Download presentation
1
Emotion: Three Components (Plus One)
4/17/2017 Emotion: Three Components (Plus One) Prepared by Terrence M. Barnhardt, Ph.D.; Michael J. Renner, Ph.D. Some of these slides ©2001 Prentice Hall Psychology Publishing. Figure 9.1 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Also, different emotions have distinct subjective experiences associated with them. ©2001 Prentice Hall
2
Emotion Why do we have emotions? 4/17/2017 According to the theory of evolution, we have emotions because of natural selection. That is, our current physical and psychological characteristics are present because they have, at least in the past, enhanced our prospects for survival and reproduction. So, what purpose do emotions serve? The expression of emotion is an effective means of communication (see next slide) That is, we feel emotion because the expression of emotion has proved to be an effective means of communication ©2001 Prentice Hall
3
The Facial Expression of Emotions
4/17/2017 Two important facets of communication between organisms is the ability to express emotion on the face and the ability to read emotion in a facial expression. The basic emotions are anger, disgust, fear, sadness, happiness, and surprise. An emotion is basic if it has characteristic physiological, subjective, and expressive components The six basic emotional expressions are present within six months of birth. The facial expressions associated with the basic emotions are “universally” recognized. When people from different cultures are presented photographs of faces with emotional expressions, the expressed emotions are correctly identified. When a whole face is present, a perceiver relies more on the mouth than the eyes to read the emotion expressed. (plus shame and interest) Display rules are unwritten rules for how and when emotions are expressed. These differ across culture and gender. ©2001 Prentice Hall
4
What are some other functions of emotions, especially negative emotions?
4/17/2017 Psychologists have tended to emphasize negative emotions. (Of the six basic, four are negative.) Negative emotions are not a lot of fun to feel, so what purpose do they serve? Prepare us for action (e.g., fear prepares for flight). Motivate us (e.g., fear of failure). Inform us – negative emotions are relatively specific (e.g., sadness signals loss, fear signals threat, etc.) Help us learn by signaling a problem that in turn requires a solution which in turn may require change (I.e., learning) ©2001 Prentice Hall
5
Emotion 4/17/2017 What are some other functions of emotions, especially positive emotions? Positive emotions feel good, but what purpose do they serve? In Ch. 9, we learned that the experience of pleasure is nature’s way of sweetening the pot when it comes to adaptive behaviors like eating, drinking, or sex When people are in good moods, they make decisions more quickly and efficiently Positive emotions broaden thinking and action Interest leads to exploration, joy leads to play, etc. The skills learned in exploration and play can, in turn, have adaptive value During pursuit and achievement of goals, positive feelings signal satisfactory progress, thereby motivating persistence and encouraging additional effort Happiness (“subjective well-being”) Happiness is greater in wealthier countries. But happiness is only a little greater in wealthier people Happiness has not increased over time in the USA despite an overall increase in wealth ©2001 Prentice Hall
6
What are some other cognitive functions of emotions?
4/17/2017 Risk judgments are strongly influenced by current feelings and, if thoughts and emotions about a risk don’t correspond, then emotions carry the day For example, why do young people begin smoking? A somatic marker is a feeling one has before one does something that mirrors the feeling one thinks he/she will have afterward. For example, if you feel bad before you choose to speed and get a ticket, you may not speed in the first place Emotional arousal enhances memory Drugs that block arousal interfere with memory for emotional stimuli Traumatized subjects given such drugs experienced less PTSD (Pitman et al, 2002) The neurotransmitter norepinephrine ©2001 Prentice Hall
7
What are some interpersonal functions of emotions?
4/17/2017 In recent theories, anxiety is what we feel when we behave in a way that we think could lead to expulsion from a group. Anxiety is a signal to repair interpersonal transgressions. Guilt is the tension and remorse we feel when do another person harm Guilt keeps people from doing harm to others within the social group Guilt is a product of socialization, rather than genetics Embarrassment is what we feel when we make a social error Blushing is a nonverbal apology that reassures others of one’s commitment to social norms Jealousy is an important component of long-term relationships Keeps mates together by sparking passion and commitment Feel jealousy because you are committed Display jealousy as a sign of commitment Provoke jealousy as a test of commitment In contrast, in Freudian psychology, anxiety is the feeling one gets when one’s self-concept (i.e., one’s ego) is threatened. ©2001 Prentice Hall
8
Theories of Emotion I James-Lange Supporting evidence
4/17/2017 Theories of Emotion I James-Lange An emotion-inducing stimulus elicits a physiological response The physiological response leads to autonomic arousal The autonomic arousal stimulates emotion Supporting evidence In patients with spinal cord lesions that diminish feedback from the autonomic system to the brain, emotionality is impaired There are distinct patterns of physiological responses for different emotions ©2001 Prentice Hall
9
Specific Patterns of Arousal
Emotion Specific Patterns of Arousal 4/17/2017 And there is some cultural universality about these findings. ©2001 Prentice Hall
10
Theories of Emotion II Facial feedback hypothesis
4/17/2017 Facial feedback hypothesis Facial expression causes and/or sharpens the subjective experience of emotion This is like the James-Lange theory, except that facial feedback, instead of autonomic feedback, is emphasized in the subjective experience of emotions. Supporting evidence Facial electromyograph (EMG) reveals that different emotional states are associated with distinctive patterns of facial muscle activity. ©2001 Prentice Hall
