PSYCH C162 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Periaqueductal Gray
Document Summary
An fmri study of caring vs self-focus during induced compassion and pride . In the empirical article, simon-thomas and her colleagues identi ed patterns of neural activity that accompanied feelings of compassion and pride. Additionally, the researchers anticipated activation in the empathy network and the nurturance-related periaqueductal gray (pag) region of the brain during induced feelings of compassion, since empathy and caregiving are thought to be two key components of compassion. Notable results of this experiment, in relation to the hypotheses, unfolded as follows: Pride-inducing viewing blocks caused activation in the posterior medial cortex, but there was no positive correlation observed between self-reports of pride and such neural activation. Compassion-inducing viewing blocks caused activation in the midbrain pag, which was positively correlated with self-reports of compassion and distress. Contrary to the researchers" expectations, there was no signi cant activation in other nurturance regions or the empathy network during the experiment.
