Emotion and Motivation

Physiology of Emotion

Amygdala

Prefrontal Cortex

Mirror Neurons

Hormones

OK, that’s inside. What about the expression and perception of expression of emotions?

Phineas Gage

Facial Expression

Universal, and universally recognized

Babies learn very quickly to identify facial expressions

Lie DetectionPolygraph machine

-accuracy is misleading: 85% hit rate, 45% false alarm rate….-easy to “beat”

Alternative: -guilty knowledge test in conjunction with lie detector

Theory behind themProblems:

-what about “the eyes”?

Ekman’s later work:-microexpressions

Lie Detection

“There are no signs of lying per se, but rather signs of thinking too much when a reply should not require thought, or of emotions that don't fit what is being spoken.”

Theories of emotion-James-Lange: EE—physiological—emotion

Theories of emotion-James-Lange: EE—physiological—emotion

Schacter & Singer: EE—physiological— appraisal — emotion

Gender & Emotion

-most of the supposed differences between genders are social stereotypes

Animal emotion?-is it the case that only humans show emotion?

-anthropomorphizing?

Prove to me you “feel“ emotion the way I do.

-e.g. Panksepp (2000)

-elephants

1. What governs hunger/satiety (i.e. the motivation to start or stop eating)?

-empty stomach..?-depletion of nutrients in body?-immediate use: glucose

Not as simple as ‘eat when hungry’, since we eat when not hungry, and it doesn’t define ‘hunger’

-temporary (8-12 hours) storage: glycogen in lover-long-term storage: triglycerides in fat cells

Eating & WeightMotivation

-first two are rapid and the body’s first choice in energy consumption-fat cell storage burning only happens after other two depleted-some argue glucose is being monitored, others fatty acids

-evidence that hunger is tied to depleted glucose, but satiety is not tied to it!-neurological control: VMN, LN

1. Many with weight control difficulties do not “eat too much”, and may even eat less than someone at a lower weight. How can that happen?

Weight is based on E-in relative to E-out

If E-in = E-out, no weight is lost or gained

If E-in > E-out, weight gain occurs since excess E is stored as fat

A quick tutorial:

Many factors impact E-out

BMR holds most of the cards, and BMR is mostly determined by your genes…

Weight and weight lossMotivation

Notice the word is “most”, not “all”.

Weight loss programs, pills, and equipment are the latest snake oil

-commercials use models who did not use that equipment to look like that

-this tactic started in earnest twenty years ago:

Weight loss programs, pills, and equipment are the latest snake oil

-commercials use models who did not use that equipment to look like that-this tactic started in earnest twenty years ago:

Weight loss programs, pills, and equipment are the latest snake oil

-commercials use models who did not use that equipment to look like that-this tactic started in earnest twenty years ago:-diets as well...

Weight loss programs, pills, and equipment are the latest snake oil

-nearly all of them use caffeine in one form or another

-yerba mate, guarana seed, green tea extract are caffeine

Weight loss programs, pills, and equipment are the latest snake oil

-nearly all of them use caffeine in one form or another -yerba mate, guarana seed, green tea extract are caffeine

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PILL THAT, WHEN SWALLOWED, WILL “BURN FAT”.

In an extensive study at Harvard (944 subjects), those who increased caffeine intake for one year DID lose weight!The amount lost? 1 whole pound!

YOU CANNOT BREAK THE LAWS OF PHYSICS

OK, but does increasing caffeine intake work?

The only real way to lose weight:

E-in < E-out

-must be more to the story than just changing standards, or the genes. There really are, empirically speaking, more obese people than ever before

change in lifestyle?

glucose/fructose? (a cheaper sugar substitute used in nearly everything these days)

-recent upsurge (4X the number of “morbidly obese”, or >100lbs overweight, relative to the 80s) in North America

-huge debate over what is going on:Are more thin people getting fat, or are the overweight ones just gaining even more weight?To what extent is culture a contributing factor? (thin is in mentality)

Ruben’s Three Graces

(mid-1600s)

Our concept of beauty over the years:

Lillian Russell

(late 1800s)

Our concept of beauty over the years:

Our concept of beauty over the years:

Our concept of beauty over the years:

Our concept of beauty over the years:

..in fact, being too thin can be more deadly than being overweight!

Finally, the concept of healthy BMI values is questionable:

SEX

Alfred Kinsey

Masters & Johnson

Shere Hite

Biology of sex and sexual orientation

-drive predicted by testosterone levels-oversimplification

Sexual orientation:-Genes, hormones, environment?-central assumption: you either “are” or “aren’t” gay-research has largely come up empty so far-one promising avenue: prenatal environment