Emotion

Components of an emotion

Begins with cognitive appraisalSubjective experience

Thought/action

Physiological changes

Facial expression

Responses to an emotion

Emotion vs. Mood

Emotions:Have a clear cause

Brief

Fit distinct descriptions

Moods:Are diffuse states – no causal event

Last for extended periods of time

Vary across a general spectrum

Theories of emotion

Role of cognitive appraisal

• Schachter and Singer study (1962)• Aim?• Method?• Findings?• Critique?

• Zillman and Bryant study (1974) – anger was heightened when appraisal situation was associated with arousal of exercise.

• Today theorists argue that appraisal comes before physiological arousal

Theories of EmotionJames-Lange Theory – stimulus physiological arousal emotional experience

Cannon-Bard Theory – stimulus physiological arousal and emotional experience

Facial Feedback hypothesis – stimulus facial expression emotional experience

Appraisal Theories – appraisals of situations lead to other components of emotional response.

Minimalist: Fundamental experiences yield specific emotions.

Addresses both the universality of emotion and impact of culture

Dimensional Example – if desirable appraisal occurs, we experience joy; if it doesn’t we experience sorrow

Neumann (2000) – experiment of priming and attribution

Can emotion occur without conscious thought?

Direct pathway to the amygdalaZajonc and Ohman studies of phobic people

Suggests that appraisal as related to emotion is like other cognitive processes – both automatic and conscious

Amygdala is very involved in negative emotionsInitial thinking was that cerebral cortex (and appraisal) sent input to amygdala for physiological response.

Believed that there might be a direct pathway to the amygdala as well (scary faces and backward masking)

Emotion as subjective feeling

Aside from physiological arousal there is often a certain feeling associated with emotion.

Feedback hypothesis?

Emotion and State Dependent LearningHypnosis study

Emotions influence your interpretation of events (and of future situations) – you know this happens!

Emotion and Fundamental Attribution Error

Think happy thoughts

Broaden and Build Theory

Positive emotions broaden our thinking and encourage social bonds builds personal resources

Physiology and Emotion

Autonomic NS responds to produce physiological arousal

Sympathetic NS prepares body, parasympathetic NS calms

That response is triggered by limbic system – hypothalamus and amygdala

Difference between physiology of positive and negative emotions

Can you experience an emotion without physiological arousal?

Study of spinal cord patients

The greater our awareness of body correlates to increased emotional experience

Do different emotions result from different physiological responses?

James Lange Theory argued that each emotion held a different physiological response.

Cannon Bard Theory denied that autonomic arousal is distinct to each emotional state

Ekman (1990) did find subtle physiological differences – and that these differences could be universal

Facial Expressions

Many facial expressions have universal meaning, and are not learned behaviors.

Facial expressions communicate, and can even alter the behavior of others

Babies and visual cliff

While universal, the times and manner in which emotions are expressed are culturally influenced – Display Rules

Facial Feedback Hypothesis – did it work?

Learning, Culture, and Emotion

While the experience of emotion is universal, the ability to control emotions is in part a learned process.

Learn to avoid, ignore, reappraise

The reappraisal process in particular can cause one to experience different emotions (Grandma’s sweater gift)

Reappraisal is also more cognitively efficient (disgust study)

Culture can influence emotional experience both before and after the appraisal and emotional experience

Objectification Theory as example (front end)

Big kids don’t cry (back end)

Gender and emotion

Are women more emotional than men?Stereotype threat?

Tied to a social gender hierarchy? Men as less likely to display emotions perceived as weak?

Emotion is a medium through which we act in gender appropriate ways.

Gender differences largely the result of back end processes where we try to act in line with the cultural norms.

Cultural Dimensions and Emotion

In collectivist cultures the sense of self is embedded in social relationships

In individualist cultures the sense of self is personalStudy to compare emotional response to a mix-up in social plans: collectivists tend to experience sorrow, individualists tend to experience anger

Circumstances of emotions differ across cultures

Aggression

Aggression is a common thought/action tendency for anger

Aggression as a drive? Frustration Aggression Hypothesis – when an individual is blocked from a goal, aggression is induced to remove the obstacle

Biological in nature? – animal studies

Aggression as learned?Social Learning Theory – when reinforced aggression will be response to frustration, but it not necessarily the innate response.

Is aggression cathartic?

If aggression is primarily a drive then it should be.

If aggression is learned, then acting should only reinforce it.

Evidence suggests that partial aggressive actions tend to encourage more aggression.

However, this may depend on your interpretation of your actions – if you feel guilt from aggression it might decrease the behavior.

Does watching violent television influence aggression in kids?

What is love…

Physical attractiveness

Proximity

Familiarity

Similarity

Transference

Triangle of Love

Passion

Commitment

Intimacy

Evolution and Mating

What do men tend to find attractive?

What do women tend to find attractive?

Biology and Love

Romance and the ventral tegmental region of the brain – near the dopamine reward pathway

Feelings of intimacy and oxytocin

Adrenaline and feelings of passion – study of pairing in a time of crisis.