Define emotion
A temporary state that includes unique subjective experiences and physiological activity, and that prepares people for action.
How has emotion been measured?
It has been measured through multidimensional scales. (Mapping) The two dimensions that have been used are arousal (how energetic the emotion is) and valence (how positive the feeling is)
Describe and explain the James-Lange theory.
This is the theory that feelings are simply the perception of one’s own physiological responses to a stimulus.
Process: You see a stimulus and then your body undergoes a physiological change. We then interpret this change as an emotion. (We feel sorry because we cry)
What are some problems with the James-Lange theory?
- Some emotional experiences can occur before the physiological changes. (You feel embarrassed before you start to blush.)
- All sorts of things can cause bodily reactions that are not necessarily associated with emotions. For example, you may sweat not because you are stressed but because you are hot.
- Can’t account for the speed of emotional responses
- We would have to have a unique physiological response to every emotion.
Describe and explain Cannon-Bard theory.
They thought that emotions and physiological responses occurred at the same time but independently. They thought that each emotion had unique physiological response. Information was thought to be sent to the thalamus and simultaneously kicked off ANS activation and emotion.
Process: You see a stimulus. You experience the emotion and specific ANS activation at the same time.
Problems with Cannon-Bard theory?
- There is not a unique physiological response for every emotion.
- Sometimes we can feel an emotion long before our body responds.
- Again, not all bodily responses are associated with emotion.
Describe and explain the Schacter-Singer/Two-factor theory.
The theory that stimuli trigger a general state of physiological arousal, which is then interpreted as a specific emotion. Basically, the feelings we have are the same, but our circumstance changes how we label and experience it.
Process: You see a stimulus which triggers a general ANS response. We then engage in a cognitive appraisal of the arousal. We give it a cognitive label which changes how we experience the emotion. This then leads to the behaviour.
Problems with the Schacter-Singer theory
- It is highly unlikely that every human emotion has the exact same physiological footprint.
- Some bodily responses may be innate
Describe the Aaron and Dutton theory (1974) that was done to test the two-factor theory.
(Ask for clarification on this one.)
This study was set up to purposely arousing and then “un” arousing people. They felt that people sometimes wrongly assign emotion to arousal. There was a female research assistant who approached only men. In one situation she approached them on the ground and then in the other, on a bridge. In both situations, she asked them if they wanted to be in her study and asked for their numbers. Men who agreed to her on the bridge may have been misattributing their arousal on the bridge for sexual interest to the woman.
Appraisal
Conscious or unconscious evaluation and interpretations of the emotion-relevant aspects of a stimulus or event.
What is the role of the amygdala?
The amygdala plays an important role in producing emotions. Someone with a damaged amygdala may not feel fear when they see something dangerous but they will when they experience something threatening. The amygdala is part of the “fast” route to fear. Information is received in the eye which goes to the thalamus, and is then sent to the amygdala. This is why people can sometimes be afraid before knowing why.
Is the amygdala the fear centre?
It is not the centre. It is definitely involved but fear is much more complicated than that. Fear cannot be tied to one spot. It is fundamentally tied to meaning.
What are some of the amygdala’s functions? (In point form)
- To interpret the emotional states and interpretations of others.
- To interpret emotions in facial displays and social interactions
- Quickly kicks the body into action when we perceive a threat. (“Is this stimulus relevant to my survival?”)
Describe the slow pathway to fear.
This pathway occurs at the same time that the fast one is happening. Again, the eyes send information about the stimulus to the thalamus who sends it to the cortex. The cortex fully analyzes information and may send findings to amygdala to tell it to down-regulate.
Describe a case study about a patient with a damaged amygdala. Was she able to perceive emotion the same?
IV - Amygdala function
DV - Can they recognize the emotions being displayed.
The woman with brain damage was brought into a lab to test her recognition of different emotions in comparison to individuals with normal amygdala function. They found that she was able to recognize happiness, surprise and sadness the same. She had difficulty recognizing anger, fear, and disgust.
Can emotions affect our vision? (Fear goggles)
In an experiment, when patients were shown fearful faces, they did not pick up on thinner, finer details. Their recognition of thick lines remained intact. Evolutionary theories claim that our survival depends on low spatial frequency. We don’t need to see fine lines to perceive a threat, we just need to see a quick image.
What is emotional expression? (Paul Ekman)
Emotional expression is the observable sign of an emotional state. Traditional psychologists believe that doing something with your face accurately conveys your inner state. This system assumes that there is a 1:1 correspondence between the emotion you are feeling and what is going on with your face.
How does social-emotional psychology disagree with emotional expression?
They feel that emotional expression is not an entirely accurate way to describe what is occurring. A better term would be “emotional display.” (Facial expressions are communication!) Sometimes the emotion we display does not match the emotion we are feeling. We have control over our faces and can decide what to show. We also learn what is appropriate to show according to the culture we are in.
What is the facial feedback hypothesis?
The theory that emotional expressions can cause the emotional experiences they typically signify. (You smile, so you feel happy)
Describe the study done to test the facial feedback hypothesis.
And explain Coates’ critique.
Subjects in this study were told to hold a pencil in their mouths in two different ways. One way caused their lips to purse into a smile and the other caused them to make almost like an “o” shape. They then asked people how they felt with their mouths like this.
Critique: The second position is harder to do and is tied to other interpersonal/cultural activities that women may not be comfortable with.
What is the Universality Hypothesis? (Paul Ekman)
It is the idea that emotional expressions have the same meaning for everyone. It was originally proposed by Darwin. (Probably something to do with our survival?)Emotion forces our faces to look certain. There are 6 universal emotions that even infants can recognize.
Explain display rules.
These are the norms for the display of emotional expressions. With these, we can engage in intensification, deintensification, masking, and neutralisation to change our outward expression. Different cultures have different display rules.
Explain the idea of deceptive communication.
Paul Ekman argued that sincere and insincere expression may leak-out as a way to tell when someone is lying. For example, when we lie, we are overcome with anxiety. Because of this, we have less control over our extremities, and they will betray us. They study changes in morphology (reliable muscles), symmetry, duration, and temporal patterning.
Why does Coates critique some of the research on deceptive communication?
People are not dumb. If they really wanted to, they could go to the research and see what gives someone away when they are lying and just not do it.
