Theories of Emotion

Understanding Theories of Emotion

• Emotion is a feeling involving thoughts, body reactions, and actions, influenced by internal and external factors
• Emotional reactions are spontaneous, affecting behavior, facial expressions, and physiological responses like increased heart rate and adrenaline

Elicitors

• Elicitors are stimuli or events that trigger an emotional response
• Elicitors influence how people of different genders, ages, or socioeconomic classes display and interpret emotions within a culture

Arousal Comes Before Emotion

• Emotions follow bodily arousal: sadness is felt because we cry, and fear because we tremble
• Recognizing physiological responses (like increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension) leads to feeling fear

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

• Facial expressions can influence emotions
• Smiling can make you happier and frowning can make you feel sadder

Arousal and Emotion Occur Simultaneously

• Arousal and emotion occur simultaneously and independently when stimulated
• An emotion-triggering stimulus affects both bodily arousal and emotional experience at the same time

Arousal + Cognitive Label = Emotion

• Emotion results from physiological arousal and a cognitive label
• Interpretation of arousal determines the specific emotion experienced

Broaden-and-Build Theory of Emotion

• Positive emotions help with open thinking and trying new things, strengthening us
• Negative emotions narrow our thinking and limit action

Universal Emotions

• Certain emotional expressions are recognized and experienced similarly across cultures
• Emotions like anger, disgust, sadness, happiness, surprise, and fear are often considered universal

Display Rules

• Cultural norms dictate how, when, and where individuals express emotions
• Emotional expressions are regulated based on social context

Claim Challenge: Theories of Emotion

• Developing and justifying an argument about how situations lead to emotions, affecting thought and behavior

Exploring Theories of Motivation

Instincts

• Instincts are innate, fixed patterns of behavior in animals triggered by specific stimuli
• Humans don't typically exhibit instinctual behavior

Drive-Reduction Theory

• Behavior is motivated by the need to reduce internal drives from physiological deficits (hunger/thirst) aiming to restore homeostasis
• Homeostasis maintains stable internal conditions

Needs and Homeostatic Responses

• Overheating during exercise triggers sweating to regulate temperature
• Dehydration leads to thirst, restoring water balance
• Low blood glucose causes hunger
• Lack of sleep prompts sleepiness
• Cold environment results in shivering

Eating Motivations

• Eating demonstrates complex interaction between physical and mental processes
• Ghrelin ("Growlin' Stomach") is a stomach hormone stimulating appetite
• Leptin ("Last Bite") is a fat cell hormone regulating energy balance by inhibiting hunger

Belongingness

• Belongingness is the innate human desire to form meaningful relationships
• Significantly drives behavior and affects emotional health

Arousal Theory

• Individuals maintain an optimal level of alertness
• Seeking to increase alertness when low and decrease it when too high to enhance performance and well-being

Yerkes-Dodson Law

• Performance increases with mental arousal up to a point
• Beyond the optimal arousal level, performance decreases

Sensation-Seeking Theory

• Motivation is driven by the need for varied, novel, and intense experiences

Thrill Seeking

• Individuals are motivated by the desire for intense and exciting experiences, often involving risk
• Thrill seeking is a component of sensation-seeking theory

Adventure Seeking

• Individuals are motivated by the desire for new and challenging experiences
• Adventure seeking often involves physical activities and exploration

Disinhibition

• Disinhibition is the tendency to seek out social and experiential thrills
• Engaging in behaviors that are typically restrained by social norms and inhibitions

Boredom Susceptibility

• Boredom susceptibility is an intolerance for repetitive experiences
• Leads to seeking new activities to avoid feeling bored

Incentive Theory

• Behavior is motivated by the desire for external rewards or incentives

Self-Determination Theory

• People are motivated by intrinsic (internal) motivations, such as personal growth
• People are also motivated by extrinsic (external) motivations, such as rewards and recognition

Intrinsic Motivation

• Engaging in activities for their own sake
• Driven by internal rewards such as personal satisfaction, enjoyment, or a sense of achievement

Extrinsic Motivation

• Engaging in behavior due to external rewards or pressures, like money or approval

Lewin's Motivational Conflicts Theory

• Describes the psychological struggles individuals face when making decisions

Types of Motivation

• Approach: inclination towards a desirable goal or outcome
• Avoidance: motivation to move away from an undesirable or harmful goal or outcome

Approach-Approach Conflicts

• Choosing between two desirable options
• Leads to a conflict of which positive outcome to pursue

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflicts

• Choosing between two undesirable options
• Choosing which negative outcome to avoid

Approach-Avoidance Conflicts

• Drawn to and repelled by the same option
• This can lead to a conflict between the desire for a positive outcome and the fear of a negative consequence