Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD

Episode 151: Emotion

Date: November 21, 2018
Host: Dr. Ginger Campbell
Based on: "The Neuroscience of Emotion: A New Synthesis" by Ralph Adolphs and David J. Anderson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Ginger Campbell explores the neuroscience of emotion, drawing on the book "The Neuroscience of Emotion: A New Synthesis." Instead of focusing on a single theory, the episode covers how neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience approach emotion, challenges common misconceptions popularized by media, and discusses why animal studies are crucial for understanding emotions in both animals and humans. The conversation also lays out why a new, cross-disciplinary framework is needed to advance the field.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Debunking Popular Myths About Emotion

• [01:45] Dr. Campbell critiques the widely held ideas depicted in the film Inside Out, such as:
  • There are a few universal primary emotions
  • Emotions are triggered by specific external stimuli
  • Specific brain regions house discrete emotions
  • Emotions are reflex-like and control behavior
  • Emotions are conscious “little characters” that drive us

“These ideas are based on several assumptions ... Unfortunately, these ideas range from unproven ... to completely false.”
— Dr. Campbell [03:45]

• She explains that emotions are not irreducible, are highly influenced by culture and learning, and are not simple reflexes.

2. Primary Emotions & Universality

• [05:17] The idea of primary or universal emotions is challenged.
  • There is evidence that emotions are shaped by culture and learning.
  • We don't fully know what is truly universal or shared across species.

“There is growing evidence that emotions are influenced by culture and learning. So they're not always the same.”
— Dr. Campbell [05:45]

3. Emotions vs. Reflexes & Cognition

• [06:22] Emotions are not fixed like reflexes but are flexible and shape complex behavior.
• Emotions and cognition are deeply intertwined—decision-making involves both systems.

“Emotions and cognition ... are so intertwined as to really not be separable.”
— Dr. Campbell, referencing Dr. Luis Pessoa [07:32]

4. No Single “Emotion Center” in the Brain

• [08:08] Debunks the myth that specific emotions reside in single brain regions (e.g., fear in the amygdala).
• Conscious feeling and emotion as internal brain states are not the same thing.

5. Challenges in Bridging Psychology and Neurobiology

• [10:45] Systems neurobiology is focused on small-scale processes (cells, molecules), while cognitive neuroscience looks at macroscopic processes (mind, behavior).
• Translations across these levels are challenging.

“Some properties are emergent and they just can't be predicted from the level below.”
— Dr. Campbell [12:25]

6. Role of Animal Studies in Emotion Research

• [14:30] Animal models are essential to move from correlation to causation.
• The amygdala is not the “center of fear”; distributed networks and the hypothalamus play key roles.

“The state of fear is not created by a single locus in the brain. It involves a series of distributed and interconnected nodes, which may actually change depending on the circumstances.”
— Dr. Campbell [19:21]

7. What Can We Learn from Invertebrates?

• [20:47] Studies with flies and other invertebrates (even without an amygdala or hypothalamus) show similar behavioral patterns in response to aversive stimuli, suggesting some emotional primitives may be shared.
• Dopamine’s function is nuanced—can signal both aversion and reward depending on circuitry.

“It's not the identity of the neurotransmitter, but the connectivity of the neurons ... that matters.”
— Dr. Campbell [24:12]

8. Limitations of Human Studies

• [26:37] Human studies rely heavily on verbal reports and fMRI, which is limited by low resolution and ethical constraints.
• We may often be studying feelings or attribution, not core emotional states.

“You could argue that we aren't even studying emotions themselves because we're actually usually studying feelings, that is the conscious experience of the emotion, or ... attribution of emotions to others.”
— Dr. Campbell [28:44]

9. Functional MRI and Causality

• [29:34] Early fMRI studies had flawed methodologies; technology and statistical tools are improving.
• Current studies seek patterns, not simple “areas lighting up,” but distinguishing correlation from causation remains difficult.

10. Leading Theories of Emotion Reviewed

• [31:25] Various theories discussed:
  • Interoceptive Theories: Emotion arises from interpretation of bodily states (William James, Bud Craig)
    • Some claim only humans can experience emotion.
  • Damasio’s View: Emotional feelings are core to consciousness and self, with subcortical importance.
  • Constructed Theory of Emotion (Lisa Feldman Barrett): The brain constructs emotional experience based on memory, context, and prediction—not universal categories.
    • Criticized for not clearly separating feeling from emotion state.
  • Panksepp’s Theory: Seven basic emotional systems, subcortically based, supported by animal research.
  • Joseph LeDoux’s View: Focus on “survival circuits”; denies subcortical origin of emotions, argues only humans can truly “know” they are afraid.

“LeDoux claims that only humans can experience emotion, a conclusion I think definitely outstrips the available evidence.”
— Dr. Campbell [36:21]

11. Reconciling Competing Theories & Practical Implications

• [37:12] Likely, feelings of emotion and the underlying emotional states occur at different levels—much debate arises from focusing on different levels.
• Understanding emotion has practical impact: e.g., people who can articulate their emotions in detail tend to have better mental health.

“Instead of seeing emotions as something outside our control, it suggests that we can take actions that will influence our future emotional experience.”
— Dr. Campbell [39:21]

12. Take Home Principles

• [42:18] Dr. Campbell recaps key principles:
  1. No established evidence for primary emotions
  2. Emotions allow for flexible, learned behavior
  3. Emotions don’t control behavior in a reflexive way
  4. No “little people” control your emotions
  5. No single brain area for any one emotion (e.g., amygdala ≠ fear center)
  6. Emotional experience is shaped by culture and personal history

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On bridging disciplines:
  “There's nothing about science that requires that one field's explanations will map directly into another's.”
  — Dr. Campbell [11:26]

• On the myth of brain “centers”:
  “Fear is not in the amygdala ... The hypothalamus is actually also involved in coordinating central emotional states.”
  — Dr. Campbell [17:48]

• On emotional flexibility:
  “Emotions require more complex nervous systems than reflexes; it's not unreasonable to see them as a step on the road to so-called volitional control of behavior.”
  — Dr. Campbell [41:37]

Important Timestamps / Segments

• [01:45] — Critique of “Inside Out” and myths about emotion
• [07:32] — Emotions and cognition are deeply intertwined
• [12:25] — Limits of mapping explanations across disciplines
• [19:21] — Emotion states as distributed and flexible—not single centers
• [24:12] — Dopamine’s complex, context-dependent role
• [28:44] — Problems with studying emotions in humans
• [31:25] — Summary of leading emotion theories
• [39:21] — Practical mental health implications of emotion research
• [42:18] — Summary of key principles debunking emotion myths

Conclusion

Dr. Campbell provides an accessible yet nuanced review of what contemporary neuroscience says (and doesn’t say) about emotion. While a unified theory remains elusive, it’s clear that emotions:

• Are complex, flexible, and deeply intertwined with cognition
• Arise from distributed brain systems rather than single centers
• Evolve across species and are helpfully studied in animals
• Are shaped by culture and individual experience
• Are central to both human and non-human wellbeing

She encourages ongoing research across species and scales of analysis while reminding listeners that how we label and understand our own emotions may be as important as any scientific model.

For further reading, she recommends Adolphs & Anderson’s book, and points interested listeners to the episode’s show notes for more resources and links to previous episodes on emotion.