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Emotion

Chapter 13Psy12000.003Spring, 2009

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EmotionEmotions are our body’s adaptive response. They help

energize, they communicate, they give us and otherswarnings.

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Theories of Emotion

Emotions are a mix of 1) physiologicalactivation, 2) expressive behaviors, and 3)

conscious experience.

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Controversy

1) Does physiological arousal precede or followyour emotional experience?

2) Does cognition (thinking) precede emotion(feeling)?

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Commonsense View

When you become happy, your heart startsbeating faster. First comes conscious

awareness, then comes physiological activity.

Bob Sacha

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James-Lange Theory

William James and CarlLange proposed an

idea that wasdiametrically opposedto the common-sense

view. The James-LangeTheory proposes thatphysiological activity

precedes the emotionalexperience.

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Cannon-Bard Theory

Walter Cannon andPhillip Bard

questioned the James-Lange Theory andproposed that an

emotion-triggeringstimulus and the

body's arousal takeplace simultaneously.

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Two-Factor Theory

Stanley Schachter andJerome Singer

proposed yet anothertheory that suggestsour physiology and

cognitions createemotions. Emotions

have twofactors–physical

arousal and cognitivelabel.

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Embodied Emotion

We know that emotions involve bodilyresponses. Some of these responses are very

noticeable (butterflies in our stomach when feararises), but others are more difficult to discern

(neurons activated in the brain).

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Misattribution of Arousal

• Suspension bridgestudy (Aron et al)

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Emotions and Autonomic NervousSystem

During an emotional experience, our autonomicnervous system mobilizes energy in the body

that arouses us.

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Arousal and Performance

Arousal in short spurts is adaptive. Weperform better under moderate arousal, but

optimal performance varies with taskdifficulty.

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Physiological Similarities

Physiological responses related to theemotions of fear, anger, love, and boredom are

very similar.

Excitement and fear involve a similarphysiological arousal.

M. G

recco/ Stock Boston

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Physiological DifferencesPhysical responses, like finger temperature and

movement of facial muscles, change during fear, rage,and joy.

The amygdala shows differences in activation duringthe emotions of anger and rage. Activity of the left

hemisphere is different from the right for emotions.

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Cognition and Emotion

What is the connection between how we think(cognition) and how we feel (emotion)?

Can we change our emotions by changing ourthinking?

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Cognition Can Define Emotion

An arousal response to one event spills over intoour response to the next event.

Arousal from a soccer match can fuel anger, whichmay lead to rioting. “Transference of arousal”

AP Photo/ N

ati Harnik

Reuters/ Corbis

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Rage, Spilling, and Cognitions

• Emotions overwhelmrationality

• Road rage →homerage

• Change cognitions fortriggering events

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Cognition Does Not Always PrecedeEmotion

A subliminally presented happy face can encouragesubjects to drink more than when presented with an

angry face (Berridge & Winkeilman, 2003).

Emotions are felt directly through the amygdala (a)then through the cortex (b) for analysis.

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Cognition Does Not Always PrecedeEmotion

When fearful eyes were subliminally presented tosubjects, fMRI scans revealed higher levels ofactivity in the amygdala (Whalen et al. 2004).

Courtesy of Paul J. Whalen, PhD

, Dartm

outh College, w

ww

.whalenlab.info

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Two Routes to Emotion

Zajonc and LeDoux (1984) emphasize that someemotions are immediate, without conscious appraisal.Lazarus, Schachter, and Singer (1998) emphasize that

appraisal determines emotions.

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Expressed Emotion

Emotions are expressed on the face, by the body,and by the intonation of voice. Is this non-verbal

language of emotion universal?

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Ekman’s Research on the Universalityof Emotional Expression

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Nonverbal CommunicationMost of us are good at deciphering emotions

through non-verbal communication. In a crowdof faces a single angry face will “pop out” faster

than a single happy face (Fox et al. 2000).

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Gender, Emotion, and NonverbalBehavior

Women are much better at discerning nonverbalemotions than men. When shown sad, happy, andscary film clips women expressed more emotions

than men.

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Detecting and Computing Emotion

Most people find it difficult to detect deceivingemotions. Even trained professionals like policeofficers, psychiatrists, judges, and polygraphists

detected deceiving emotions only 54% of the time.

Which of Paul Ekman’s smiles is genuine?

Dr. Paul Elkm

an, University of California at San Francisco

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Hindu Dance

In classical Hindu dance, the body is trained toeffectively convey 10 different emotions.

Netw

ork Photographers/ Alam

y

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Culture and Emotional Expression

When culturally diverse people were shown basicfacial expressions, they did fairly well at

recognizing them (Ekman & Matsumoto, 1989).Elkm

an & M

atsumoto, Japanese and

Caucasian Facial Expression of Emotion

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Emotions are Adaptive

Darwin speculatedthat our ancestors

communicated withfacial expressions in

the absence oflanguage. Nonverbalfacial expressions led

to our ancestor’ssurvival.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

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The Evolution of Disgust

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Analyzing Emotion

Analysis of emotions are carried on different levels.

