Emotions PDF
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Hamilton College
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This document discusses different theories of emotion, including the James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory, and Schachter-Singer theory. It also covers emotion regulation strategies and the role of the brain in emotional processing.
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motions E Terminology Emotion: the coordinated behaviors, feelings, and physiological changes that occur when a situation becomes relevant to our personal goals Mood: a short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity; generally undir...
motions E Terminology Emotion: the coordinated behaviors, feelings, and physiological changes that occur when a situation becomes relevant to our personal goals Mood: a short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity; generally undirected towards any particular target Affect: any experience of feeling or emotion, generally considered along a positive-negative dimension; both emotions and moods are affective states Discrete Emotion Theory The idea that basic emotions are… ○ Innate ○ Universal ○ Identifiable by unique facial expressions ○ Associated with distinctive bodily responses The most common classification identifies 6 primary emotions ○ Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Surprise, and Disgust But... There is evidence both for and against the idea of discrete, universal emotions Dimensional Approach (some) Important dimensions ○ Valence: Pleasant vs. unpleasant (or positive vs. negative) ○ Activation: High vs. low arousal (or intense vs. mild) ○ Motivation: Approach vs. avoidance Examples Anger = negative / high arousal / approach Excitement = positive / high arousal / approach Sadness = negative / low arousal / avoidance Theories of Emotion James-Lange Theory Cannon-Bard Theory Schachter-Singer Theory Emotion Regulation Up-regulation→strategies to increase an emotion Down-regulation→strategies to decrease an emotion Emotion Regulation Strategies Situation selection: exposing yourself to/avoiding emotional situations Situation modification: changing something about the situation you’re already in Attentional deployment: directing your attention towards/away from the situation/emotional stimulus Cognitive change: changing your interpretation of the situation R esponse modulation: changing your direct behavioral/physiological response to the situation Emotion and the Brain Amygdala ○ Rapidly evaluates sensory information for its significance to survival or well-being and triggers bodily responses ○ Emotion is disrupted in those with injury ○ Emotion experience is positively correlated with activity Prefrontal cortex ○ Crucial for conscious emotional experience and deliberate action based on it ○ Regulation of emotion ○ Asymmetry: Left-approach vs. Right-avoidance ehavioral Aspects of Emotion: An Overview B 1. Definition of Emotion An emotion is defined as the coordinated behaviors, feelings, and physiological changes occurring when a situation becomes relevant to personal goals (Scherer et al., 2001). 2. Behavioral Tendencies Associated with Emotion General patterns: Approaching positive stimuli, withdrawing from negative stimuli (Lang & Bradley, 2010) Specific patterns: Facial expressions (smiles, frowns, laughs, gapes, grimaces) 3. Evolutionary Perspective on Emotional Expressions Charles Darwin (1872) hypothesized that facial expressions are part of our evolutionary heritage, representing vestiges of our ancestors' basic adaptive patterns. 4. Evidence Supporting Evolutionary View Congenitally blind individuals express emotions similarly to sighted people (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1970; Galati et al., 1997; Goodenough, 1932) Cross-cultural agreement on the interpretation of facial expressions (Ekman, 1994; Ekman & Friesen, 1969, 1971) 5. Cross-Cultural Studies on Emotional Expressions Paul Ekman's research showed cross-cultural agreement on the meaning of facial expressions for happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, and anger. 6. Recent Developments in Emotion Research Identification of up to 28 emotions from facial and bodily signs (A. S. Cowen & Keltner, 2019) Impact of context on the perception of facial expressions (Aviezer et al., 2008; L. F. Barrett, 2017) 7. Cultural Influences on Emotional Display Display rules: Cultural conventions that dictate appropriate facial expressions in particular contexts (Ekman & Friesen, 1969; Ekman et al., 1988) 8. Variations in Display Rules Cross-cultural differences (e.g., Japan vs. Canada/US) (Safdar et al., 2009) C ontext-specific rules (e.g., work environment, receiving unwanted gifts) (Grandey et al., 2010; P. M. Cole, 1985) Individual differences (Matsumoto et al., 2008) Gender differences in Western cultures (L. Brody & Hall, 2000; Kring & Gordon, 1998) Experiential Aspects of Emotion Approaches to Classifying Emotions Discrete emotions approach: Defines specific categories of emotions Dimensional approach: Uses dimensions like pleasantness and activation to classify emotions Individual Differences in Emotional Experience Some people use a full range of emotion terms Others make more global distinctions between "feeling good" and "feeling bad" Alexithymia: Difficulty describing emotional experiences Cultural Differences in Emotional Experience Variations in emotion words across cultures (e.g., lack of words for "surprise" or "sadness" in some cultures) Unique emotion concepts in different cultures (e.g., fago in Ifalik, amae in Japanese, schadenfreude in German) Key Questions in Emotion Research Are emotional experiences universal across cultures? How do cultural labels affect emotional experiences? Do people in different cultures experience unique emotions? Note: Research is ongoing, and definitive answers to these questions are still being explored. hat Makes People Happy? W Introduction Happiness is a universally valued emotional state. Aristotle defined it as the "ultimate good, the thing for