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Myers 533-537. Anger. Brian C. Cole B. Sean Q. Thomas J. fear. Fear. The Amygdala. Plays a key role in fear Sends signals to areas of the body that produce symptoms of extreme fear - such as diarrhea and shortness of breath
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Myers 533-537 Anger Brian C. Cole B. Sean Q. Thomas J. fear
The Amygdala • Plays a key role in fear • Sends signals to areas of the body that produce symptoms of extreme fear - such as diarrhea and shortness of breath • Involved in associating emotions, like fear, with certain stimuli • A rat given a drug that deactivates its amygdala shows no fear learning
Amygdala • People repeatedly blasted by a horn after seeing an image will eventually react emotionally to the image without the horn • If someone has hippocampus damage, he will still have an emotional reaction to the horn without remembering why • If the amygdala is damaged, a person will remember the conditioning of the fear, but will have no emotional reaction • Little Albert experiment
The Effects Of Our Genes • Experiences, as well as genes, shape our fears • Identical twins can be used to prove that our genes influence our levels of fear • It has been found that one twin’s level of fearfulness is similar to the other’s • Even when raised apart from each other, identical twins show a similarity in fear level (Nature)
Phobias • Phobia: An intense fear of an object, situation, or idea • People can be afraid of almost anything. • The most common fear is arachnophobia: the fear of spiders. • Chiclephobia: Fear of chewing gum • Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing • Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns • Ergasiophobia: Fear of work • Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
Maladaptive Anger- Physical or verbal acts of aggression that we later regret • Anger primes prejudice • After the events of 9/11 many Americans who experienced anger more than fear showed more intolerance for immigrants and Muslims
To vent or not to vent • Chronic hostility is linked to heart disease • Some therapists believe it is better to release our anger than to internalize it • Cultures who rely on interdependence see outward signs of anger as a threat to the group • In places like Japan and Tahiti, expressions of anger are less common than in the West • New Yorkers
Expressing anger • Catharsis - through aggressive action or fantasy we can achieve emotional release • Seen mostly in Western Culture • Experimenters say that retaliating against the source of their anger may calm them but only if their retaliation seems justifiable • Expressing anger is more of a temporary fix • Catharsis usually fails to cleanse one’s rage
Anger More Anger • More often than not, expressing anger just leads to more anger • In experiments done by researcher Brad Bushman, people hit a punching bag believing it would release their anger • The result was that in fact, those being studied showed more cruelty • “Venting to reduce anger is like using gasoline to put out a fire.” -Bushman
Dealing with anger • Experts say there are two ways to handle anger: • Wait until your body’s emotional arousal is down • Try calming yourself through exercise or talking • Don’t bottle up your anger • Many people go to anger management classes to learn how to handle their frustration and aggression more easily 2:45 - 4:33
Activity Hold up the card that describes how you feel after viewing the image.