The regulatory function of self-conscious emotion: Insights from patients with orbitofrontal damage.

Abstract

Although once considered disruptive, self-conscious emotions are now theorized to be fundamentally involved in the regulation of social behavior. The present study examined the social regulation function of self-conscious emotions by comparing healthy participants with a neuropsychological population--patients with orbitofrontal lesions--characterized by selective regulatory deficits. Orbitofrontal patients and healthy controls participated in a series of tasks designed to assess their social regulation and self-conscious emotions. Another task assessed the ability to infer others' emotional states, an appraisal process involved in self-conscious emotion. Consistent with the theory that self-conscious emotions are important for regulating social behavior, the findings show that deficient behavioral regulation is associated with inappropriate self-conscious emotions that reinforce maladaptive behavior. Additionally, deficient behavioral regulation is associated with impairments in interpreting the self-conscious emotions of others.

Neural correlates of individual differences in pain-related fear and anxiety

“…The present study extends prior work associating medial prefrontal cortex with an anxious state during anticipation of pain (Sawamoto et al, 2000;Simpson et al, 2001) by demonstrating that trait differences in anxiety predict MPFC recruitment when a painful stimulus is present. Similarly, OFC lesions have been shown to diminish fear of the consequences of socially inappropriate behavior (Beer et al, 2003;Davidson et al, 2001), and the association of OFC with fear of pain may suggest a broader role for this region in other types of fear-related processing.…”

The dread factor: How hazards and safety training influence learning and performance.

“…The arguments that cognitions and affect play direct and primary roles in motivating learning and behavior are not new (e.g., see Tennyson & Jorczak, 2008, for a discussion of the interactive cognitive complexity learning model). In particular, scholars across disciplines have theorized and found empirical support for the idea that unpleasant feelings can motivate people to act in ways that they think will minimize such feelings or avoid the negative consequences associated with inaction (e.g., see Baumeister, Vohs, DeWall, & Zhang, 2007;Beer, Heerey, Keltner, Scabini, & Knight, 2003;Schwartz & Clore, 1988;Slovic & Peters, 2006;Sweeny & Shepperd, 2007;Warren & Smith-Crowe, 2008). However, while we would expect the unpleasant feelings and thoughts in relation to ominous hazards to be especially at the forefront of workers' subjective experiences in highly engaging training, we do not expect such thoughts and reactions to necessarily divert attentional resources away from knowledge acquisition.…”

Gene–culture coevolution and the nature of human sociality

“…The evolution of the human prefrontal cortex is closely tied to the emergence of human morality [46]. Patients with focal damage to one or more of these areas exhibit a variety of antisocial behaviours, including the absence of embarrassment, pride and regret [47,48], and sociopathic behaviour [49]. There is a probable genetic predisposition underlying sociopathy, and sociopaths comprise 3-4% of the male population, but they account for between 33 and 80 per cent of the population of chronic criminal offenders in the United States [50].…”