Module 16 Emotions Kimberly, Diana, Kristen, JP, Chris, Michael, Chris

Emotion Emotion is defined in four components 1.Interpret or appraise some stimulus in terms of your well being 2.Experience a subjective feeling - Ex. fear or happiness 3.Psychological responses - Ex. changes in heart rate or breathing 4.Showing observable behaviors - Ex. Smiling or crying

Peripheral Theory of Emotion Emphasizes how physiological changes in the body give rise to emotional feelings. Steps: 1.A stimulus triggers changes in facial muscles and skin Ex. Tiger 2.The brain interprets feedback from facial muscles and skin 3.Different facial feedback results in feeling different emotions Ex. Fear 4.May or may not show observable responses Ex. Screaming

Cognitive Appraisal Theory Says that your interpretation, appraisal, thought, or memory of a situation, object, or event can result in your experiencing different emotional states Steps: 1.Stimulus could be an event, object, or thought Ex. Getting straight A’s in the report card 2.One appraises or thinks of what they can do Ex. Get the phone you always wanted 3.Appraising/ thinking about what you can do brings a positive feeling Ex. Happiness and excitement 4.Have physiological responses and observable behaviors Ex. Smiling

Affective Neuroscience Approach Four qualities of emotions 1.Expressed in facial expressions and accompanied by distinctive physiological responses Ex: Fearful expression = open mouth & raised eyebrows 2.Less controllable than one might like and may not respond to reason 3.Influence in many cognitive processes Ex. Making decisions, developing personal relationships & selecting goals 4.Hard-wired in the brain

Affective Neuroscience Approach Emotional director and memorizer Physical survival depends on a brain structure called the amygdala. Amygadala Almond size structure located in the tip of the brains temporal lobe which receives input from all the senses and helps store memories with emotional content Monitors and evaluates the stimuli's positive or negative emotional significance for our well-being

Affective Neuroscience Approach Brain circuits for emotion Thalamus –Functions as a relay station for all the senses except for smell Amygdala –Recognizes threats immediately Prefrontal cortex –Involved in complex cognitive functions »Ex: making decisions, planning & reasoning

James Lange Theory Says that our brain interprets specific physiological changes as feelings or emotions having a different physiological pattern underlying each emotion

Facial-Feedback Theory The brain interprets sensations or feedback from the movement of you facial muscles and skin as different emotions Emotion is the change in facial expressions

Facial-Feedback Theory 1.Stimulus(shark) triggers changed in facial muscles and skin. 2.Your brain then interprets feedback from your facial muscles and skin. 3.Different facial feedback results in feeling different emotions 4.You may or may not show various observable responses.

Universal Facial Expressions Specific expressions/inherited facial patterns that show specific felling or emotional states. There are 7 expressions Cross Culture - Anger, Sadness - Happiness, Fear - Surprise, Disgust - Contempt

Universal Facial Expressions ExpressionMotion CuesPsuedo-Muscles Used HappinessRaising and lowering of mouth corners 6 linear muscle SadnessLowering of mouth corners, raise inner portion of brows 6 linear muscles SurpriseBrows arch, eyes open wide to expose more white jaw drop slightly 3 linear muscles FearBrows raised, eyes open, mouth opens slightly 5 linear muscles 1 sphincter for the mouth DisgustUpper lip is raised, nose bridge is wrinkled cheeks raised 6 linear muscles AngerBrows lowered lips pressed firmly, eyes bulging 4 linear muscles 1 sphincter for the mouth

Functions of Emotions Social signals - Facial expressions People may send social signal about the way we are feeling and provide social signals in what we are going to do. Survival, Attention and Memory The evolutionary theory of emotions says that one of the functions of emotions is to help us evaluate objects, people, and situations by categorizing them as good, or bad for our well-being and survival. Arousal and motivation one major function of emotion is to produce general arousal

Happiness  Happiness Characterized by love, joy, or satisfaction. Can result from momentary pleasures For example : getting gifts for Christmas, or funny videos. Short-term joys – good time at the movies Long-term joys- getting your first car or your first puppy.

Happiness  Pleasure Center - Includes: nucleus accumbens – makes people smile, laugh, feeling pleasure and happiness. prefrontal cortex- a reward circuit in the brain. neurotransmitter – dopamine, which is associated with positive emotions, and desires. ventral tegmental area – group of neurons located close to the midline of the midbrain.

The Brain

Happiness  Adaptation level theory and happiness says that we quickly become accustomed to receiving some good fortunes ( jobs, money, car, technology) we take things for granted within a short period of time ( receiving your allowance, letting your mom clean all the time, asking for money etc.) impact of good fortune fades and contributes less to our long-term level of happiness.

Happiness  Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions or the innate potential to feel, use, communicate, recognize, remember, learn from, manage, understand and explain emotions. Relation to babies emotions Feel – like feeling afraid is the first step in the babying trying to meet its survival needs. Use – frightened baby uses its fear to take needed action Communicate- typically crying or screaming, when afraid. More intelligent baby will do a better job communicating its fear. Recognize- recognize quickly when the mother or father is angry. Remember- will remember the details of how the mother or father look when there angry, and how their voices sound, movements they make.