Anger part of the brain

What Part of the Brain Controls Emotions? Fear, Happiness, Anger, Love

Overview

The brain is a very complex organ. It controls and coordinates everything from the movement of your fingers to your heart rate. The brain also plays a crucial role in how you control and process your emotions.

Experts still have a lot of questions about the brain’s role in a range of emotions, but they’ve pinpointed the origins of some common ones, including fear, anger, happiness, and love.

Read on to learn more about what part of the brain controls emotions.

The limbic system is a group of interconnected structures located deep within the brain. It’s the part of the brain that’s responsible for behavioral and emotional responses.

Scientists haven’t reached an agreement about the full list of structures that make up the limbic system, but the following structures are generally accepted as part of the group:

Hypothalamus. In addition to controlling emotional responses, the hypothalamus is also involved in sexual responses, hormone release, and regulating body temperature.
Hippocampus. The hippocampus helps preserve and retrieve memories. It also plays a role in how you understand the spatial dimensions of your environment.
Amygdala. The amygdala helps coordinate responses to things in your environment, especially those that trigger an emotional response. This structure plays an important role in fear and anger.
Limbic cortex. This part contains two structures, the cingulate gyrus and the parahippocampal gyrus. Together, they impact mood, motivation, and judgement.

From a biological standpoint, fear is a very important emotion. It helps you respond appropriately to threatening situations that could harm you.

This response is generated by stimulation of the amygdala, followed by the hypothalamus. This is why some people with brain damage affecting their amygdala don’t always respond appropriately to dangerous scenarios.

When the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus, it initiates the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus sends signals to the adrenal glands to produce hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

As these hormones enter the bloodstream, you might notice some physical changes, such as an increase in:

heart rate
breathing rate
blood sugar
perspiration

In addition to initiating the fight-or-flight response, the amygdala also plays a role in fear learning. This refers to the process by which you develop an association between certain situations and feelings of fear.

Much like fear, anger is a response to threats or stressors in your environment. When you’re in a situation that seems dangerous and you can’t escape, you’ll likely respond with anger or aggression. You can think of the anger response and the fight as part of the fight-or-flight response.

Frustration, such as facing roadblocks while trying to achieve a goal, can also trigger the anger response.

Anger starts with the amygdala stimulating the hypothalamus, much like in the fear response. In addition, parts of the prefrontal cortex may also play a role in anger. People with damage to this area often have trouble controlling their emotions, especially anger and aggression.

Parts of the prefrontal cortex of the brain may also contribute to the regulation of an anger response. People with damage to this area of the brain sometimes have difficulty controlling their emotions, particularly anger and aggression.

Happiness refers to an overall state of well-being or satisfaction. When you feel happy, you generally have positive thoughts and feelings.

Imaging studies suggest that the happiness response originates partly in the limbic cortex. Another area called the precuneus also plays a role. The precuneus is involved in retrieving memories, maintaining your sense of self, and focusing your attention as you move about your environment.

A 2015 study found that people with larger gray matter volume in their right precuneus reported being happier. Experts think the precuneus processes certain information and converts it into feelings of happiness. For example, imagine you’ve spent a wonderful night out with someone you care about. Going forward, when you recall this experience and others like it, you may experience a feeling of happiness.

It may sound strange, but the beginnings of romantic love are associated with the stress response triggered by your hypothalamus. It makes more sense when you think about the nervous excitement or anxiety you feel while falling for someone.

As these feelings grow, the hypothalamus triggers release of other hormones, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin.

Dopamine is associated with your body’s reward system. This helps make love a desirable feeling.

A small 2005 study showed participants a picture of someone they were romantically in love with. Then, they showed them a photo of an acquaintance. When shown a picture of someone they loved, the participants had increased activity in parts of the brain that are rich in dopamine.

