PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Cannon and Washburn (as cited in Coon, 1995) came up with the stomach contraction theory which states that we know we are hungry when our stomach contracts. In the notorious balloon study, Washburn trained himself to swallow a balloon which was attached to a tube, then the balloon was inflated inside of his stomach.

Detailed explanation-2: -During hunger, the muscle of the stomach and small intestine is largely quiescent. However, a regular cycle of contractions play a “housekeeping” role prior to the next meal and may contribute toward the development of hunger.

Detailed explanation-3: -The physical sensation of hunger is related to contractions of the stomach muscles. These contractions-sometimes called hunger pangs once they become severe-are believed to be triggered by high concentrations of the ghrelin hormone.

Detailed explanation-4: -The central premise of the positive-incentive theory of hunger and eating is that humans and other animals are not driven to eat by energy deficits but are drawn to eat by the anticipated pleasure of eating-that is, by food’s positive-incentive value.

Detailed explanation-5: -In detail, insulin decreases ghrelin production and increases leptin release [47, 95, 96] while leptin decreases insulin secretion [64, 75]. Low levels of insulin lead to increased ghrelin concentrations, thus resulting in hunger and food intake [64].