1

Chapter Fourteen

Emotion

2

Can You Label These Emotions?

Courtesy Dr. Paul Ekman

3

What is an Emotion?

Emotions subjective experiences that arise

spontaneously and unconsciously in response to the environment around us.

Emotions have two components: physical reaction (rapid heartbeat, etc.). conscious experience or feeling (sadness,

anger, etc.).

4

Purposes of Emotion

Arousal

Communication

The Yerkes-Dodson Law

5

Are emotions innate or learned?

Across diverse cultures

Blind vs. sighted infants

Infants separation from mothers

Conclusion?

6

But…Cultural contributes to expression also Doctors

Expressiveness in group situations American students

Japanese students

Display rule: A culturally determined rule that modifies the expression of

emotion in a particular situation.

7

Individual Differences

Temperament differs at birth Very responsive babies

Low responders

Psychopaths are extremely non-responsive, possibly leading to lack of empathy.

8

How do we express emotions?Innervation of the Facial Muscles

The trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V)

The facial nerve (cranial nerve VII)

upper face: lower face:

Conclusion:

9

Voluntary and Involuntary Expressions Use Different Pathways

Voluntary expressions (smile for the camera) involve primary motor cortex People with cortical damage can smile spontaneously,

but not on command

Volitional facial paresis:

Left side

Right side

10

Voluntary and Involuntary Expressions Use Different Pathways

Spontaneous expressions (smiling at a joke) involve pathways in pons and medulla People with extrapyramidal damage can smile on

command, but not spontaneously.

Emotional facial paresis:

11

Which comes first,

feeling or

physiological response?

12

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

Emotion arises from physiological arousal

Kassin, S. (2001).

13

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

“Body” (physiological systems) and “Mind” (emotional experience) are independently activated at the same time

14

Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

Physiological arousal Sweaty palms Increased heart rate Rapid breathing

Cognitive Label Attribute source of

arousal to a cause.

15

Theories of Emotion and the Capilano Bridge Experiment

Men confused fear of the bridge with sexual arousal. James-Lange assumes that emotions produce distinct

physical responses, so results here do not support this theory.

Cannon-Bard and Schachter would predict these results.

© Ted Streshinsky/CORBIS

16

Theories of Emotion and Hohmann’s Spinal Patients Hohmann reported more

emotionality in men with lumbar damage than in men with cervical damage.

Supports James-Lange provision regarding the importance of autonomic feedback.

Less consistent with Cannon-Bard and Schachter.

17

Theories of Emotion and Catharsis Catharsis: expression reduces emotion. Expressing an emotion reinforces the feeling.

Maori haka moves used by the New Zealand All Blacks Consistent with James-Lange Imitation as the basis of empathy

Focus New Zealand Photo Library© Reuters/CORBIS

18

Arousal in the Autonomic Nervous System

“Fight or Flight”

Restore Calm

19

Lie Detectors Are Unreliable

“mistakes”

20

Can We Spot Liars?

Timing (real emotions are fast, spontaneous) “Match” between body language and verbal cues Lying reduces articulation Less upper body movement, more lower body

movement Nervous laughter Eye contact is a clue in the US, but not in all

cultures

21

Brain Mechanisms of Emotion: The Limbic System Modern definition

includes: orbitofrontal cortex nucleus accumbens hypothalamus septal area amygdala

22

The Amygdala and Emotion Klüver-Bucy syndrome

reduces fear. Human damage to the

amygdala produces difficulty identifying fear and anger.

The amygdala contains many benzodiazepine receptors (where sedatives like valium work).

Stimulation can produce fear and anxiety.

Imaging studies show more activity in the amygdala when viewing expressions of fear.

23

Is Cognition Necessary?Pathway for Fear Without “Thought”

Sensation of threat can reach the amygdala via direct path from thalamus The fast “low road”

Sensation of threat also travels from the thalamus to the cortex The slow “high road”

Cortical judgment can override direct path

24

The Cortex and Emotion Clinical observations of frontal lobe damage

(e.g. Phineas Gage) Frontal lobotomies Hemisphere lateralization

for emotionLeft hemisphere damage

results in depressionDichotic listening tasks

25

Hemisphere Lateralization for Emotion Influences Perception

Which face looks happy?

Which face looks sad?

The right hemisphere usually “reads” emotion.

26

The Emotional Right Hemisphere Produces More Expression on the Left Side of the Face

Two left sidesTwo right sides

Re

prin

ted

with

pe

rmis

sio

n f

rom

N

eu

rop

sych

olo

gia

, ©

19

78

Pe

rga

mo

n P

ress

27

Different Emotions Produce Patterns of Brain Activation Feeling excluded from a game produced

activity in the cingulate gyrus, an area that responds to physical pain.

Recreating feelings of anger, happiness, sadness and fear produced distinct patterns of brain activation, but single areas could participate in more than one emotion.