Emotional states are central to mental and physical health. NIH invests? tremendous resources in research on emotion, much of it devoted to animal models.? Ironically, this research is guided by a scientific paradigm that is grounded in human? experience. People experience fear and see it in others, so scientists assume there? must be a literal (modular) neural circuit for fear in the mammalian brain. Rats freeze? when they hear a tone paired with a foot shock, so they are presumed to be in a state of? fear (versus surprise, anger, or even a general state of alarm) and undergoing ?fear? learning.? Scientists also presume that a map of the neural circuitry of freezing behavior? will yield a neural mechanism for fear that is largely preserved in humans, and a decade? of neuroimaging studies have focused on locating a homologous neural circuit in the? human brain. In the last five years, I have traced the roots of this ?natural kind? model,? conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to examine its veracity, and found it? wanting (Barrett, 2006a).1 In response, I have fashioned a new systems-level model,? called the Conceptual Act Model, grounded in the neuroanatomy of the human brain. My? model parsimoniously incorporates neuroscience findings from rats, primates, and? humans, and explains the mechanisms that produce the range and variety of behavioral? and introspective instances that we call ?emotion? (Barrett, b, c; Barrett, Mesquita,? Ochsner, & Gross, 2007; Barrett, Ochsner, & Gross, 2007; Duncan & Barrett, 2007).? The Conceptual Act Model asks different ? and perhaps better ? questions about what? emotions are and how they function in mental and physical health. The NIH Director?s? Pioneer Award will allow me the intellectual freedom and resources to continue building? evidence for the Conceptual Act Model of emotion, thereby shaping a new paradigm to? guide the scientific study of emotion.?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)
Type
NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (NDPA) (DP1)
Project #
5DP1OD003312-02
Application #
7501315
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZGM1-NDPA-G (P2))
Program Officer
Wilder, Elizabeth L
Project Start
2007-09-30
Project End
2012-07-31
Budget Start
2008-08-01
Budget End
2009-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$782,500
Indirect Cost
Name
Boston College
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
045896339
City
Chestnut Hill
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02467
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