Neuroscientist Answers Emotion Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

Emotion Support is here for you (0s)

• Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist and psychologist, is hosting a Q&A session to answer questions from the internet, titled "Emotion Support." (0s)
• The Q&A session is initiated with a question from @paularau, who inquires about the claim that stress can shrink the brain. (12s)

Stress causes shrinkage? (14s)

• Research indicates that stress has a clear impact on the brain, causing it to shrink in size. (17s)
• The effects of stress on the brain can be seen in the reduction of its overall size. (20s)
• Specifically, stress causes shrinkage in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for growing new brain cells. (22s)
• A viewer, @wendystella06, inquired about the relationship between stress and brain shrinkage. (29s)

Are women really more sensitive and emotional than men? (32s)

• When comparing thousands of men and women, slight differences can be found, with women possibly being more sensitive to emotional cues than men (38s).
• Women may be more expressive of emotion than men in certain contexts (46s).
• The variation within each gender far exceeds the variation between genders (52s).
• Focusing on these gender differences may be misplaced due to the significant variation within each gender (1m1s).

Feelings: Why? (1m5s)

• Feelings and emotions are present throughout evolutionary history and are not exclusive to humans (1m7s).
• In animals, feelings such as fear serve as a motivator for essential actions like running or fighting when confronted by a predator (1m15s).
• Feelings play a crucial role in helping individuals navigate important life decisions (1m24s).
• Emotions are essential in enabling people to make significant decisions, such as choosing a romantic partner or selecting a job (1m34s).
• Important life decisions are not typically made based on a simple, cold cognitive calculus, but rather with the influence of emotions and feelings (1m40s).
• Emotions and feelings are used to make decisions, rather than relying solely on cognitive reasoning (1m47s).

Botox (1m54s)

• Botox impairs the ability to process other people's emotions by preventing facial mirroring of someone's reaction (1m57s).
• Botox effectively paralyzes facial muscles, which is significant because research has shown that emotional expressions feed back information to the brain to help modulate its activity (2m5s).
• The brain controls the face to produce emotional expressions, and these expressions also provide feedback to the brain to help regulate its activity (2m15s).
• When interacting with another person, contagious emotional expression often occurs, where emotions are simulated to experience what another person may be feeling (2m28s).
• This simulated emotional expression is part of empathy, and Botox can deprive individuals of this major mechanism for making inferences about both their own and another person's emotions (2m31s).
• The inability to simulate emotions due to Botox can also affect inferences about one's own emotions and those of others (2m44s).

Come on, chemicals (2m59s)

• Research has shown that a serotonin imbalance may not be the primary cause of depression, indicating that the relationship between chemicals and emotions is more complex than initially thought (3m5s).
• The body is composed of numerous chemicals, making it challenging to pinpoint a single chemical as the cause of a specific emotion or disease without thorough research (3m10s).
• Although drugs used to treat depression primarily target serotonin, this does not necessarily mean that serotonin is the cause of depression or the most important chemical involved in the condition (3m22s).
• It is likely that serotonin triggers a cascade of chemical reactions when affected by medication, and the underlying causes of depression and its improvement extend beyond serotonin (3m34s).
• The human body is a complex "chemical soup," and ongoing research continues to discover new chemicals in the brain and body, highlighting the complexity of emotions and diseases (3m50s).
• The idea that a single molecule is associated with a specific disease or emotion is a myth, and emotions are likely influenced by multiple chemicals and factors (4m7s).
• A question is raised about whether autistic individuals are hypersensitive to emotions, but no answer is provided in this segment (4m13s).

Are autistic individuals hypersensitive to emotions? (4m14s)

• Autism is not a homogeneous category, but rather a heterogeneous one with different subtypes and subgroups, which can affect how individuals with autism perceive and process emotions (4m17s).
• Some subgroups of autistic individuals are generally hypersensitive, including being hypersensitive to emotions (4m28s).
• A subgroup of autistic individuals exhibits gaze aversion, avoiding direct eye contact with others due to their high sensitivity to emotions and the arousal caused by watching another person's face (4m33s).
• Gaze aversion in autistic individuals can be an early symptom, starting very early in life and being one of the first noticeable signs of autism (4m51s).