Oxytocin is often referred to as the “love hormone. ” This is largely because it increases when you hug someone or have an orgasm. It’s produced in the hypothalamus and released through your pituitary gland. It’s associated with social bonding as well. This is important for trust and building a relationship. It can also promote a feeling of calmness and contentment.

Vasopressin is similarly produced in your hypothalamus and released by your pituitary gland. It’s also involved in social bonding with a partner.

The brain is a complex organ that researchers are still trying to decode. But experts have identified the limbic system as one of the main parts of the brain that controls basic emotions.

As technology evolves and scientists get a better glimpse into the human mind, we’ll likely learn more about the origins of more complex emotions.

What Part of the Brain Controls Emotions? Fear, Happiness, Anger, Love

Overview

Experts still have a lot of questions about the brain’s role in a range of emotions, but they’ve pinpointed the origins of some common ones, including fear, anger, happiness, and love.

Read on to learn more about what part of the brain controls emotions.

The limbic system is a group of interconnected structures located deep within the brain. It’s the part of the brain that’s responsible for behavioral and emotional responses.

Scientists haven’t reached an agreement about the full list of structures that make up the limbic system, but the following structures are generally accepted as part of the group:

Hypothalamus. In addition to controlling emotional responses, the hypothalamus is also involved in sexual responses, hormone release, and regulating body temperature.
Hippocampus. The hippocampus helps preserve and retrieve memories. It also plays a role in how you understand the spatial dimensions of your environment.
Amygdala. The amygdala helps coordinate responses to things in your environment, especially those that trigger an emotional response. This structure plays an important role in fear and anger.
Limbic cortex. This part contains two structures, the cingulate gyrus and the parahippocampal gyrus. Together, they impact mood, motivation, and judgement.

From a biological standpoint, fear is a very important emotion. It helps you respond appropriately to threatening situations that could harm you.

When the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus, it initiates the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus sends signals to the adrenal glands to produce hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

As these hormones enter the bloodstream, you might notice some physical changes, such as an increase in:

heart rate
breathing rate
blood sugar
perspiration

Frustration, such as facing roadblocks while trying to achieve a goal, can also trigger the anger response.

Happiness refers to an overall state of well-being or satisfaction. When you feel happy, you generally have positive thoughts and feelings.

As these feelings grow, the hypothalamus triggers release of other hormones, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin.

Dopamine is associated with your body’s reward system. This helps make love a desirable feeling.

Vasopressin is similarly produced in your hypothalamus and released by your pituitary gland. It’s also involved in social bonding with a partner.

The brain is a complex organ that researchers are still trying to decode. But experts have identified the limbic system as one of the main parts of the brain that controls basic emotions.

As technology evolves and scientists get a better glimpse into the human mind, we’ll likely learn more about the origins of more complex emotions.

How our brain decides what we share with others on the Internet | Publications

Every day we seem to experience hundreds of different emotions, each of which corresponds to the situations in which we find ourselves. But from a scientific point of view, there are not so many of them. In fact, a new study claims that we can only experience four basic emotions: joy, sadness, fear/surprise, anger/disgust

But just like basic sauces let you cook a lot of delicious dishes, four basic emotions are mixed in our brain with each other another in many different ways, forming numerous variants emotional stews.

Robert Patrick's famous wheel of emotions showcases well-known emotional layers.

In this text, we will take a closer look at each of the four emotions, how they form in the brain, and how they make us commit sometimes amazing things.

WE WANT TO SHARE IN HIS JOY

Psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott discovered that our first emotional reaction upon coming into this world becomes a response to maternal smile. Obviously, joy and happiness are deeply embedded in all of us.

The left side of the prefrontal cortex is the same a place where such creations of happiness as optimism and resilience live. IN as part of a study conducted by the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience, scientists observed Buddhist monks and found that their left prefrontal lobe of the brain began to glow when they entered a blissful state meditation.

What gives us joy and happiness can provoke us and for specific actions. Winnicott's discovery of the "social smile" proves the fact that there is more joy when everyone shares it with each other friend.

