The Role of Emotions and Physiological Arousal in Modulating Impulsive Behavior

By Anonymous -

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051118300644?via=ihub


Summary: Emotion has a tremendous impact on one's impulsivity. Common when experiencing negative urgency or distress, impulsivity can be essential. Impulsive actions can also be displayed in an attempt to alleviate one's mood state. For example, binge drinking is an act that has the potential to alleviate or ease one's mood at a given time. Impulsivity is complex, made up of many possible causes and potential actions; there are numerous emotional and physiological states in shaping impulsive action. Although impulsivity can be considered a symptom of neurological conditions, it can also be a characteristic or personality trait of a healthy individual. Researchers find it extremely difficult to define impulsivity, which has led to it's categorization within many subtypes. A comprehensive factor analysis of many impulsivity scales was performed in order to separate different subtypes of impulsivity that were linked together. Urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking are the four personality features that some researches confine impulsivity as, though it isn't solely maladaptive (dysfunctional), but it is also 'functional'. Behaviorally, 'reflection'-impulsivity refers to the preparation stage of the action, 'motor'-impulsivity refers to the execution of the action and reflects the inability to inhibit a motor response when it is no longer suitable; 'temporal'-impulsivity reflects a difficulty in delaying gratification. There is much overlap in relation to impulsivity, though the different subtypes show separate neuronal correlates. Impulsive actions and decisions are affected by the individuals' current affective and physiological state. The amygdala plays an essential role in impulsive behavior and emotional processing. The prefrontal cortex is another brain region liked to impulsivity and emotion as well. The nucleus accumbens is activated when risky choices are proceeded, while the anterior insula is activated when safe choices are taken (from a study on a financial decision-making task)- two neural circuits driving risk-seeking and risk-aversion.


Reflection: Emotion is definitely tied to physiological arousal. One's skin can become flushed, their breathing can become heavy, and even muscle tension can occur due to different emotion states that arise. As emotion is difficult to quantify, impulsivity is also, both evoke powerful and innumerable responses, physically and psychologically. Emotion is actually the decrease or increase of physiological activity accompanied by feelings. The sympathetic nervous system is active in many cases where impulsivity is involved, this fight or flight response triggers one's adrenals to release hormones when there is risk of danger or a negative outcome, although it is also active to maintain homeostasis. The anterior cingulate gyrus is active in decision making, anticipating reward, and identifying harm, which all are essential to aspects of impulsivity and emotion as well, all potentially leading to different physiological conditions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sniffing Pleasant Odors may Decrease Cigarette Cravings

By -
https://neurosciencenews.com/olfaction-cigarette-craving-11085/ Smoking today is known to be an addictive habit. In fact, a significant group of people who want to quit smoking will relapse after roughly two weeks of not smoking. However, a new study from the APA has shown that smokers who sniff a pleasant smell prior to smoking will have an easier time resisting the urge to smoke. In this study, the researchers selected 232 smokers from the ages of 18-55. First, the participants were exposed to multiple different smells and asked to identify the most pleasant smell to them. Then, participants were asked to light a cigarette and rate (from 1-100) their desire to smoke that cigarette. After the participants gave a rating, they were given a container to sniff the odor that each participant said was most pleasant. The results suggest that sniffing the pleasant odor while a cigarette was lit caused the craving of smoking the cigarette to decrease. The researchers believe that the ple
Read more

Holding hands can sync brainwaves, ease pain, study shows

By -
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180301094822.htm Summary: Pain researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Haifa did a studying showing just how far-reaching the simple act of touch can be. They have been studying a phenomenon known as “interpersonal synchronization”, which is the idea that people physiologically sync with those they are with. Pavel Goldstein is the first to look at brain wave synchronization and its relation to pain. He was compelled to do so after the birth of his daughter because it was through that experience he realized holding his wife’s hand helped to eased her pain. He decided to take this idea to the lab in hopes to unveil the science behind a healing touch. They found through their study that “…pain totally interrupts this interpersonal synchronization between couples and touch brings it back.” Touch is powerful and it may even activate pain-killing reward mechanisms in the brain. So if ever you find yourself i
Read more

Music Therapy

By Laurel McNeal -
http:/ /www.brainfacts.org/Diseases-and-Disorders/Neurodegenerative-Disorders/2019/Music-as-Therapy-011719 Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common forms of dementia that effects memory, thinking, and behavior. In the U.S it is estimated that about 5.7 million people have Alzheimer’s and there is not a cure available. Leading caregivers to look for new ways to help their loved ones have a better day to day life. The article talks about how music therapy could help to manage symptoms like depression, anger, and agitation. Helping to improve patients mood and behavior, while decreasing the amount of medication they must take. The music does not cure the disease but does help to stimulate the brain. Music uses many different areas of the brain at one time. The brain must hear and process sounds, language, emotions, and if singing or dancing plan movements. In one research study scientist scanned the brains of dementia patients while they listened to music. One area the supplementa
Read more