Emotions play a huge role in our lives, don’t they? Sometimes it can feel as if we treat our emotions and emotional experiences as if they are distant from our brains and our lives. But in fact, from the water we drink to what we look at, there is an emotional experience. The analysis process in the brain is a combination of observation, emotion, thought and behavior. In this week’s blog post, we will discuss the emotion of excitement. The emotion of excitement is associated with multiple areas of the brain.
The hippocampus is particularly involved in creating and storing memories of emotional experiences. Therefore, moments of excitement can be remembered later. The somatosensory cortex, the cortex, is a region that processes physical sensations and provides awareness of physiological changes in the body during feelings of excitement. The reward pathway in the brain involves the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Excitement is processed through this pathway, especially when it is associated with anticipated rewards or pleasures. Regions such as the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens are linked to the reward pathway.
The prefrontal cortex is important in the regulation of higher cognitive functions such as thought processes, planning and decision-making. Excitement can interact with cognitive processes under the influence of this region.
When we are excited, when we focus on an issue or an object, our pupils dilate. Other conditions that cause dilated pupils are also mainly due to excitement and focus.
For example, our pupils dilate when we look at someone we love or are in love with. On the other hand, our pupils react in the same way when we look at someone we hate. Studies on the subject have shown that pupils dilate when subjects are shown interesting pictures. An interesting result of these experiments is that women’s pupils dilate more than men’s. This may be an indication that women experience emotions more intensely and spend more energy to focus their attention.
Neuromarketing is a field of research used to analyze and understand the emotion of excitement. Neuromarketing uses neurological insights and methods to understand how consumers perceive products and brands, how they react and what factors influence their purchasing decisions. Since excitement is an important emotion that influences consumer decisions, neuromarketing is used to analyze this emotion.
Reference:
Psychologist Merve Altındağ
Tosun, P., Sezgin, S., & Nimet, U. R. A. Y. (2019). Pazarlama biliminde duygu ve duygu durumu kavramlari için baz alinmiş teoriler. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 18(72), 1832-1851.
Yazar Yok. Tübitak. (28 Ekim 2019). Alındığı Tarih: 28 Ekim 2019.