Thus, it is not at all surprising that happiness is the main driver of "sharing" in social networks. Emotional layers connected with happiness and joy, make up the bulk of this list, consisting of main drivers of viral content.

And here is how these emotional drivers identified by Fractl look on the wheel of emotions.

Jonah Berger, Wharton School of Marketing Professor University of Pennsylvania, studied nearly 7,000 New York Times articles to to understand what was so special about those of them that caused the most active reader reaction. He found that the article was more likely to get the status of "viral" if it was written in a positive way.

Abigail Posner of Google describes this as "exchange energies":

“When we see or create an image that brings us to life, we we send it to other people to share our energy with them. In every The gift is a part of the soul of the giver. Also, each image reminds us and everyone else that we are alive, happy and full of energy (even if we are not we always feel it). And when we "like" or comment on a picture or video, sent to us, we seem to give something in return. We are grateful to them. But what more importantly, such "gifts" contribute to the exchange of energies, causing us a sense of pleasure - and this is what we are programmed for.

SAD HELPS US EMpathize And Keep Connected

It may be appropriate to look at sadness as the reverse side of happiness, since sadness and grief ignite the same zone, which is happiness.

However, when the brain is sad, it also produces neurochemicals. Paul Zak's research drew attention to the in particular, two of them.

Zach's test subjects watched a short and sad film about boy with cancer.

While watching, their brains produced cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone", and oxytocin, which is responsible for the appearance belonging and empathy. Later, those whose brains produced more oxytocin more easily parted with money in favor of those patients with whom they didn't even know each other.

Zach insists that the ability to generate oxytocin, which leads us to understanding and empathy, can also make us more trusting and generous. In various studies, participants who are under the influence of oxytocin gave more money to charity than those who did not receive the hormone.

“Our research shows why toilet ads Papers involve mostly puppies and babies, says Zach. - We believe that advertisers use images that provoke us to produce oxytocin to build trust in the product and brand and thus increase sales".

FEAR/SURPRISE MAKE US DESPERATELY CLANGING TO SOMETHING

Although those who are most prone to worry, fear and depression, show high activity of the right side of the prefrontal cortex, the emotion of fear itself is controlled by a small, almond-like a formation called the amygdala (or amygdala).

The amygdala helps us determine the meaning of each frightening us the event and decide how to respond to it (fight or give up). But fear can also trigger another reaction that can interest, in particular, marketers.

Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research, shows that potential buyers who experienced fear while watching video, felt more appreciation for the brand than those who experienced other emotions – like joy, sadness, or admiration.

The theory is that when we are afraid, we feel like sharing our fears with others – and if no one is around no, the brand can play the role of a vest. Fear can stimulate in people greater brand loyalty.

“People cope with fear by uniting with others. In while watching a horror movie, they look at each other and say "oh my god!" thus strengthening their connection, says study author Lee Dunn. - But our research has shown that in the absence of friends, consumers tend to create a strong emotional connection with the brand that happened to be nearby.

ANGRY/DISPUTED MAKE US MORE STRONG

For anger, as well as for hunger and sexual pleasure - in our brain, the hypothalamus responds.

And although anger can cause other emotions - like aggression - he, according to a recent study report from the University of Wisconsin, is still and forms a curious form of online stubbornness.

Study participants were asked to read a blog post in which presented a balanced discussion of the risks and benefits nanotechnology. The text was the same for all subjects, but for one group were allowed to read extremely polite comments, and the other - rude and offensive, in which people constantly got personal and threatened.

Rude comments made the subjects assert themselves in own position: those of them who believed that the risk from nanotechnology is small, convinced of this completely.

Even more interesting is what happened to people who had no no clear position on the issue raised in the post. In the group that read polite comments, nothing has changed.

On the other hand, those who read the rude comments ended up with more polarized understanding of the risks associated with technology.

