Psychology Chapter on Affect

Affect

• Affect is the experience of feelings
• Three types: emotions, moods, and arousals

Emotions vs. Arousals

• Arousal is a physiological response to stimuli
• Example: increased heart rate/breathing rate when facing danger
• Emotions are relatively focused and caused by specific events
• Moods are less focused and more pervasive, caused by less clear triggers; they last for days

Emotions vs. Moods

• Emotions are focused, with relatively clear causes
• Moods are less focused and more pervasive
• Emotions are short-lived and intense
• Moods last for several days and are less intense
• Examples include: feeling surprised (emotion), feeling blue (mood), and being in a good mood without understanding why

Components of Emotions

• Subjective experience
• Physiological response
• Behavioral/expressive response

Functions of Emotions

• Motivation: Happiness motivates engagement in behaviors
• Decision-making: Goal-setting and rational behavior (e.g., choosing an iPhone over an Android)

4 Major Perspectives on Emotions

• Darwinian/Evolutionary: Emotions serve survival values (e.g., fear of predators, disgust at rotten food)
• Physiological: Importance of physiological arousal; examples like the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories
• Cognitive: Importance of cognition and thinking in the generation of emotions; includes Schachter's Two-Factor Theory
• Social Constructivist: Emotions are a cultural product; shaped by social interactions, cultural norms, and language

Ekman's List of Basic Emotions

• Anger
• Disgust
• Fear
• Happiness
• Sadness
• Surprise

Further Evidence of the Evolutionary Source of Emotions

• Blind people have similar emotional expressions
• People can distinguish subtle differences in emotional expressions easily

Display Rules

• Emotional expressions are also governed by display rules learned within a culture
• People appraise and evaluate the situation; for example, Japanese people are generally more reserved in their emotional expressions compared to other cultures

N.H. Frijda – The Law of Emotion

• Emotions are action tendencies or states of action readiness that prepare an individual to respond to significant events in their environment
• Action readiness = preparedness from emotional experiences
• Emotions are viewed as adaptive responses that mobilize the individual for action (e.g., fight or flight)

Physiological Perspective: James-Lange Theory

• Perceiving a stimulus causes autonomic arousal and bodily actions that lead to the experience of a specific emotion
• Concerns the experience of emotions rather than their expressions

Physiological Perspective: Evidence?

• PET reveals activity in the somatosensory cortex during emotional experiences
• Emotions can be reproduced by engaging in corresponding postures or behaviors
• Bodily changes involve variations in blood circulation

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

• Facial muscles send signals to the brain, helping the brain recognize the emotion being experienced
• Example: Rating a comic as funnier when holding a pen in one's mouth

Physiological Perspective: Cannon-Bard Theory

• Physiological changes associated with emotions are not distinguishable
• Autonomic responses are too slow to be the source of emotions
• Physiological responses occur simultaneously with emotional experiences

Cognitive Perspective: Schachter's Two-Factor Theory

• The experience of emotion depends on autonomic arousal and cognitive interpretation of that arousal
• When people experience physiological arousal, they engage in a process to identify the appropriate emotion, considering cues, context, and past experiences

Cognitive Perspective: Richard Lazarus' Cognitive Appraisal Theory

• Cognitive appraisal is the process of assessing and interpreting a situation's significance in relation to one's personal well-being
• Primary appraisal: assessment of an event; is it positive, negative, or irrelevant?
• Secondary appraisal: evaluation of coping resources and options

Social Constructivist Perspective: Emotions are Socially Constructed

• Emotions are shaped by cultural, social, and interpersonal factors
• Different cultures have varying rules for how emotions should be expressed
• Emotions are learned through social interactions
• Example: In some cultures anger is acceptable in public, while in others it is not.

Social Constructivist Perspective: Role of Language

• The way people talk about emotions shapes how they experience and interpret them
• Emotion words are different across languages and cultures; some languages have words which don't have direct translations in others
• Affects emotional experiences and understanding

Social Constructivist Perspective: Social Roles

• People express emotions according to their roles and social norms
• Example: A teacher should express calmness and composure.
• Different social role requires emotional expression (or hiding) that is in line to maintain the role

Social Constructivist Perspective: Social Functions

• Emotions help sustain social relationships and maintain order
• Emotions help communicate and respond appropriately (e.g., feeling and expressing guilt helps maintaining social harmony)

Social Constructivist Perspective: Across Cultures

• Different cultures have different emotional expectations
• Examples of emotions varying across different cultures include: appropriate and inappropriate displays of emotions such as smiling and being polite

Which Perspective?

• Darwinian
• Physiological
• Cognitive
• Social Constructivist
• Eclectic (using all perspectives)

Reflections

• Are people being comforted by words like "don't be sad" beneficial
• How do we deal with our emotions?
• Should we avoid all negative emotions?
• What implications do emotions bear?
• How do we evaluate emotions considering society and culture?

Explore the nuances of affect in psychology, focusing on the distinctions between emotions, moods, and physiological arousals. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how these elements influence human behavior and decision-making, based on specific examples and components outlined in the chapter.