which everything else is done." Research shows that happier people tend to have more friends, better relationships, better jobs, higher incomes, and longer lives. Factors Influencing Happiness Three main factors interact to determine an individual's happiness: 1. Happiness Set Point (50% of variation) Substantially genetically determined Reflected in stable personality traits like high extraversion and low neuroticism 2. Life Circumstances (10% of variation) Surprisingly small impact due to adaptation Example: Lottery winners and paralyzed individuals show similar contentment levels after a few months Individual differences exist in adaptation to major life changes 3. Intentional Activities (40% of variation) Most controllable factor Activities that increase happiness: cultivating gratitude, savoring positive experiences, using personal strengths C aution: Placing too high a value on happiness can lead to disappointment and reduced happiness The Power of Adaptation Adaptation is the ability to quickly grow accustomed to any stimulus or state to which one is continually exposed. This phenomenon explains why life circumstances have a relatively small impact on long-term happiness. Individual Differences in Happiness Recent research shows that there are significant individual differences in: 1. The happiness set point 2. The degree to which people return to their set point after major life changes Conclusion While genetics play a significant role in determining happiness, intentional activities offer the most potential for increasing personal happiness. However, it's important to strike a balance and avoid placing too much emphasis on the pursuit of happiness itself. Physiological Aspects of Emotion Introduction Emotions involve whole-body responses, including various bodily changes. Theories of Emotion 1. James-Lange Theory Proposes that different emotions are associated with distinct patterns of bodily responses. Emotion arises from our awareness of specific bodily changes produced by arousing stimuli. Criticisms: Time delay in bodily responses and lack of explanation for non-emotional bodily changes. 2. Cannon-Bard Theory Suggests that physiological responses in different emotional states are quite general. Argues it's not easy to distinguish bodily changes associated with different emotions. Supported by studies using epinephrine injections. 3. Schachter-Singer Theory Postulates that both behavioral and physiological changes are crucial for emotional experience. Emphasizes the role of cognitive judgments about bodily changes in emotion. Tested through experiments involving epinephrine injections and confederate behavior. Current Research Physiological Differentiation Studies suggest modest physiological differentiation among emotions. Our perceptions of bodily differences among emotions may sometimes be illusory. Affective Neuroscience Examines patterns of central nervous system activation associated with different emotional states. Proposes that emotions arise from multiple interrelated neural circuits. S ome brain regions are activated in most emotions, while others show greater specificity. Example: Fear is often associated with amygdala activation, though this activation is not specific to fear. unctions of Emotions F Behavioral Aspects Facial expressions influence perception of the world Emotional expressions facilitate interpersonal coordination Emotions signal social intent and help in social interactions Cognitive Functions Affect-as-information perspective: emotions guide problem-solving Fear directs attention to avoid negative outcomes Emotions influence perception (e.g., height estimation when afraid) Physiological Functions Prepare body for action (e.g., fight or flight response) Positive emotions may help "undo" negative emotional activation Enhance memory consolidation for emotional events Evolutionary Perspective Emotions likely evolved to address consequential situations Emotional memory enhancement may have survival value Research Findings Anesthetic studies show causal role of physiological changes in emotional memory PET imaging reveals amygdala-hippocampus connection in emotional memory formation This organization highlights the main aspects of emotional functions discussed in the text, including behavioral, cognitive, and physiological functions, as well as their evolutionary significance and supporting research findings. motion Regulation: Strategies and Effects E 1. Introduction Emotions can be both useful and harmful, depending on their timing, type, and intensity. Effective emotion regulation is crucial for mental health and well-being. 2. Definition of Emotion Regulation Emotion regulation involves influencing which emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience or express them. It may include decreasing, increasing, or maintaining behavioral, experiential, and physiological aspects of emotion. 3. Five Basic Emotion Regulation Strategies Situation selection Situation modification Attentional deployment Cognitive change Response modulation 4. Focus on Two Key Strategies 4.1 Reappraisal (Cognitive Change) Definition: Changing the meaning of a situation to decrease emotional response Effects: Leads to more positive feelings No significant cognitive or physiological costs Activates prefrontal regions associated with self-regulation Decreases activation in the amygdala and regions associated with negative emotion 4.2 Suppression (Response Modulation) Definition: Decreasing visible emotional expression Effects: Blocks display of emotion but doesn't eliminate feelings Increases sympathetic nervous system activation Has cognitive costs, including memory impairment 5. Research Findings Studies using fMRI have shown that reappraisal is generally more effective than suppression in regulating emotions, with fewer negative side effects. 6. Conclusion While both reappraisal and suppression can help regulate emotions, reappraisal appears to be the more effective strategy overall, offering better emotional outcomes without the physiological and cognitive costs associated with suppression.