Simply including offensive comments in the text was enough for the study participants to think that the shortcomings there is more to these technologies than they previously thought.

Thus, the negative has a very real prolonged effect - and it also confirms why people tend to share content. New York Viral Content Study Times, confirms that some negative emotions - especially anger - are closely related to the viral nature of the content.

WHY EMOTIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR MARKETING

What is it all of us - marketers and users of social networks - teaches? Because emotions are incredibly important to marketing—perhaps even more than we thought.

Based on the findings of IPA dataBANK analytical work based on 1,400 studies of successful advertising campaigns, those campaigns that were in more degrees based on emotions were almost twice as effective (31% versus 16%) of those based on "rational" content.

This helps us understand what scientists have long proven: people first feel, then think. Areas of the brain responsible for emotions process information five times faster than the zones responsible for cognitive processes.

And since emotions are directly related to the basics evolution, it was they who protected people for centuries. The ability to recognize anger and fear is so primal that we subconsciously react to these emotions – and Sometimes we do amazing things.

For example, in a customer survey, a generator manufacturer Generac asked some of them to describe their experience with their product. And How reports Harvard Business Review:

"They found men describing their generator sets as superheroes who protected their families, and women who were afraid to be left without such more installations than drowning on the Titanic. This resulted in the company changed its marketing specifications from purely technical to more human - they began to share people's stories about how Generac saved them home and life. This allowed the company to double its business in two years - up to $ 1.2 billion."

Emotion - a feeling of impending fear - has become what driven Generac buyers. That's why Abigail Posner says we don't we have the right to underestimate the importance of emotions for marketing:

“Understanding emotional appeal and the key drivers behind every opening, viewing, distribution and creation of Internet video, photographs and other visual content... In the language of the visual Internet, when we share a video or photo with others, we are not just we share a certain object, but also the emotions that it causes.

READ SEE ALSO

why are we ashamed of the temples, but afraid of the tonsils - T&P

Where do feelings come from in a person? It is known that our brain is responsible for them, but in what areas of it are certain emotions born? T&P publishes a translation of the article and compiles an "emotional brain map" to understand how we feel, why anger is similar to happiness, and why a person cannot live without gentle touches.

Guilt and shame: the temporal lobes

It is easy for us to understand how memory or counting can be processes in the brain. Emotions, however, are not so smooth, partly because in speech we use phrases like “heartbreak” to describe sadness, or “blush” to describe shame. And yet, feelings are a phenomenon from the field of neurophysiology: a process that takes place in the tissues of the main organ of our nervous system. Today, we can partly appreciate it thanks to neuroimaging technology.

As part of their research, Petra Michl and several of her colleagues at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München recently took a series of MRI scans. They sought to find areas of the brain that are responsible for our ability to feel guilty or ashamed. Scientists have found that shame and guilt seem to be neighbors in the “block”, although each of these feelings has its own anatomical region.

The researchers asked participants to imagine that they felt guilty or ashamed, and in both cases it activated the temporal lobes of the brain. At the same time, shame involved in them the anterior cingulate cortex, which monitors the external environment and informs the person about mistakes, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is responsible for remembering scenes from the past. Guilt, in turn, "turned on" the lateral occipital-temporal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus - the center of the vestibular analyzer. In addition, in people who were ashamed, the anterior and middle frontal gyrus began to work, and in those who felt guilty, the amygdala (tonsils) and insular lobe became more active. The last two areas of the brain are part of the limbic system, which regulates our basic fight-or-flight emotions, organ function, blood pressure, and other parameters.

Comparing MRI images of the brains of people of different sexes, scientists found that in women, wine affected only the temporal lobes, while in men, the frontal lobes, occipital lobes and tonsils began to work in parallel - one of the most ancient elements of the brain that are responsible for the feeling of fear, anger, panic and pleasure.