11
Theories of Emotion III
4/17/2017 Theories of Emotion III Cannon-Bard The emotion-inducing stimulus elicits physiological and emotional experience in parallel Supporting evidence Autonomic responses occur too slowly (1-2 sec) for emotional responses to be dependent upon (i.e., occur after) them ©2001 Prentice Hall
12
The Autonomic Nervous System
Emotion 4/17/2017 The Autonomic Nervous System Blood pressure increases Perspiration increases Blood clots more quickly Inhibits digestion because blood is diverted from internal organs to skeletal musculature Figure 9.5 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: “Fight or Flight” Restore Calm ©2001 Prentice Hall
13
How emotion works in the brain
4/17/2017 How emotion works in the brain Sensory input to the thalamus Emotionally relevant information is routed to the amygdala, hypothalamus, and areas of cortex When the amygdala is destroyed in monkeys, Kluver-Bucy syndrome occurs, in which the organism no longer understands the emotional significance of objects. For example, the monkey may recognize a snake, but no longer fear a snake. Thalamus-amygdala circuit plays a role in fast (Stage 1) emotional responses Kluver-Bucy syndrome: unable to use emotions to guide behavior; monkeys no longer fear objects that they recognize and had previously feared; monkeys will eat own feces because it no longer disgusts them In Kassin, woman has been described with amygdala damage who could not recognize fear ©2001 Prentice Hall
14
Emotion 4/17/2017 Papez’s Circuit Hypothalamus routes information to the amygdala for further processing When different nuclei in the hypothalamus are electrically stimulated in animals, attack (and rage) and flight (and terror) are generated Amygdala feeds back information to the hypothalamus, which in turn activates Autonomic nervous system via nuclei in the brain stem The endocrine system via the pituitary gland ©2001 Prentice Hall
15
The role of the cortex in emotion
4/17/2017 Cerebral cortex feeds back information to the amygdala, thereby providing the basis for a (Stage 2) emotional reaction based on a more thorough cognitive appraisal Peripheral and autonomic nervous system feedback information to the frontal cortex for the experience of emotion Frontal cortex is important for Making choices guided by emotions Interpreting the meaning of nervous system feedback Regulating facial expression Left and right frontal cortex are lateralized for positive and negative emotion, respectively. ©2001 Prentice Hall
16
Hemispheric Asymmetries in Emotion
4/17/2017 Hemispheric Asymmetries in Emotion Figure 9.4 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: Tomarken, A. J., Davidson, R. J., Wheeler, R. E., & Doss, R. C. (1992). Individual differences in anterior brain asymmetry and fundamental dimensions of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, ©2001 Prentice Hall
17
Is Cognition Necessary for Emotion?
4/17/2017 Stage 1 Sensation of threat can reach the amygdala via direct path from thalamus Stage 2 Sensation of threat also travels via cortex Cortical judgment can override direct path Figure 9.10 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: LeDoux, J.E. (1996). The emotional brain: The myserious underpinnings of emotional life. New York: Simon & Schuster. ©2001 Prentice Hall
18
Theories of Emotion IV Schacter-Singer (two-factor) theory of emotion
4/17/2017 Schacter-Singer (two-factor) theory of emotion Autonomic (physiological) arousal occurs Cognitive appraisal (interpretation) of the situation attributes source of arousal to a cause This cognitive label determines the subjective experience of emotion Example. You’re walking up a stairs with someone you don’t know but need to talk with. By the time you get to the top, you’re breathing a bit harder and you’re catching your breath and you’re feeling like you’re nervous about talking to this person. You’ve misattributed your physiological state of arousal to the stranger and you’ve labeled your arousal as feelings of anxiety about talking with this stranger. ©2001 Prentice Hall
19
Emotion Dutton and Aron (1974) 4/17/2017 Supporting evidence for Schacter-Singer theory of emotion Males crossed either a wooden bridge suspended across a canyon (250’ above the river) or a wooden bridge 10’ above a creek At the other end, they met either a female or a male confederate that asked them to fill out a park survey Their general behavior was observed and they took the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Males that crossed the suspension bridge and were met by the female confederate more often expressed sexual themes in the TAT and more often “hit on” the female confederate When met by the female confederate, the “suspension males” interpreted their general arousal as sexual arousal and interest. ©2001 Prentice Hall
20
Regulation of mood and emotion
4/17/2017 Sometimes our emotions get in the way What are some strategies for harnessing our emotional responses? Don’t put yourself in a situation in which you know you’ll experience an emotion that you don’t like Once you’re already feeling a negative emotion, you can Distract yourself Reappraise (i.e., frame) the event in more neutral terms Use humor Avoid suppression or rumination ©2001 Prentice Hall
21
How Do We Judge Happiness?
Emotion How Do We Judge Happiness? 4/17/2017 Why hasn’t happiness increased over time in the USA? Social-Comparison Theory The theory that people evaluate themselves by making comparisons with others So, if everyone has increased their wealth, the relative standing of individuals hasn’t changed Adaptation-Level Theory The theory that people evaluate experiences in relation to current levels, to which they have become accustomed So even though increased wealth may increase happiness for a short time, soon it becomes the status quo ©2001 Prentice Hall
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved.