Emotions and the Brain.
(From Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman)
'The extent to which emotional upsets can interfere with mental life is no news to teachers. Students
who are anxious, angry or depressed don't learn; people who are caught in these states do not take in
information efficiently or deal with it well…powerful negative emotions twist attention toward their own
preoccupations, interfering with the attempt to focus elsewhere…'
'When emotions overwhelm concentration, what is being swamped
is the mental capacity cognitive scientists call "working memory",
the ability to hold in mind all information relevant to the task in
hand…Working memory is an executive function par excellence in
mental life, making possible all other intellectual efforts, from
speaking a sentence to tackling a knotty logical proposition. The
prefrontal cortex executes working memory and is where feelings
and emotions meet. When the limbic-circuitry that converges on
the professional cortex is in the thrall of emotional distress, one
cost is the effectiveness of working memory: we can't think
straight.'
'…worry is the nub of anxiety's damaging effect on mental
performance of all kind…Anxiety undermines the intellect.'
'People who are adept at harnessing their emotions, on the other
hand, can use anticipatory anxiety – about an upcoming speech or
test, say – to motivate themselves to prepare well for it, thereby doing well.'
'Good moods, while they last, enhance the ability to think flexibly and with more complexity, thus making
it easier to find solutions to problems whether intellectual or interpersonal. This suggests that one way to
help someone to think through a problem is to tell them a joke. Laughing, like elation, seems to help,
people think more broadly and associate more freely, noticing relationships that might have eluded them
otherwise – a mental skill important not just in creativity, but in recognising complex relationships and
foreseeing the consequences of a given decision.'
'Even mild mood changes can sway thinking. In making plans or decisions, people in good moods have a
perceptual bias that leads them to be more expansive and positive in their thinking. This is partly because
memory is state specific, so that while in a good mood we remember more positive events; as we think
over the pros and cons of a course of action while feeling pleasant, memory biases our weighting of
evidence in a positive direction, making us more likely to do something slightly adventurous or risky, for
example.'
'By the same token, being in a foul mood biases the memory in a negative direction, making us more likely
to contract into a fearful, over cautious decision. Emotions out of control impede the intellect. But… we
can bring out-of-control emotions back into line; this emotional competence is the master aptitude,
facilitating all other kinds of intelligence.'
The emotions that we feel and experience create changes and responses in our physical bodies. These are
scientifically measurable – in other words, it's possible to determine precisely what is happening when
emotions such as fear and joy are felt. However, we don't yet have a way of measuring feelings like
sympathy, for example.
In his book, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen explains that we can use information from the
autonomic (sweat glands, heart activity, blood pressure and gastrointestinal), central (electrical activity
of the brain's neurons), or sensorimotor systems (respiration, eye movements, etc) to measure emotions.
Just to illustrate the extent to which science claims to be able to measure emotion, look at this list of
some of the bodily functions that can be measured. As you go through the list, see if you can identify
what type of emotion(s) they might reveal.
SCR – skin conductance response
Pulse – heartbeats per minute
EGG – electro gastrography … gastrointestinal system measures
BP – blood pressure
BEAM – brain electrical activity mapping
SPR – skin-potential response
ERP – central-nervous system, the event-related potentials
fMRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging
EEG – electro encephalography (X-rays of the brain)
BR – breathing rates
RCBE – regional cerebral blood flow
MT – muscle tension
HRPSA – heart rate power spectrum analysis
MEG – magneto electro encephalography
PET – position emission tomography (blood flow measurements)
SC – skin colour (flushed skin)
From Emotion by Dylan Evans)
'In all mammals, including ourselves, basic emotions such as
fear and anger are mediated by a set of neural structures
known as the limbic system. These include the hippocampus,
the cingulate gyrus, the anterior thalamus, and the
amygdala. All these structures are tucked away in the centre
of the brain, underneath the outer layer of neural tissue
known as the neocortex. The neocortex is, as the name
suggests, much more recent in evolutionary terms.'
Limbic system
A portion of the forebrain concerned with various aspects of
emotion and behaviour.
Cingulate gyrus
Functions include the regulation of maternal behaviour, e.g.,
nursing and rearing young, and the regulation of pain and
attention
Amygdala
An almond-shaped mass of grey matter within each cerebral
hemisphere. Links to parts of the brain involved in cognitive and sensory processing. Also plays a part in
the recognition of facial expressions and body language.
