Psychology of Emotion

Emotion

• Emotion is an intrapersonal state in response to an internal or external event.
• Four components of emotion:
  • Physiological: Changes in bodily arousal (e.g., heart rate, temperature, respiration).
  • Cognitive/Feeling: Subjective appraisal and interpretation of one's feelings and environment.
  • Physical/Behavioral: Expression of emotion verbally and non-verbally (e.g., smiling, frowning, laughing).
  • Emotional/Behavioral: Keeping the emotion present (e.g., happiness) or removing it (e.g., sadness).

Physiological Changes and Emotion

• The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for action (e.g., pupils dilate, salvation decreases, increased heart rate, breathing rate increases).
• The parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to its normal state (e.g., pupils constrict, salavation increases, breathing rate decreases).
  • Physiological changes in response to emotion encompass various body systems (e.g., eyes, mouth, skin, lungs, heart, adrenal glands, digestion, blood, palms).

Universal Recognition of Emotions

• Paul Ekman's research suggests that there are universally recognized emotional expressions across cultures.
• Images of expressions were used in the study.

Ways to Measure Emotions

• Behavioral displays: Observing behavior and facial expressions.
• Self-reports: Widely used but can have low validity.
• Psychophysiological reactions:
  • Face electromyography
  • Heart rate
  • Skin conductance
  • fMRI

Functions of Emotions

• Cognitive functions: Emotions help organize and retrieve memories, prioritize concerns and needs, and guide judgments and decisions.
• Behavioral functions: Emotions alter behaviours and are associated with predictable behavioural patterns that help in adaptation and survival.
• Social functions: Emotions are the foundation of relationships, improve relationship quality, and help with empathy and work performance.

Theories of Emotion

• James-Lange Theory: Felt emotions result from physiological changes.
• Cannon-Bard Theory: Emotions and bodily arousal occur simultaneously.
• Schachter and Singer's Two-Factor Theory: Emotional states are a function of both physiological arousal and cognition.

Testing the Two-Factor Theory

• A study investigated different emotional responses to an injection by varying information provided to participants.

Other Theories of Emotion

• Cognitive-mediational theory (Lazarus): Cognitive interpretations, particularly appraisals of events are critical for experiencing emotion (cognitive appraisal acts as a mediator between stimuli and reaction).
• Facial-feedback theory: Subjective experiences of emotion are influenced by sensory feedback from facial muscular activity.
  • Recent studies have presented weak evidence for this effect as a determining factor in influencing emotions.

Duchenne Smile

• A specific type of smile associated with genuine happiness.
• Recognition of authentic smiling often involves subtle differences in facial muscle activity

Survival Function of Emotions

• Evolutionary theory suggests that emotions are innate and passed through generations to facilitate survival.
• Basic emotions are pre-programmed in all humans.
  • Different situations/emotions are linked to various survival responses (e.g. threat/fear – fight or flight; obstacle/anger – biting/hitting; courtship/joy – courtship/mating)

Emotion: What Happens in the Brain

• Multiple brain areas and neural pathways are involved in experiencing emotions. (No single brain area is linked to a particular emotion).

What About Positive Emotions?

• Positive psychology studies and strengthens positive feelings, traits, abilities, and virtues.

Happiness Levels Around the World

• A global comparison of happiness using a standardized scale. This study is broken into two parts.

Happiness

• Happy people tend to be optimistic, outgoing, curious, and tender-minded.
• Happiness is associated with high self-esteem, spirituality, goal-direction, and a sense of control.
  • Studies show a correlation between happiness in people and reduced risks of death and heart problems.

Happiness is Culturally Variable

• The meaning and importance of happiness vary across different cultures.

Summing Up

• The study of emotions helps to understand underlying motivations of behaviors.

This quiz explores the intricate components of emotion, focusing on physiological changes and the role of the nervous system. You will learn about how our bodies respond to emotional states and the psychological interpretations involved. Test your understanding of the physiological, behavioural, and cognitive aspects of emotions.