Fear and Anger: The Amygdala

During fetal development, the limbic system forms immediately after the brainstem, which organizes reflexes and connects the brain to the spinal cord. Her work is the feelings and actions that are necessary for the survival of the species. The tonsils are an important element of the limbic system. These areas are located near the hypothalamus, inside the temporal lobes, and are activated when we see food, sexual partners, rivals, crying babies, and so on. The body's varied reactions to fear are also their work: if you feel like a stranger is following you in the park at night and your heart starts beating wildly, this is due to the activity of the tonsils. In the course of several independent studies conducted in various centers and universities, experts managed to find out that even artificial stimulation of these areas causes a person to feel the approach of imminent danger.

Anger is also a function of the amygdala in many ways. However, it is very different from fear, sadness, and other negative emotions. Human anger is amazing in that it is similar to happiness: like joy and pleasure, it makes us move forward, while fear or grief forces us to step back. Like other emotions, anger, anger and rage cover a variety of parts of the brain: in order to realize their impulse, this organ needs to assess the situation, turn to memory and experience, regulate the production of hormones in the body, and do much more.

Tenderness and comfort: the somatosensory cortex

In many cultures, it is customary to hide sadness and shock: for example, in British English there is even an idiomatic expression "keep a stiff upper lip", which means "not to betray your feelings." Nevertheless, neuroscientists argue that from the point of view of the physiology of the brain, a person simply needs the participation of other people. “Clinical experiments show that loneliness provokes stress more than any other factor,” says Stefan Klein, a German scientist and author of The Science of Happiness. “Loneliness is a burden on the brain and body. It results in restlessness, confusion in thoughts and feelings (a consequence of the work of stress hormones) and a weakened immune system. In isolation, people become sad and sick.”

One study after another shows that companionship is good for a person physically and spiritually. It prolongs life and improves its quality. “One touch from someone close to you and worthy of your trust eases sadness,” Stefan says. "This is a consequence of the work of neurotransmitters - oxytocin and opioids - which are released during moments of tenderness."

Recently, British researchers were able to confirm the theory of the usefulness of petting using computed tomography. They found that the touch of other people causes strong bursts of activity in the somatosensory cortex, which is already working constantly, monitoring all our tactile sensations. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the impulses that arise if someone gently touches our body during difficult times are associated with the process of isolating critical stimuli from the general stream that can change everything for us. Experts also noticed that participants in the experiment experienced grief easier when they were held by the hand of a stranger, and much easier when their palms were touched by a loved one.

Joy and laughter: the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus

When we experience joy, experience happiness, laugh or smile, many different areas of our brain “light up”. The already familiar amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and anterior insular cortex are involved in the process of creating and processing positive emotions, so that the feeling of joy, like anger, sadness or fear, covers the entire brain.

In happy moments, the right amygdala becomes much more active than the left. Today it is widely believed that the left hemisphere of our brain is responsible for logic, and the right hemisphere for creativity. However, we have recently known that this is not the case. Both parts of the brain are required for most functions, although hemispheric asymmetries exist: for example, the largest speech centers are located on the left, while intonation and accent processing is more localized on the right.

The prefrontal cortex is several areas of the frontal lobes of the brain that are located in the front of the hemispheres, just behind the frontal bone. They are connected to the limbic system and are responsible for our ability to determine our goals, develop plans, achieve the desired results, change course and improvise. Studies show that in happy moments, the prefrontal cortex of the left hemisphere is more active in women than the same area on the right.

The hippocampus, which is located deep in the temporal lobes, together with the tonsils, help us to separate important emotional events from insignificant ones, so that the former can be stored in long-term memory, and the latter can be discarded. In other words, hippocampi evaluate happy events in terms of their significance for the archive. The anterior insular cortex helps them do this. It is also connected with the limbic system and behaves most actively when a person remembers pleasant or sad events.

Lust and love: not emotions

Today, the human brain is studied by thousands of neuroscientists around the world.

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