PSYCH 102: Emotions (5) PDF

PSYCH 102: Emotions (5) The Historical Position on Emotion Emotions vs. Reason: ​ Historically, emotions have been positioned as the opposites of reason—emotional responses are viewed as hot, chaotic, and intuitive, while reason is seen as cold, rational, and orderly. Bertrand Russel...

PSYCH 102: Emotions (5) The Historical Position on Emotion Emotions vs. Reason: ​ Historically, emotions have been positioned as the opposites of reason—emotional responses are viewed as hot, chaotic, and intuitive, while reason is seen as cold, rational, and orderly. Bertrand Russell: "The degree of one's emotions varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts." → Key Idea: Less knowledge = stronger emotional response ("hotter" emotions). Pop Culture Analogy (Star Trek): ​ Spock: Represents logic and reason (cold, factual). ​ Kirk: Represents emotion and intuition (hot, impulsive). ​ Message: Both logic and emotion are necessary to achieve balance. William James "It takes... a mind debauched by learning to carry the process of making the natural seem strange, so far as to ask for the why of any instinctive human act. To the psychologist alone can such questions occur as: Why do we smile, when pleased, and not scowl? Why are we unable to talk to a crowd as we talk to a single friend? Why does a particular maiden turn our wits so upside-down? The common man can only say, 'Of course we smile, of course our heart palpitates at the sight of the crowd, of course we love the maiden, that beautiful soul clad in that perfect form, so palpably and flagrantly made for all eternity to be loved! “And so probably does each animal feel about the particular things it tends to do in the presence of certain objects. To the lion it is the lioness which is made to be loved; to the bear the she-bear. To the broody hen, the notion would probably seem monstrous that there should be a creature in the world to whom a nestful of eggs was not utterly fascinating and precious and never to be too-much-sat-upon object which it is to her." the sight of the crowd, of course we love the maiden, that beautiful soul clad in that perfect form, so palpably and flagrantly made for all eternity to be loved!” Emotion Definition An emotion is a rapid and automatic cascade of subjective experience, physiological responses and cognitive appraisals The Three Models of Emotion 1.​ The Common Sense Account 2.​ The James-Lange Theory 3.​ The Schacter-Singer Theory The Common Sense Account 1.​ Perception of Stimulus 2.​ Subjective Experience 3.​ ACTION The James-Lange Theory 1.​ Perception of Stimulus 2.​ Emotion-Specific Physiological Response 3.​ Subjective Experience → The subjective experience of emotion arises from the body's physiological response to a stimulus, not directly from the stimulus itself. “Refuse to express a passion, and it dies” – James Lange ​ Suppressing the behavioral expression of an emotion reduces the subjective experience of it “The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it. On the other hand, the repression, as far as this is possible, of all outward signs softens our emotions... Even the simulation of an emotion tends to arouse it in our minds.” – Charles Darwin ​ Increasing or suppressing physiological expressions of emotion can influence how strongly we feel it ​ Even pretending to express an emotion can evoke it in the mind Facial Feedback Hypothesis Key Idea ​ Faking a smile can make you feel happier, less stressed, and more amused. ​ Your facial expressions influence your emotions. Types of Smiles 1. Social Smile (Pan Am Smile) = Uses only the mouth (forced or insincere) 2. Duchenne Smile = A genuine smile involving both the mouth and eyes. Experiment Example ​ Participants held a pencil in their mouths to mimic facial expressions: ○​ Neutral Position: No smile. ○​ Social Smile: Mouth-only smile. ○​ Duchenne Smile: Smile with both the mouth and eyes. Tasks Given: ​ Tracing a star in a mirror (frustrating). ​ Holding a hand in ice-cold water (stressful). Results: ​ Participants with smiles (especially Duchenne smiles): ○​ Felt less stressed. ○​ Recovered from stress faster. The Effect of Botox on Emotions Key Idea​ Botox reduces the ability to express emotions through facial expressions, which in turn impacts emotional experience and understanding. Effects of Botox 1.​ Decreases Self-Reported Emotional Experience: ○​ People report feeling less emotion overall after Botox treatments. 2.​ Decreases Brain Activation of Emotion: ○​ The brain shows reduced activity in emotional areas. 3.​ Decreases Ability to Process Emotional Language: ○​ When reading emotional passages, people with Botox take longer to understand them. ○​ Micro facial expressions normally help process emotions during reading, but Botox blocks this. 4.