The social and emotional brain

Abstract

“I was so angry, I couldn’t think straight!” “He got me so mad, I nearly hit him!” Both of these statements make it clear that emotions were running high. Human beings have been interacting with emotions for thousands of years, but understanding where they come from and how they direct our behavior is still not fully understood. Nevertheless, thanks to the development of brain imaging techniques, researchers have made substantial progress in discovering the underlying neural networks that encourage and inhibit certain behaviors. After all, we are not just information processing machines. We are also motivated, social, and emotional beings who are constantly interacting with our environment. Schools and classrooms are particularly demanding environ ments because so many different personalities gather together in a confined area where they are expected to interact according to established rules of accepted emotional and social behavior. So what is happening inside the brain of students who display socially unacceptable behavior? Are these just temporary responses to a particular situation or are they symptoms of an underlying disorder? Do we immediately refer the student for mental evaluation or try a classroom intervention that may improve the behavior? These are difficult questions. But before we can answer them, we need to review some of what scientists know about how emotions are processed in the brain. The Schools and classrooms are demanding environments because so many different personalities gather together in a confined area where they are expected to interact according to established rules of accepted emotional and social behavior.