That feeling in your gut (5m0s)

• A feeling of sadness in the stomach, often referred to as a "gut feeling," can occur even when a person thinks they are okay, indicating a discrepancy between the brain's and stomach's perceptions of emotions (5m0s).
• The gut contains approximately 200 million neurons, which facilitate communication between the brain and the stomach, allowing for the exchange of information and modulation of activity in the brain (5m7s).
• The connection between the brain and the stomach is a two-way process, with the brain influencing the stomach and the stomach providing feedback to the brain, making gut feelings a real and significant aspect of emotional experience (5m15s).
• Emotions are not solely confined to the brain but are embodied and involve various bodily systems, including the gut, which plays a crucial role in modulating emotional activity (5m28s).
• The concept of emotions being embodied and interconnected with bodily systems is part of the broader understanding of emotions, referred to as the "mandala of emotion" (5m24s).

Can I turn them off? (5m40s)

• There are medications available that can alter brain chemistry to process emotions, often used to treat emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety (5m48s).
• These medications can be important when used judiciously, but there is a concern that they are being administered too readily in society, with a low threshold and potential side effects (6m12s).
• Alternative methods, such as meditation and cognitive therapy, can also change the brain without medication, and have been scientifically proven to be effective in treating depression and anxiety (6m36s).
• Cognitive therapy is a well-validated strategy that involves teaching people to think differently about their thoughts, and should be considered before resorting to medication (6m42s).
• Non-invasive methods like cognitive therapy and meditation should be tried before more invasive methods like medication (6m53s).

The internet and our emotional state (7m4s)

• The preponderance of evidence suggests that the internet makes people less emotionally empathic, particularly towards members of the outgroup (7m11s).
• The internet often feeds users information consistent with their ideology and beliefs, leading to increased polarization and reduced empathy for those outside their ingroup (7m23s).
• Interacting with people virtually can make individuals less inhibited and less constrained due to the lack of immediate feedback from the other person's physical presence, such as facial expressions (7m44s).
• This lack of inhibition can lead to the danger of becoming overly expressive in potentially inappropriate ways when interacting with people online (8m2s).
• A question is raised about whether "cringe" can be considered an emotion (8m4s).

Cringe (8m7s)

• Cringe is a complex facial or vocal expression that combines several different emotions, including disgust, contempt, anger, and sadness (8m14s).
• The expression of cringe is typically displayed in response to someone making a terrible and inappropriate joke in the wrong setting (8m40s).
• Cringe can be thought of as a conglomeration of negative emotions, making it a complex emotion (8m25s).
• Paul Ekman, a famous emotion scientist, has explored the concept of cringe and its associated emotions (8m45s).

How many emotions are there? (8m52s)

• Robert Plutchik developed a scheme arguing that there are primary emotions such as joy, trust, fear, surprise, and their opposites, including sadness, disgust, anger, and anticipation, which can be visualized in a circumplex model (8m57s).
• In this model, the outer ring represents less arousing emotions, while emotions closer to the center are more arousing, ranging from lower arousal positive emotions like serenity to higher arousal positive emotions like ecstasy (9m28s).
• The circumplex model also shows a progression from lower to higher arousal negative emotions, such as from apprehension to fear to terror (9m39s).
• According to Plutchik's scheme, certain emotions are opposites, such as joy and sadness, but other scientists argue that emotions may be less binary and can coexist, as seen in research with the Dalai Lama who expressed serenity and sadness simultaneously (9m50s).
• Western conceptions of emotion, like Plutchik's model, may not be universally applicable, as non-Western cultures have different frameworks for understanding emotions (10m19s).
• In some non-Western cultures, emotions are categorized as wholesome or unwholesome, with emotions like anger being considered unwholesome (10m38s).

Why is smiling contagious? (10m59s)

• Smiling is contagious and invites the question of emotions being contagious more generally (11m0s).
• Research has shown that emotional contagion begins early in life, as seen in neonates in a hospital nursing unit, where one baby's crying can trigger other babies to cry as well (11m7s).
• This phenomenon demonstrates that humans are wired to respond to the emotions of others from birth (11m22s).
• Understanding emotional contagion can be helpful in situations where changing the mood in a group is desired, such as in a meeting or room, where laughing or smiling can spread to other members (11m31s).