​ Decreases Emotional Understanding: ○​ Emotional mimicry (subtle copying of others' facial expressions) is reduced. ○​ Without mimicry, it’s harder to connect with or fully understand others' emotions. Explanation ​ Botox temporarily paralyzes facial muscles to reduce wrinkles, but this also removes facial expressions. ​ According to the James-Lange Theory, the lack of facial expressions diminishes emotional intensity and understanding. ​ For example, if you cannot frown or smile, it becomes harder to experience and interpret emotions as deeply. The Schacter-Singer Theory (1962) Key Concept: ​ Emotions are not just reactions to physiological changes (like arousal) but are interpretations of those bodily sensations. Study Overview 1.​ Experiment Setup: ○​ Participants were injected with "Suproxin" (which was actually epinephrine/adrenaline). ○​ Half of the participants were told the injection would cause physiological arousal (adrenaline). ○​ The other half were told the injection was a harmless vitamin. 2.​ Conditions: ○​ Euphoria Condition: Participants were placed in a room with an actor who encouraged them to have fun and goof off. ○​ Anger Condition: Participants were asked insulting questions to provoke anger. 3.​ Results: ○​ Euphoria & Anger Groups (Vitamin Condition): People in these conditions experienced the expected emotions (euphoria or anger) because they couldn’t attribute their physiological arousal to the injection, so they based their emotional experiences on the situation. ○​ Arousal Group (Adrenaline Condition): People in this group did not experience any emotion, as they knew their arousal was caused by the drug, so they didn’t need to interpret it. Key Takeaway Interpretation Matters: According to Schacter and Singer, the subjective experience of emotions depends on both physiological arousal and the cognitive label (how we interpret that arousal). ​ If you know your arousal is caused by a substance (like adrenaline), you don’t need to label it as any specific emotion. ​ If you don’t know the cause, you interpret the arousal in the context of your surroundings, leading to an emotional experience (e.g., euphoria or anger). The Schacter-Singer Model of Emotional Experience 1.​ Perception of Stimulus (e.g., an arousing event) 2.​ General Arousal (physiological response) 3.​ Cognitive Label (attribution of the cause of the arousal) 4.​ Subjective Experience (emotion formed from both arousal and label) Conclusion: Emotions are not automatic responses to stimuli; they are shaped by how we interpret our bodily reactions to those stimuli. The Capilano Suspension Bridge Study (Dutton & Aron, 1974) Study Overview ​ Researcher: Don Dutton, a UBC researcher ​ Setting: Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver ​ Participants: Male participants approached by either an attractive female or male experimenter ​ Task: Participants completed the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), where they were shown pictures and asked to interpret them. ​ Follow-Up: After the task, the experimenter gave their phone number to the participant, inviting them to call if they wanted to discuss the experiment. Key Findings Two Conditions ​ On the Bridge (High Arousal): Participants were approached while on a high, rickety suspension bridge, which likely caused a sense of fear and increased physiological arousal. ​ In the Parking Lot (Low Arousal): Participants were approached in a calmer, safer environment with lower levels of physiological arousal. Results ​ Male Experimenter: Slightly more sexual imagery in interpretations when participants were on the bridge, but the difference was minimal. ​ Female Experimenter: A more significant increase in sexual imagery in interpretations when the participants were on the bridge. Phone Number Callbacks ​ On the Bridge: Nearly half of the participants who were approached by the female experimenter on the bridge called her afterward, assuming their arousal was due to attraction to her. ​ In the Parking Lot: Fewer participants called the female experimenter when approached in the parking lot. Misattribution of Arousal The misattribution of arousal occurs when people experience heightened arousal due to one cause (e.g., fear) but mistakenly attribute it to another (e.g., attraction to an experimenter). Conclusion: Participants on the bridge misattributed their fear-induced arousal to sexual attraction to the female experimenter, leading them to believe they were more attracted to her than they actually were. Takeaway: Our emotional and physiological responses (like increased heart rate or sweating) can be influenced by the context or situation, leading us to misinterpret the cause of those feelings. The Electric Shock Study (Dutton & Aron, 1974) Study Overview Participants: UBC undergraduate students → Procedure: ​ Participants were told they would receive either a mild or strong electric shock. ​ The "strong shock" condition created anxiety (anticipation of a painful experience), while the "mild shock" condition caused little to no anxiety. ​ After being informed about the shock, participants were left waiting for the "other participant" to arrive, who was actually an attractive female graduate student. Key Findings 1.