PSY150 Ch14 Emotion 2012 - Wofford Collegewebs.wofford.edu/steinmetzkr/teaching/Psy150... · 1 EMOTION CHAPTER 11.4 1 LEARNING GOALS Discuss the Function of Emotions Differentiate

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EMOTION

CHAPTER 11.4

1 LEARNING GOALS Discuss the Function of Emotions Differentiate Attitudes, Mood, and Emotion Examine the evidence for and against basic emotions

•  Discuss the cross-cultural research concerning facial expressions and emotion

•  Explain the facial-feedback hypothesis

Differentiate among the various theories on how emotions occur

•  Explain the components of each theory

•  Critique each theory

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OUTLINE Functions of emotion Defining emotion How does emotion occur?

•  Basic emotions •  James-Lange theory •  Cannon-Bard theory •  Schachter-Singer theory •  Lazarus theory

Emotion regulation

Emotion and the Brain



Emotion regulation


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WHY HAVE EMOTIONS?

Would we be better off if we just relied on our reasoning capabilities?

WHY HAVE EMOTIONS?

Communication Survival value Enhancing memory

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Emotion regulation Emotion and the Brain Gender, Culture, and Emotion

WHAT IS EMOTION? Emotion is a type of affect Affect includes:

Attitudes Evaluation of something’s “goodness” or “badness”

Mood General Long-lasting Not regarding a specific stimulus

Emotion Short-lived In response to a particular stimulus

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Emotion regulation Emotion and the Brain Gender, Culture, and Emotion

HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? BASIC EMOTIONS Families of emotions:

Amusement Anger

Contempt Contentment

Disgust Embarrassment

Excitement Fear Guilt

Pride in achievement Relief

Sadness/distress Satisfaction

Sensory pleasure Shame

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HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? BASIC EMOTIONS Emotion:

•  Physiology •  Behavior •  Cognition •  Expression •  Subjective experience

According to the basic emotions view, each of these characteristics of each basic emotion is universal and unlearned

HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? BASIC EMOTIONS Emotion:

•  Physiology •  Behavior •  Cognition •  Expression* •  Subjective experience

According to the basic emotions view, each of these characteristics of each basic emotion is universal and unlearned

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HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? BASIC EMOTIONS

Paul Ekman and colleagues

Happy face: 95-100% of Americans, Brazilians, Chileans, Argentineans and Japanese agree

HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? BASIC EMOTIONS

Paul Ekman and colleagues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YgOZ3AYRds

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FACIAL-FEEDBACK HYPOTHESIS

�  Laird/Ekman: Facial contortions (expressions) yield emotions that fit

�  Expression can

influence emotional experience

HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? Intuitive (?) view:

Stimulus Emotion

Physiological and

behavioral changes

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HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR?

James-Lange theory •  emotional feelings result •  AFTER aware of a physiological

response to an emotion-provoking stimulus

Proposed simultaneously by William James and Carl Lange in 1884

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES: SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

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JAMES-LANGE THEORY

Stimulus Emotion Physiologic

al and behavioral changes

CANNON-BARD THEORY

Cannon Bard theory •  emotion-provoking stimulus is

transmitted simultaneously to the cerebral cortex

•  which is responsible for conscious experience of the emotion, and to the sympathetic nervous system, which causes physiological arousal

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CANNON-BARD THEORY

Stimulus

Emotion

Physiological and

behavioral changes

HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR? Critiques of theories so far:

• Commonalities in brain activations for different emotions

• Similar physiological and cognitive characteristics

•  Shortness of breath •  Racing heart •  Thoughts are consumed by a stimulus

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HOW DOES EMOTION OCCUR?

• Similar physiological and cognitive characteristics

•  Shortness of breath •  Racing heart •  Thoughts are consumed by a stimulus

Context and cognition matter!

SCHACHTER-SINGER THEORY The Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

suggests that two things must happen for a person to feel an emotion

•  There must be physiological arousal •  There must be a cognitive interpretation of the

arousal, so the person can label it as a specific emotion

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TWO-FACTOR THEORY OF EMOTION: SCHACTER & SINGER

Physiological arousal •  Sweaty palms •  Increased heart rate •  rapid breathing

Cognitive Label •  Attribute source of arousal to

a cause

To have an emotion, both factors are required

SCHACHTER-SINGER THEORY

Physiological arousal •  Sweaty palms •  Increased heart rate •  rapid breathing

Cognitive Label •  Attribute source of arousal to

a cause

To have an emotion, both factors are required Bears are

dangerous!

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SCHACHTER-SINGER THEORY High Bridge study (Dutton & Aron) • Bridge induces feelings of

physiological arousal • Attractive female experimenter approached males either on or off the bridge to complete a survey • How many males from each group later called the experimenter to ask her for a date? Men approached ON the bridge were more likely

to call the experimenter back.

SCHACHTER-SINGER THEORY High Bridge study (Dutton & Aron) Men on the bridge attributed their physiological arousal (being “lovestruck”) to the female experimenter, rather than the height of the bridge

•  Demonstrates that cognitive interpretation coupled with physiological response leads to emotional response

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LAZARUS THEORY

Lazarus theory •  cognitive appraisal is the first step

in an emotional response •  all other aspects of an emotion,

including physiological arousal, depend on it

LAZARUS THEORY

Stimulus

Emotion

Physiological and

behavioral changes

Cognitive Appraisal

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LAZARUS THEORY

You think the bear could be

dangerous and

possibly attack you.



Emotion regulation


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EMOTION REGULATION Can we change our emotional responses? Emotion regulation refers to the processes by which we change the emotions we have and when we have them (Gross, 1998)

At least two forms:

•  Reappraisal •  Suppression

EMOTION REGULATION: REAPPRAISAL Changing the way that you think about an emotional stimulus Changing your reaction toward an emotional stimulus

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REAPPRAISAL

You think the bear could be dangerou

s and possibly attack you.

You think that the bear is

far enough

away that it won’t get to you.

Appraisal Re-appraisal

REAPPRAISAL Leads to a reduction in physiological responses and subjective emotional experience

•  Ex: reduced heart rate Chronic use of reappraisal is associated with higher levels of subjective well-being

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SUPPRESSION Changing the behavioral outcome of an emotional response

•  Ex: •  Hiding facial expression

SUPPRESSION

You think the bear could be dangerou

s and possibly attack you.

Appraisal Suppression

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SUPPRESSION Unlike reappraisal, suppression does not lead to a reduction in either physiology or subjective emotional experience Chronic use of suppression is associated with lower levels of subjective well-being



Emotion regulation


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EMOTION AND THE BRAIN

amygdala

EMOTION AND THE BRAIN Amygdala:

• Responds to emotional information • Most often associated with fear • More recently, evidence points to the amygdala’s

role in responding to any emotionally arousing information

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The amygdala is stimulated when fearful eyes are flashed too briefly for conscious recognition A fast route to emotional recognition?

Whalen et al., 2004


Prefrontal Cortex

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EMOTION AND THE BRAIN Prefrontal Cortex:

•  Important for appraisals and regulation of emotional information

• Shares reciprocal connections with the amygdala • Can dampen the response of the amygdala (for

example, when overcoming a fear response)

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PSY150 Ch14 Emotion 2012 - Wofford Collegewebs.wofford.edu/steinmetzkr/teaching/Psy150... · 1 EMOTION CHAPTER 11.4 1 LEARNING GOALS Discuss the Function of Emotions Differentiate