Human's Emotions vs. Dogs (Re: Sirius revisited)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 104252

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Brenda M." <Agent_Maxine_is at h...> wr=
ote:
> 
> Whohoo! The Neuroscientist comes to the rescue!
> 
> I'm afraid I must correct you, Kneasy. Emotions are not simple at 
> all. I must agree with Nora. The best example of how emotions are "a 
> rather different kettle of fish than thoughts and even intelligence 
> (Nora's words)" 
> snipping
> This leads me to believe that when Dementors are sensing human 
> emotions, they are sensing these extracranial magnetic fields. But 
> they can't really feed on human thoughts and intelligence, if they 
> could then they will be Legilimens, no? Human's cognitive functions 
> operate on a "higher level" than emotions, I believe. I'm not a 
> cognitive psychologist, but safe to assume that our thoughts are much 
> harder to be sensed. That is my understanding of it anyways. I'm not 
> too sure if JKR thought of it that way as well.
>  
> As for the differences between human and dog emotions, I haven't 
> studied other animals extensively so I can't give you any conclusive 
> proof – but I can suspect this much. Emotions are very closely 
> related to memory and learning.
> 
> Does this answer your question, Kneasy? Or have I confused you even 
> more? I'll be more than happy to elaborate on this if you like, just 
> let me know.

No problem. As a biological scientist myself, the long words hold no 
terrors. And I'd be a mug to dispute with a specialist outside my own
field. 

The nub of the matter is, does it apply in this case?

My understanding is that Animagi change physical form but retain
their human mental faculties. Now we could get into all  sorts of
fascinating discussions about the locations in the brain for the
centres responsible for memory, emotion and compare the
structures of human and dog brain and  come to the conclusion
that they are not comparable. No arguments there. But do you
think that JKR has done this or is it more likely that she's using
some license? The latter  I  think - otherwise Rita's columns
would be reduced to "Have you heard the latest buzz?"

Maybe I presented my argument badly ("the emotions are simple")
in combination with the intractable habit of being provocative.
The point I wanted to get across was that emotions do  not depend
on intellect (though control of outward manifestations may) but are
responses at a much more fundamental or at least different, level.

But in a physical transformation from human to dog where 
original brain function, including intelligence and memory, are 
retained, it would be very odd if the emotions were preferentially
excised and dog emotions replaced them. Stags and dogs hate
and fear wolves. A very basic emotion, yet James and Sirius
romp over the countryside with one. Which emotions are being
expressed - the animal, or are the human ones of friendship
and protectiveness at work?

Kneasy