They extend from the medial amygdala, through specific parts of the hypothalamus, and into the periaqueductal gray of the midbrain. In addition, when humans are angered, they show increased left frontal cortical activation, supporting the idea that anger is an approach-related emotion.