Meditation and the brain (11m50s)

• Cultivating wholesome habits of mind through meditation can change the brain, particularly in two major systems: attention and emotion regulation (11m52s).
• Meditation strengthens the prefrontal cortex, the area of self-regulation, which is involved in paying attention (12m7s).
• The prefrontal cortex is majorly involved in meditation as it is the area responsible for self-regulation (12m7s).
• Meditation improves the ability to regulate emotions by changing the connectivity among different networks in the brain (12m22s).
• Typically, self-related thinking and beliefs about oneself can dominate perception of reality, but meditation alters this by shifting connectivity in the brain (12m32s).
• Through meditation, individuals can develop the ability to recognize their thoughts, beliefs, and expectations about themselves without being controlled by them (12m46s).
• Meditation affects the wiring in the brain by altering connectivity and allowing for a clearer perception of one's thoughts and emotions (12m54s).

me need be smarter (13m1s)

• Aerobic exercise is considered the single best non-pharmacological and safe way to increase neuroplasticity, which may be a surprising fact to some viewers (13m15s).
• Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change in response to experience or training, involving mechanisms such as forming new connections, decreasing connections, and sculpting the brain (13m17s).
• Neuroplasticity also includes the process of neurogenesis, where new neurons can grow (13m32s).
• Combining an increase in neuroplasticity with training the mind can help improve emotions, and a combination of physical exercise and meditation is considered an ideal approach (13m48s).
• A new concept, "contemplative aerobics," is introduced as a potential method to combine physical exercise and meditation (13m59s).

Can I borrow a feeling? (14m8s)

• Some people report not feeling their emotions, which can be due to various reasons, including having emotions that they're not consciously experiencing or not having those emotions at all (14m8s).
• The condition where a person has difficulty labeling, naming, or becoming aware of their emotions is referred to as alexithymia (14m24s).
• In contrast, the case where a person is not having emotions is more similar to psychopathy (14m36s).
• There are significant differences among individuals in the extent to which they feel their emotions (14m38s).
• Emotions are not always consciously felt, and one way to become more aware of them is to sit quietly, bring awareness into the body, and scan different parts of the body to connect with the emotions (14m48s).

Emotional maturity etc. (15m23s)

• Emotional maturity is closely related to high levels of emotional intelligence, which encompasses the capacity to effectively regulate emotions and be self-aware of one's emotions (15m40s).
• Emotional maturity involves being able to regulate emotions and being aware of one's own emotions, which can be achieved through practices such as simple forms of meditation (15m54s).
• Emotional maturity can be measured through various methods, including analyzing the interaction between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in the brain, as well as observing behavioral expressions in everyday life (16m5s).
• Emotional maturity is not solely based on age, and it is possible for individuals to develop emotional maturity at different stages of life (15m27s).
• Emotional maturity can be objectively measured and is not just a matter of personal opinion, with various methods available to assess emotional intelligence and maturity (15m32s).

Laughter (16m24s)

• Laughter may serve as a kind of emotional reset, allowing for a big change to occur and quickly reset our neural circuits (16m28s).
• Studies in neuroscience, particularly those involving patients with brain damage, have provided insights into laughter (16m40s).
• Patients who have had damage to their right hemisphere, but have their left hemisphere preserved, are more likely to laugh (16m53s).
• The left hemisphere of the brain, specifically the left frontal region, may be associated with certain kinds of positive emotion that laughter is associated with (17m26s).
• Damage to the right side of the brain may disinhibit the left side, making it more active and leading to what is known as pathological laughter (17m7s).
• Pathological laughter is characterized by laughing at things that most people would not find funny (17m19s).

HI WHY AM I SO MAD (17m40s)

• Anger or madness is typically triggered by external factors, such as systemic injustice or thwarted goals, which are perceived by the brain (17m41s).
• When trying to regulate intense anger, the prefrontal cortex is involved, as it plays a role in self-regulation, including the regulation of emotions (17m56s).
• The prefrontal cortex is larger in humans compared to other species, which is likely associated with humans' advanced ability to self-regulate (18m8s).
• The prefrontal cortex's capacity for self-regulation also comes with the possibility of dysregulation, contributing to the higher prevalence of psychiatric problems in humans compared to other species (18m29s).
• The question of what love actually is, is posed by @kawsarpls, but it is not addressed in this segment (18m43s).

What is love? (Baby don’t hurt me) (18m45s)

• Love can be considered as a combination of a gesture, a feeling, and an emotion, but its exact nature is still unclear (18m48s).
• A commitment was made to the Dalai Lama in 1992 to put compassion on the scientific map, and over the last 20 years, the field has been successful in doing so (18m53s).
• The goal now is to do the same for love, as there is currently very little serious research on the topic (19m9s).
• Research has shown that love involves areas of the brain typically associated with emotion (19m15s).
• Love also involves going beyond oneself and dissolving, at least in part, the boundaries between self and others (19m23s).
• The scientific or biological framework for understanding how love occurs is still difficult to specify, but it is likely to involve changes in connectivity between the default mode of the brain and other circuits, particularly those involved in positive emotion (19m33s).