Amygdala

• Where is it?


  Part of the limbic system.
• What does it do?

  The centre for emotions, emotional behaviour and motivation.
• Link with aggression?

  • Integrates internal and external stimulus to give us an instinctive feeling/reaction to the environment.
  • Central role in assessing and responding to environmental threats.
• Evidence - case study of Charles Whitman

  • Texas tower shooting in 1966.
  • Student and ex-marine, Charles killed his wife and mother then killed 14 and wounded 31.
  • Had written about feelings of confusion, rage and violent impulses beforehand.
  • Had a tumour pushing down on his amygdala.
• Evidence - animal experiments

  • Bard 1940
  • Making lesions into the amygdala of cats produces aggressive behaviour.
  • Stimulating the amygdala with electrical current produces aggressive behaviour.
  • Removing the amygdala causes the cat to be passive and unresponsive, even when faced with stressors.