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The Effects of Facial Expression

If facial expressions are manipulated, like furrowingbrows, people feel sad while looking at sad pictures.

Attaching two golf tees to the face and making their tipstouch causes the brow to furrow.

Courtesy of Louis Schake/ Michael K

ausman/

The New

York Tim

es Pictures

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Experienced Emotion

Izard (1977) isolated 10 emotions. Most ofthem are present in infancy, except for contempt,

Shame, and guilt.

Lew Merrim

/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

Nancy B

rown/ The Im

age Bank

Tom M

cCarthy/ R

ainbow

Patrick Donehue/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

Marc G

rimberg/ The Im

age Bank

Bob D

aemm

rich/ The Image W

orksM

ichael New

man/ P

hotoEdit

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Dimensions of Emotion

People generally divide emotions intotwo dimensions.

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Fear

Fear can torment us, rob us of sleep, andpreoccupy our thinking. However, fear can be

adaptive – it makes us run away from danger, itbrings us closer as groups, and it protects us from

injury and harm.

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Learning Fear

Watson (1878-1958)

We learn fear in two ways, either throughconditioning and/or through observation.

By M

onik

a Su

tesk

i

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The Biology of Fear

Some fears are easier to learn than others. Theamygdala in the brain associates emotions like fear

with certain situations.

Courtesy of N

ational Geographic M

agazine and Laboratory of Neuro Im

aging (LO

NI) at U

CLA

. Art and brain m

odeling by Am

anda Ham

mond, Jacopo

Annese, and A

uthur Toga, LON

I; spider art by Joon-Hyuck K

im

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Anger

Anger “carries the mind away,” (Virgil, 70-19B.C.), but “makes any coward brave,” (Cato 234-

149 B.C.).

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Causes of Anger

1. People generally become angry with friendsand loved ones who commit wrongdoings,especially if they are willful, unjustified, andavoidable.

2. People are also angered by foul odors, hightemperatures, traffic jams, and aches andpains.

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Catharsis Hypothesis

Venting anger through action or fantasy achievesan emotional release or “catharsis.”

Research, however, tends to show that expressinganger breeds more anger, and through reinforcement

it is habit-forming.

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Cultural & Gender Differences Boys respond to anger by moving away from that

situation, while girls talk to their friends or listen tomusic.

Anger breeds prejudice. The 9/11 attacks led to anintolerance towards immigrants and Muslims.

The expression of anger is more encouraged incultures that do not promote group behavior than incultures that do promote group behavior.

Wolfgang K

aehler

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Happiness

People who are happyperceive the world asbeing safer. They are

able to make decisionseasily, are more

cooperative, rate jobapplicants more

favorably, and livehealthier, energized,and more satisfied

lives.42

Feel-Good, Do-Good Phenomenon

When we feel happy we are more willing to helpothers.

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Subjective Well-Being

Subjective well-being is the self-perceived feelingof happiness or satisfaction with life. Research on

new “positive psychology” is on the rise.

http://web.fineliving.com

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Emotional Ups and Downs

Our positive moods rise to a maximum within 6-7hours after waking up. Negative moods stay more

or less the same throughout the day.

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Emotional Ups and Downs

Over the long run, our emotional ups and downstend to balance. Although grave diseases can bringindividuals emotionally down, most people adapt.

Courtesy of Anna Putt 46

Wealth and Well-being

Many people in the West believe that if they werewealthier, they would be happier. However, data

suggests that they would only be happytemporarily.

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Wealth and Well-being

In affluent societies, people with more moneyare happier than people who struggle fortheir basic needs.

People in rich countries are happier thanpeople in poor countries.

A sudden rise in financial conditions makespeople happy.

However, people who live in poverty or in slums arealso satisfied with their life.

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Does Money Buy Happiness?

Wealth is like health:Its utter absence can

breed misery, yethaving it is no

guarantee of happiness.

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Happiness & Satisfaction

Subjective well-being (happiness + satisfaction)measured in 82 countries shows Puerto Rico and

Mexico (poorer countries) at the top of the list.

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Values & Life Satisfaction

Students who value love more than moneyreport higher life satisfaction.

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Happiness & Prior Experience

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon: Like theadaptation to brightness, volume, and touch,

people adapt to income levels. “Satisfaction has ashort half-life” (Ryan, 1999).

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Happiness is not only relative to our past, butalso to our comparisons with others. Relative

Deprivation is the perception that we arerelatively worse off than those we compare

ourselves with.

Happiness & Others’ Attainments

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Predictors of Happiness

Why are some people generally more happythan others?