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The limbic system is a set of connected structures that are central to the experience and regulation of emotions, motivation (including eating, drinking, and sex), and memory. The limbic structures most relevant to social psychology are the amygdala and hippocampus. (See Figure 2.6.)

 Amygdala. An almond-shaped structure that is physically connected to the ends of the basal ganglia and is closely associated with the detection of and response to threat. Damage to the amygdala appears to inhibit people from experiencing an appropriate fear response to potentially threatening stimuli—such as a receiving a painful shock (Olsson & Phelps, 2004). For example, if a person is unable to feel fear when he notices that another man is becoming very angry at him, then he is much more likely to be vulnerable to potential aggression.

 Hippocampus. This structure plays a crucial role in memory formation and recall and, together with the amygdala, creates emotional memories. The hippocampus is a key component of the controlled processing system that we discuss in detail in Chapter 3 (Lieberman, 2007b). The hippocampus is also key to spatial awareness and navigation, as demonstrated by the fact that the right side is enlarged in the brains of London taxi drivers (Maguire & Gadian, 2000). However, the hippocampus-taxi driver relationship is correlational, and therefore it is unclear how the two are causally connected, if at all. Individuals who are unable to create long-term memories often have damage to the hippocampus.

Figure 2.6 The Limbic System

Source: Kuther, T. L. (2017). Lifespan Development: Lives in Context. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.