PEN-782 Emotions, Learning, and the Brain

Course Overview

This course examines how emotional processes in the human brain are related to learning throughout the lifespan. Topics to be discussed include different theories of emotional experience, emotion regulation, emotional imitation, physiological and neural correlates of affect, and interpersonal emotional experiences. The course will be based on current research findings in the field. This course will follow a few different lines of inquiry:

• Theories of Emotion: What is an emotion? We will explore different theories of emotion and how we combine feelings, thoughts, experiences, and context in emotional experience
• Emotional Display: What are emotional expressions? What function do they serve for our emotional experience, and what function do they serve for social interaction?
• Emotional Experiences: We’ll explore different experiences of emotion, including negative emotions, positive emotions, and the role of emotions in learning and memory.
• Emotions throughout the lifespan: How does development play a role in emotional experience? How does emotional experience change as a function of aging, and how does that relate to neural development?
• Emotion Regulation: How do we control and change our emotional experiences and reactions?

Faculty