Physiology, cognition, and emotion Emotions (Chapter 11) Lecture Outline: Emotions and faces Physiology, cognition, and emotion Deception

Three influences on emotions Physiological changes Cognitive processes Cultural influences

The Face of Emotion Emotion has survival function e.g., anger and fear in the “face” of danger Ekman’s neuro-cultural theory Seven universal facial expressions Two factors involved—Face muscle physiology and cultural variations Masking emotions

Paul Ekman: Facial Action Coding

The Face of Emotion Facial feedback Importance of baby-parent facial expressions Facial feedback Facial muscles send messages to brain

Emotion and the Brain Emotions appear to processed in the right hemisphere of the brain Experience of emotion Positive emotions in left hemisphere, approach responses Negative emotions in right hemisphere, avoidance responses Amygdala in brainstem: Immediate emotional reactions What do you do when startled? Jump? Frontal lobe injury: Anger management problems

Emotion and Hormones Two hormones involved produced by adrenal gland Epinephrine and norepinephrine Produce state of arousal and alertness Released during many emotional states

Does the Body Lie? Physiological measurement has been used to detect lies BP, HR, Skin conductance, respiration rate are assessed to a baseline of innocuous questions Significant questions slipped in: Do physiological changes result? Why? It takes energy to inhibit responses and lie. Polygraphs are unreliable, result in too many false positives (innocent people fail because they are nervous about the accusation)

Does the face lie? Is this person modeling genuine warmth or concealed irritation?

Emotional experience What comes first, cognition or emotion? Has anyone here told ghost stories in an old house? What happens? You can be “afraid” in a big empty house, and then begin thinking about frightening things happening: Emotion causes cognition Someone can tell you stories in a big empty house and you end up afraid: Cognition causes emotion Do you show fear in your facial expression? Do you eye an escape route? How do you control your fear?

Field Experiment Go on a blind date Before going, eat three chocolate bars They are full of caffeine and sugar: Results in a highly alert and emotionally aroused state How will you interpret this arousal? Is it attraction to the person you are with? Is it illness or anger? You make cognitive attributions about physiological states such as these