'If basic emotions like fear are mediated exclusively by the limbic system, the higher cognitive emotions
such as love and guilt seem to involve much more cortical processing. This would suggest that they evolved
much later than basic emotions, some time after the point when the neocortex began to expand with the
emergence of the higher mammals. In other words, higher cognitive emotions could be no more than sixty
million years old, which is very young compared to the 500 or so million years for which the vertebrate
brain – and the basic emotions – have been around. In fact, they may well be much more recent than that.'
o
o
o
Reptilian (controls breathing, heart rate and reaction such as fight or flight
Paleomammalian (Limbic, or emotional)
Neomammalian (Neocortex, or rational consciousness).
Left Brain/ Right Brain
The left side is more active than the right side when we:
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Use language
Write
Read
Solve math problems
Process information in a linear, sequential manner.
The right side is more active than the left side when we are:
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Listening to music
Drawing
Daydreaming
Absorbing color, graphics, movement and rhythm.
Linear Vs. Holistic Processing
Logical Vs. Intuitive
Sequential Vs. Random Processing
Verbal Vs. Nonverbal Processing
Symbolic Vs. Concrete Processing
Reality-Based Vs. Fantasy-Oriented Processing
In recent years, Dr. Sperry's original premise that delineated the differences between the two
hemispheres has been greatly modified. The basis of his findings, though, are still very important because
even now, traditional methods of teaching information encourage us to move from one idea to the next in
a linear, verbal, "left brain" fashion. This type of learning limits our ability to see the big picture and
make new connections. When we add techniques that engage the right side of the brain, we easily
maximize our learning and thought potential.'
Try some of the following exercises.
1.
Take a photo of yourself; place it in the middle of a page. Look though the different parts of the
brain; decide whether you are left brain or right brain. What emotions rule you life and what makes
you reptilian. Write these around your picture under the title neo-cortex, limbic and reptilian.
2. Consider the learning environment you prefer. Write down days, lessons and experience you have had
that have helped you learn. What is the greatest factor, which influence your ability to learn?
3. Collect a selection of images. Cut them out put them in order according to which gives you the
strongest emotional reaction to the least. Place them in your book in order and next to each one
describe your emotions to the image. Try to add why you have a certain emotional response to the
images. What do we learn about ourselves and our reactions?
4. Bring in an image or object that has an important emotional response for you. Show you image or
object to the class and explain the logical and illogical reasons for your emotional attachment to the
object.
5. Bring in a piece of music which reminds of a particular moment in your life. Play the piece to the class
and gives your reasons for its importance and the memories it evokes.
6. Take a holiday in your life describe the location and situation (if you have a spare photo add this to
your work.) Go though a list on emotions and try to define how each of them was stimulated on this
holiday.
Left/ Brain Online Test
http://www.testcafe.com/lbrb/
Video Link on Left/ Brain Dominance.
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1139554.htm
Left/ Right Brain Test
Directions: This is a printable test to take yourself and give to
your friends. Print out this page first. Get a blank sheet of lined
paper. Every time you read a description or characteristic that
applies to you, write down its number on the blank sheet of
paper. There is no certain number of characteristics you must
choose. After you are done, click here to view the key. Next to
every number on your paper, write whether it was a L or an R. Count up the number of L's and R's.
Whichever number is higher represents your dominance. If the numbers are close, that means you use
both sides of your brain equally.
1.
I constantly look at a clock or wear a watch
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
I keep a journal or diary of my thoughts
I believe there is a either right and wrong way to do everything
I find it hard to follow directions precisely
The expression "Life is just a bowl of cherries" makes no sense to me
I frequently change my plans and find that sticking to a schedule is boring
I think it's easier to draw a map than tell someone how to get somewhere
To find a lost item, I try to picture it in my head where I last saw it
I frequently let my emotions guide me
I learn math with ease
I'd read the directions before assembling something
People tell me I am always late getting places
People have told me that I'm psychic
I need to set goals for myself to keep me on track
When somebody asks me a question, I turn my head to the left
If I have a tough decision to make, I write down the pros and the cons
I'd probably make a good detective
I learn music with ease
To solve a problem, I think of similar problems I have solved in the past
I use a lot of gestures
If someone asks me a question, I turn my head to the right
I believe there are two ways to look at almost everything
I have the ability to tell if people are lying or guilty of something, just by looking at them
I keep a "to do" list
I am able to thoroughly explain my opinions in words
In a debate, I am objective and look at he facts before forming an opinion
I've considered becoming a poet, a politician, an architect, or a dancer
I always lose track of time
When trying to remember a name I forgot, I'd recite the alphabet until I remembered it
I like to draw
When I'm confused, I usually go with my gut instinct
I have considered becoming a lawyer, journalist, or doctor
Key 1 to 32
L, L, L, R, L, R, R, L, R, L, L, R, R, L, R, L, L, R, R, R, L, R, R, L, L, L, R, R, L, R, R, L