The Amygdala Experiment

The following experiment is to test the levels of fear one may be experiencing during an event. Fear is defined as, “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid” (Dictionary.com). According to behavioral neuroscience studies, it is found that the feeling of fear, as well as most emotions, can be associated with a small almond-shaped structure in the brain called the amygdala (Cheng, Knight, & Smith, 2003). In studies with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), when the participant is afraid, activation of the amygdala is seen through the fMRI. On the other hand, the body physically reacts to this feeling of fear and one’s heart rate may rise, as well as the blood pressure, and the body will sometimes begin to sweat.

The participants have not seen the scary movie prior to this experiment. Our sample of participants will consist of thirty people, ranging between the ages of eighteen and forty. Individually, each participant will watch the scary movie while in an fMRI machine. The researchers will be watching the activity of the brain with a focus on the amygdala. While a person is afraid, there will be some activity in the amygdala that the fMRI will be able to detect. Researchers will chart the activity detected as a quantifiable measure. Along with this, the participant’s heart rate will be measured before, during and after the movie. The reason to do both is because information can be lost when checking someone who may have an irregular heart rate or one who has had a brain injury. It will be best to have both to make a more concrete