FINAL PAPER: Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study 

Scientist believes that emotions come from the brain. Whether a person feels joy, sadness, fear, or love, these feelings are said to be caused by internal chemical processes.

Jennifer Hicks wrote an article called, "Using Brain Signals To Read Emotions." In this article, Hicks talks about different efforts made by scientists believe to find which parts of the brain influences emotional changes. In the same article, Hicks talks about the first scientists who theorized that emotions came from the brain.

According to Jennifer Hicks, “Charles Darwin believed that emotions give a purpose to humans – by helping them communicate and survive. In 1884 the American philosopher and psychologist William James said an exciting fact would lead directly to a physiological response which was known to us as emotion” (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2013/06/25/using-brain-signals-to-read-emotions/).

This is how emotions work.  Emotions come from different parts of the brain. Each of the brain is responsible for certain emotion.

Bryan Cohen wrote an article entitled “What Parts of Our Brains Are Responsible for Emotions?”  in this article states that brain is most complicated part. But brain have important role in our emotion. Amygdala is responsible for positive activities and emotions like love. On the other hand, is the hypothalamus motivated behaviours like rage and pleasure but it triggers the displeasure aversion and uncontrollable laughter hypothalamus is also more with expression of emotions, while Hippocampus this is part of people’s brain that in charge of interpreting memories and stimuli it is also for remembering emotions. Thalamus it is the centre limbic system that support the part of brain, emotional behaviour will change because of interconnectedness of the thalamus.

According to Bryan Cohen,  ”The brain is a complicated organ of the human body that is still not completely understood by scientists. The three major evolutions of the human brain over time are the archipallium (reptilian) brain, the paleopallium (old mammalian) brain, and the neopallium (new mammalian) brain”.

In other words the brain of the human evolves in overtime, there are three evolutions. Archipallium most of the cerebellum works, this type of brain is commonly see in fish. Paleopallium it is the part of the brain that evolutionarily part of the brain.

(http://www.ehow.com/list_6360640_parts-brains-responsible-emotions_.html#ixzz2xQJSisDl)

Chemicals cause emotions. Brain is a large network that reacts in every second, it has processing network that neuron and cells can transmit signals in the brain. The neuron send signals through neurotransmitter, that why some chemicals release and the other part are receiving it.

Caitlin Uttley wrote an article entitled “Brain Chemicals Dictate Your Mood”, in this article states that there are three commonly neurotransmitter namely Dopamine, Serotonin, and lastly Norepinephrine. Dopamine this is related to pleasure and rewarding. This commonly neurotransmitter reminds our mind to do it again because it causes us pleasure that our mind is happy to do it. Second, Serotonin, researcher believes that it’s regenerate the brain which has been linked to easing depression. Imbalance of Serotonin may cause an anger, anxiety and depression, lastly norepinephrine which work as managing anger and anxiety.

According to Caitlin Uttley “Abnormalities in how the brain receives and processes these chemicals can have a big effect on your emotions. For example, when you do something rewarding or pleasurable, the part of your brain that processes that information interacts with the chemical dopamine. If your brain can't receive dopamine normally, the result is that you feel less happy -- or even sad -- after what should have been a happy experience”(http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/5-ways-your-brain-influences-your-emotions.htm#page=2) In short, our brain react and process such as chemical in every emotion we feel. In every emotion there are corresponding chemicals that our brain releases.

Chemicals imbalance makes people sad. Our brains produce chemicals the reason why we feel sad.

The researcher read an article entitled “Brain Chemical Messengers” it clearly states that Brain chemicals imbalance is also known as overstress. Everyday our mind receives trillion of words.  There are called happy message and sad message as long as it put balance everything will be okay, but stress may cause problem to the happy message. Even though people receive happy message throughout the day if there are too much stress the happy message will be fail. The center nerves will be receive a bad message and the whole brain becomes distress

In the addition to that the researcher also said that “OVERSTRESS makes people feel terrible. With SAD MESSAGES overwhelming the happy messages, a person feels "overwhelmed" by life. People complain of being tired, unable to fall asleep or to obtain a restful night's sleep. They have plagues of aches and pains, lack of energy, lack of enjoyment of life. They feel depressed, anxious, or just unable to cope with life.” (http://www.teachhealth.com/chemmess.html)

Although most people believe that emotions come from the brain, the researcher observes that there are also thing that do not come from the body that affects emotion. The researcher observes that emotions can also be affected by external stimuli and are not entirely dependent on chemical processes.

Knowing what external stimuli triggers emotions, and how they affected emotions will allow the reader to better choose which stimuli they allow in their lives.

The purpose of this paper is to explain what stimuli affect people’s emotions and discuss which emotions are triggered by these stimuli. 

B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer this question:
1)  What are the non-biological stimuli that affect people emotions?

C. Significance of the Study

Psychologist – This research paper benefits the psychologist buy explain that there are not only emotions.

Future Researcher – It will benefit future researcher because it will help them make their work faster and enlarge their field of knowledge in emotions this will eliminate unnecessary research. They can discover more through thus research paper. This research paper will give a new explanation of how emotions operate or work.

Scientist – This research paper will benefits the scientist by explaining that there not all emotions comes in our body there are also non-biological stimuli. This will also help the scientist determine diseases right away through the emotions of the patient because if the stimuli are a disease it can be easily identified through the emotions of the patient.

D. Scope and Delimitation

This research is about the emotions, emotion has a wide field and each people have different perspective in terms of emotion. People might relate emotion in different aspects like science, philosophy and many more.

The study focuses in non-biological stimuli things that come from the body that influence emotions. The research focuses on non-biological stimuli because most of the people think that emotion comes from the heart but they did not know the scientific behind emotions.

E. Materials and Method

The research gathered information that relevant to the study using the articles online. The researcher follows a evaluate method, that would focus and evaluate on non-biological stimuli. There will be several perspectives in terms of emotion that will also be pointed out throughout the research.

F. Definition of Terms.

1)  Archipallium – considered contiguous with the olfactory cortex, but the extent of the archipallium varies among species. In older species, such as fish, the archipallium makes up most of the cerebrum.

2)  Interconnectedness - A device used to connect two things together. Connect to each other.

3)  Limbic System - A complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring)

4)  Non-biological - Not involving or derived from biology or living organisms.

5)  Paleopallium - it is a primitive and evolutionarily ancient region of the brain

6)  Reptilian - Relating to or characteristic of reptiles

7)  Stimuli - A thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue