Psychology: Brain, Mind, and Culture, 2e by Drew Westen Paul J. Wellman Texas A&M University John Wiley and Sons, Inc. PowerPoint  Presentation: Chapter 11 Emotion, Stress, and Coping

Lecture Outline n Emotion  Theories of emotion  Interaction between emotion and cognition n Stress  Theories of stress  Management of stress  Coping © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Emotion n Emotions reflect a “stirred up’ state n Emotions have valence: positive or negative n Emotions are thought to have 3 components:  Physiological arousal  Subjective experience  Behavioral expression © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Assessment of James-Lange Theory of Emotion n Cannon’s arguments against the theory:  Visceral response are slower than emotions  The same visceral responses are associated with many emotions (Î heart rate with anger and joy). n Subsequent research provides support:  Different emotions are associated with different patterns of visceral activity  Accidental transection of the spinal cord greatly diminishes emotional reactivity (prevents visceral signals from reaching brain) © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Subjective Emotional Experience n Emotional intensity varies along a bell curve  At the upper end are people with severe personality disorders (too intense anger and sadness)  At the lower end are people who appear not to have emotional states “Alexithymia” a condition in which a person does not experience emotional states © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Happiness as an Emotion n Happiness is an emotional state characterized by a positive valence n Research shows that happiness is  related to cultural values (highest in individualistic cultures, lowest in collectivist cultures)  not related to: Gender Age Wealth © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Wealth and Happiness © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (Figure adapted from Myers & Diener, 1995, p.13)

Facial Expression of Emotion n There is an evolutionary link between the experience of emotion and facial expression of emotion:  Served to inform others of our emotional state n Different facial expressions are associated with different emotions  Ekman’s research n Facial expression can alter emotional experience © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Facial Expression Influences Emotional State © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (Figure adapted from Ekman et al., 1983, p. 1209)

Taxonomy of Emotions n How many basic emotional states?  Between 5 and 9 basic states: The common 5 include anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and disgust Additional states include surprise, contempt, shame, guilt, joy, and trust n Emotional valence may be related to activity in the nervous system:  Positive: activity of dopamine systems  Negative: activity of norepinephrine systems © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

(Figure adapted from Fischer et al., 1990, p. 90) Taxonomy of Emotion

© 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (Figure adapted from LeDoux, 1986, p. 329) Neuropsychology of Emotion n Dual processing of emotions:  Activation of the amygdala produces visceral responses  Cortical activation allows for use of memory in understanding emotional stimuli

Cognitive Perspectives on Emotion n Plato: “reason must rein in the passions” n Schachter and Singer (1962): cognitive judgements are a critical part of emotional experience:  Subjects are aroused by an injection of adrenaline and then exposed to anger or happiness cues  The emotional cues played a prominent role in emotional experience © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Emotional Influences on Cognition n Emotional states can alter our cognitive ability  Anxiety can reduce working memory capacity by the process of distraction  Mood can alter the way we make judgements, inferences, or predictions  Mood becomes a part of memory and can alter encoding/retrieval of information  Extreme emotional experiences can alter brain structure © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Stress n Stress: A state that impairs our ability to respond to internal and external demands  Stress is a psychobiological process  Stress reflects the interaction of the person with their environment n Stress responses are organized in stages  Alarm: release of adrenaline and activation of the autonomic nervous system  Resistance: all systems return to normal  Exhaustion: systems begin to fail © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Modern Views of Stress n Richard Lazarus: stress is a transaction between a person and their environment  Primary appraisal: person evaluates situations as benign or stressful  Secondary appraisal: person decides how to deal with stress n Lazarus identifies three types of stress:  Loss: person loses a loved one or a possession  Threat: anticipated harm  Challenge: opportunity for growth (new job) © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Holmes-Rahe Life Events Scale © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. RankLife EventMean Value 1Death of Spouse100 2Divorce 73 8Fired at work 47 12Pregnancy 40 20Mortgage over $10,000 (1964) 31 25Outstanding personal achievement 28 (Table adapted from Holmes & Rahe, 1967)

Impact of a Major Stressor: Death of a Spouse

Top Ten Common Hassles © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 1.Concerns about weight 2.Health of a family member 3.Rising prices of common goods 4.Home maintenance 5.Too many things to do 6.Misplacing or losing things 7.Yard work 8.Property, investments, or taxes 9.Crime 10.Physical appearance

Coping Mechanisms n Problem-focused: Person attempts to change the situation  Try to remove the stressor  Plan ways of resolving the situation  Seek advice from others on how to change the situation n Emotion-focused:  Thought alteration: reframe the situation to make it less threatening  Alter emotions by exercise or drug use © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Social Support and Stress n Other persons can provide social support:  Two-way communication in which a person can confide their concerns and receive support from others n Low social support decreases life span n Social support may work by  Buffering person against the harmful effects of stress  Social support is a positive force that reduces susceptibility to stress © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Copyright Copyright 1999 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.