Define emotion.
An immediate, specific negative or positive response to environmental events or internal thoughts
Emotions consist of three components: physiological process, behavioral response, and cognitive appraisal.
What are the three components of emotion?
- A physiological process (e.g., heart beating fast)
- A behavioral response (e.g., eyes opening wide)
- A feeling based on cognitive appraisal (e.g., I’m scared!)
These components work together to create the experience of emotion.
Name the primary emotions.
- Anger
- Fear
- Sadness
- Disgust
- Happiness
Primary emotions are innate, evolutionarily adaptive, and universal.
What are secondary emotions?
Blends of primary emotions (e.g., guilt)
Secondary emotions arise from combinations of primary emotions.
Emotions can range from very intense (e.g., depression, mania, panic) to very _______.
blunted
This range indicates the variability in emotional experiences.
What are the two core dimensions of affect in the circumplex model?
- Valence: how negative or positive
- Arousal: degree of physiological activation
This model helps categorize emotions based on these dimensions.
The physiological component of emotions involves activation of which system?
The autonomic nervous system
This activation prepares the body to meet environmental challenges.
Which brain structure processes the emotional significance of stimuli?
Amygdala
The amygdala generates immediate emotions and physical reactions.
Describe the fast path of emotional processing.
Thalamus directly to the amygdala
This pathway allows for quick emotional responses.
Describe the slow path of emotional processing.
Thalamus — cortex — amygdala
This pathway involves more cognitive processing before emotional response.
What is a polygraph?
An electronic instrument that assesses the body’s physiological response (e.g., breathing rate, heart rate) to questions
The use of polygraphs is controversial.
What does the James-Lange Theory of Emotion propose?
People perceive specific patterns of bodily responses, leading to the feeling of emotion
This theory contrasts with the common-sense view of emotion.
What is the Facial Feedback Hypothesis?
Facial expressions trigger the experience of emotions, not the other way around
This hypothesis suggests that our expressions can influence our emotional experiences.
What does the Cannon-Bard Theory state?
Information about emotional stimuli is sent simultaneously to the cortex and the body
This theory challenges the sequential processing of emotions.
What is the Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory?
A label applied to physiological arousal results in the experience of an emotion
This theory emphasizes the role of cognitive appraisal in emotional experience.
Define misattribution of arousal.
When people misidentify the source of their arousal
This can lead to incorrect emotional responses.
What is excitation transfer?
When residual physiological arousal caused by one event is transferred to a new stimulus
This phenomenon can influence emotional reactions to subsequent events.
What are some strategies for emotion regulation?
- Reappraisal
- Finding humour
- Suppression
- Rumination
These strategies can be positive/effective or negative/ineffective.
What is cognitive reappraisal?
Changing the meaning of a situation
This strategy can help in managing negative thoughts and emotions.
According to Darwin, why are expressive aspects of emotion adaptive?
They communicate how we are feeling
This communication is important for social interactions.
Which aspects of the body are important for conveying emotion?
- Eyes
- Mouth
- Body language
- Context
These elements provide additional information about emotional states.
