Agenda for February 24 Announcements:

Mosaic conference Dimensions events

Smith & Ellsworth’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory

Presentation by Discussants Review Exam and Pass Back

Evaluations of Presentations

Smith & Ellsworth’sCognitive Appraisal Theory

The categorical approach to emotion A long & illustrious history

Aristotle’s work on the four humors Darwin’s (1872) work on basic emotions of

adaptation Benefits of categorical approach

Captures intuition that a basic set exists and that certain feeling states are fundamentally different in their subjective experience and functional role.

Smith & Ellsworth’sCognitive Appraisal Theory

Drawbacks to a categorical approach: It does not allow you to clearly identify

how specific emotions are similar or dissimilar to each other.

Example: “joy and sorrow are opposites” “fear and anger are opposites”

Are joy & sorrow opposite in the same way as fear & anger?

Smith & Ellsworth’sCognitive Appraisal Theory

The genesis of a dimensional approach; reviewing the literature

Dimensions of facial expression:1. Pleasantness – Does one like or dislike the stimulus?2. Level of activation – Does one feel aroused or

quiescent?3. Attentional activity – Does one attend to a stimulus,

ignore it, or avoid it? Dimensions of subjective feeling states:

1. Pleasantness2. Level of activity3. Control – Does one have control over what is going on?

Smith & Ellsworth’sCognitive Appraisal Theory

Dimensions of cognitive appraisal Assumption: Emotional differences inescapably

involve differences in the way an organism evaluates its environment.

“We believe that people must answer certain fundamental questions about the changing sensations that impinge upon them not only so as to know what to do, but also so as to know what they feel (Smith & Ellsworth, p. 819).”

Note: S & E are not proposing that emotion is merely the product of cognition; instead, trying to explore cognitive aspects of emotion.

Smith & Ellsworth’sCognitive Appraisal Theory

Method of Study 16 subjects asked to recall past experiences

associated with 15 different emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, boredom, challenge, interest, hope, frustration, contempt, disgust, surprise, pride, shame, and guilt.

All subjects self-reported themselves as emotionally expressive & good at posing expressions.

“Talking to Mr. Spock”

Smith & Ellsworth’sExperimental Method

16 subjects in a within-subject design All subjects self-reported themselves as emotionally

expressive & good at posing expressions. Procedure:

Recall past experiences associated with 15 different emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, boredom, challenge, interest, hope, frustration, contempt, disgust, surprise, pride, shame, and guilt.

“Talking to Mr. Spock” Pose expression Make dimensional ratings (dependent variable)

Smith & Ellsworth’sExperimental Method

Dimensional Ratings: Pleasantness (good; bad) Attentional activity (attend; divert attention away) Control (Situational control; self-control; other

control) Certainty (Certain; uncertain) Goal-path obstacle (Obstacle; no obstacle) Legitimacy (Fairness; unfairness) Responsibility (Self; other) Anticipated Effort (Effort, lack of effort)