Emotion Theories and Mixed Emotions Phoebe C. Ellsworth October 2015

Theories of Emotion Categorical theories Dimensional theories Constructivist theories Appraisal theories

No change

Problems with Categorical Theories Emotions that don’t fit categories Similarities and differences among emotions Transitions between emotions No change, ay least none that I can’t handle.

Problems with 2-dimensional Theories Not enough differentiation in high arousal (Fear is not just higher-arousal anger) Too much differentiation in low arousal Many emotions can be high or low arousal

Problems with Constructivist Theories Details of construction vague, therefore no clear predictions

Instrumental behavior Elicitors Appraisals Bodily responses Subjective feelings Action tendencies Display rules Conduct rules Expressive behavior Instrumental behavior

Appraisals Attention Positive Negative Certainty Certainty NO Attention Positive Negative Certainty Certainty Goal Relevance, Effort Agency This one I’d also like to be sequential. First Attention, then arrow to No The positive and negative. Then down the negative side one by one. Then the whole bunch on the positive side. Agency Goal Relevance, Effort Value Consistency Value Consistency

No change

Fear High Attention Negative High Uncertainty Low Control I may not keep all 3 of this and the next 2, since I want to add our study.

Anger High Attention Negative Other Agency High Certainty High Control

Sorrow High Attention Negative Situational Agency Low Control

Features of Appraisal Theory Emotion is a process not a state Whenever an appraisal changes, the emotion changes Therefore there are not 4, or 6, or 10 basic emotions, but an infinite number Transitions between emotions will be faster and easier when they share many appraisals Probably keep as is.

Can a person be at two different points on the same dimension Can a person be at two different points on the same dimension? Sequentially? Yes. Simultaneously? Novelty? Valence? Arousal? Certainty? Goal relevance? Agency?

Does it matter? For the brain? Yes For subjective experience? Maybe not

Thank you