MODULE 41: THEORIES AND PHYSIOLOGY OF EMOTION

EMOTION:

➤ a response of the whole organism, involving

➤ 1. physiological arousal

➤ 2. expressive behaviors, and

➤ 3. conscious experience

➤ A mix of bodily arousal (heart pounding); expressive behaviors (quickened pace); and conscious experience, (did my child get kidnapped?)

I. THEORIES OF EMOTION

➤ A. Evolutionary Theories (Charles Darwin):

➤ Emotions evolve because they had an adaptive value?

➤ How so?

I. THEORIES OF EMOTION

➤ B. James-Lange Theory:

➤ people experience emotion because they perceive their bodies physiological responses to external events.

➤ i.e. My heart accelerates then i feel FEAR.

I. THEORIES OF EMOTION

➤ C. Cannon-Bard Theory:

➤ the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers

➤ 1. physiological responses and

➤ 2. the subjective experience of emotion

➤ experience of emotion happens at the same time that physiological arousal happens.

➤ i.e. stimulus -> sympathetic nervous system

stimulus -> brain’s cortex = feel sad and cry at the same time

and

I. THEORIES OF EMOTION

➤ D. Schachter and Singer’s Two-Factor Theory-

➤ to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal.

➤ emotion is dependent on two factors.

➤ i.e. Strike vs. Rock Concert

I. THEORIES OF EMOTION

➤ E. Opponent Process Theory of Emotion:

➤ Emotions have pairs. When one is triggered, the other one is suppressed.

➤ suggests that most motivation is learned via a pattern of opposing emotions, and in fact become addictive.

➤ F. Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Emotion:

➤ Emotions are the result of the cognitive appraisal of a situation and how a person decides it will affect his or her well-being.

➤ i.e. Being afraid when you see someone in a dark alley, only to realize it is someone you know.

II. BIOLOGICAL BRAIN OF EMOTION

➤ A. Limbic system

➤ Thalamus: central relay station

➤ Amygdala: brain region responsible for fear

➤ Hypothalamus: activates ANS. The sympathetic branch of the ANS prepares the body for action. Stimulates blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels increase, pupils let in more vision, digestive process slows down.

➤ Hippocampus: memories that are more emotional tend to be remembered better.

➤ B. Lateralization of Emotions (Frontal Lobe):

➤ left hemisphere influences positive emotions, right hemisphere influences negative emotions.

➤ i.e. experiencing negative emotions such as disgust will show right pre frontal cortex being more active that the left. Depression-prone people, and those with more negative personalities show more right frontal lobe activity.

Brain’s pathways for emotions: in the two track brain, sensory input may be routed (a) to the cortex (via the thalamus) for analysis and then transmission to the amygdala; or (b) directly to the amygdala (via the thalamus) for an instant emotional reaction.

MODULE 42: EXPRESSED EMOTION

DETECTING DECEPTION?*Cues people use when actually trying to deceive:

speech hesitation, increased vocal pitch, blinking, and pupil dilation.

*Deceivers tend to:

use shorter sentences and talk for shorter durations.

make more speech errors and stutter.

pause longer between words and take longer to response to questions and comments.

fidget around when talking, play with hair, collar, etc.

I. MEASURING EMOTION:

➤ A. Galvanic Skin response-

➤ measures skin’s rate of electrical conductivity.

I. MEASURING EMOTION:

➤ B. Polygraph Test-

➤ measures autonomic, physiological indicators of emotion; blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity.

II. EXPRESSIONS AND EMOTIONS FUN FACTS!

ARE YOU SELF CONSCIOUS?

1. Draw a capital E on your forehead with your dominant hand.

EMOTIONAL CONTAGION

Fact: we catch one another’s emotions by unconsciously engaging in motor mimicry. We automatically imitate other people’s facial expressions, gestures, and postures. As a result we come to feel as others do as well as look the same way.

MODERN DAY COMMUNICATION

Question: Are you able to tell your friends’ moods via text message or tweet? If yes, how so? What role do hashtags play in helping convey emotions in texts/tweets?

II. EXPRESSIONS AND EMOTION:

➤ A. Paul Ekman:

➤ there are 7 basic emotions that are universal: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, and contempt.

➤ B. Experience influences how we perceive emotions:

➤ Physically abused children were more likely than non abused children to perceive a face as “angry.”

➤ C. Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

➤ Male or Female? On a gender neutral face, people were more likely to see it as a male if it wore an angry expression.