​ Shock Conditions: ○​ Mild Shock Condition: No significant anxiety; the participant didn't experience heightened physiological arousal. ○​ Strong Shock Condition: The participant experienced anxiety, sweating, and palpitations due to the anticipation of a painful shock. 2.​ Attraction: ○​ In the strong shock condition, participants reported higher levels of attraction to the female experimenter, even though the physiological arousal came from anxiety about the shock, not romantic attraction. ○​ Misattribution of Arousal: The anxiety-induced arousal was misattributed to romantic attraction toward the female experimenter. Key Concept: Misattribution of Arousal Participants' anxiety-induced arousal (due to fear of the strong shock) was mistakenly attributed to their feelings of attraction toward the female experimenter, demonstrating that physiological arousal from anxiety can be misinterpreted as romantic attraction. ​ Similar effects have been observed in other contexts that induce arousal, such as roller coasters or scary movies, where increased heart rate and arousal can lead to higher attraction toward the person you are with. ​ Not all emotions can be misattributed in the same way. For example, fear and attraction share similar physiological patterns, while disgust or embarrassment likely do not. Do Emotions Make Us Irrational? Scenario ​ Situation: After a long day, you come home irritated, flip on the bathroom light, and see a cockroach in your toothbrush. ​ Question: Would you ever use this toothbrush again? ​ Conclusion: Most people, driven by a disgust reaction, would likely never use the toothbrush again, even if they washed it. This is a reasonable emotional reaction, but it's also driven by the emotions of disgust rather than a rational analysis of hygiene. Emotions vs Rationality ​ Fun Fact: Thirsty participants refuse to drink juice with a sterilized cockroach in it. This seems irrational because the cockroach is sterilized, but the emotional reaction to seeing it overrides rationality. ​ Emotions influence decisions, often leading to decisions that may seem irrational but are rooted in gut reactions like disgust or fear. General-Purpose Heuristics vs. Methodical Algorithms Emotions as Heuristics: Emotions are general-purpose heuristics (quick rules of thumb) used in decision-making, not step-by-step algorithms. ​ Heuristic: A quick, approximate rule of thumb for decision-making in uncertain or fast-paced situations. ​ Algorithm: A precise, step-by-step method to solve problems (e.g., counting the number of people in a photo). Conclusion Emotions as Quick Responses: Emotions provide fast, general responses (heuristics) when you don't have the time or resources to use a more methodical approach. In many cases, this works well, offering an adaptive shortcut for decision-making. However, emotions can sometimes lead to decisions that feel irrational, like avoiding juice with a cockroach in it, even when it’s sterilized. Antonio Damasio’s Somatic Marker Hypothesis Study Overview ​ Damasio studied patients with frontal lobe damage, which disconnected their emotional responses from their rational decision-making process. ​ Participants were asked to play the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task: a gambling-like game with four decks of cards. Some decks give more money but also have bigger penalties; others give less money but fewer penalties. Findings – Healthy Participants: ​ After a few rounds, participants began to feel physiological reactions (like increased nervousness) when choosing from the "bad" decks (ones that ultimately lead to losing more money). ​ These somatic markers helped them avoid the bad decks without needing to consciously analyze the situation. Frontal Lobe Damage Participants: ​ These patients did not feel the physiological reaction (somatic marker) when picking from the bad decks, even though they could rationally describe the differences between good and bad decks. ​ They continued choosing from both bad and good decks equally, showing a lack of emotional guidance in their decision-making. Conclusion ​ Somatic markers (emotional cues) play a crucial role in helping us make better decisions. ​ Even when we can reason through a decision, the emotional component is essential for guiding choices. Without it, decision-making is incomplete. Emotions are not irrational passions, but instead they are necessary and highly functional components of a very finely tuned decision making system. In other words, every spock heeds his Kirk.