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Processing emotions - generating emotions

  • Emotions appear to arise from bottom-up and top-down processes. For example, there may be a quick bottom-up analysis of the stimulus and a slower top-down analysis based on stored knowledge. What is the involvement of each type of processing in generating emotions? To find out, Ochsner et al (2009) conducted an fMRI study in which participants either looked at unpleasant images (bottom-up) or they reappraised neutral images as unpleasant (top-down). Findings: Bottom-up activated left and right amygdala; top-down only activated the left amygdala. The bottom-up condition activated areas for perceiving stimuli (right prefrontal, parietal, occipital); top-down activated areas for interpreting stimuli (left prefrontal, cingulate). Experience of affect correlated with amygdala activation during bottom-up, but correlated with medial prefrontal areas during top-down. So, emotions may arise from different combinations of bottom-up and top-down processes; and treatment could be directed at whether an emotional problem is primarily bottom-up or top-down
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Processing emotions - regulating emotions: gender

  • Studies have usually found no gender differences in emotional reactivity to stimuli, but might there be a difference in emotion regulation?
  • To find out, McRae et al (2008) conducted an fMRI study in which participants had to stop themselves from feeling distressed in response to unpleasant images.
  • In other words, the participants had to use reappraisal (i.e. think about things differently), which is thought to be a top-down process.
  • Findings: No gender difference in reactivity to stimuli. Regulation decreased the negative emotion experience for both men and women. But men showed less activation in prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and ventral striatum (reward area). Concluded that men may use less effort in cognitive emotion regulation OR women recruit more positive emotions
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