Chapter 8B Emotion We’ll talk about - how emotions expressed and identified - some theories of how emotions work - how the nervous system is involved in the process of producing emotions - and something about what is happening in the example of aggression and violence

What is an Emotion? Emotions Emotions have two components: subjective experiences that arise spontaneously and unconsciously in response to the environment around us. Emotions have two components: physical reaction (rapid heartbeat, etc.). conscious experience or feeling (sadness, anger, etc.). Why do we have emotions? What use are they? How do they help us? Give me some examples of how an emotion could help us... How might they hurt us? …

Purposes of Emotion Arousal Communication The Yerkes-Dodson Law Arousal – get us ready to make a needed response (motivate studying for a test) Optimum level of arousal – we don’t do well if not very aroused, but we also don’t do well if too aroused – there’s a happy medium Communication – make our needs/wants known to others, or our intentions (what might you do if you are really frustrated? Punch a wall, yell at someone) The Yerkes-Dodson Law

Are emotions innate or learned? Across diverse cultures Blind vs. sighted infants Infants separation from mothers Conclusion? Across cultures – tribe in New Guinea (very isolated) able to recognize expressions from westerners and vice versa Blind infants demonstrate major emotional expressions (e.g. social smile) at the same time as sighted infants, so imitation not required for learning expressions Infants protest separation from mothers at the same time during development across cultures. Conclusion? Major expressions are the same across many diverse cultures. As least some general expressions seem to be innate, or unlearned Although expressions can be modulated, either repressed to hide emotion or exaggerated

Individual Differences Temperament differs at birth Very responsive babies Low responders Psychopaths are extremely non-responsive, possibly leading to lack of empathy. Temperament differs at birth. Very responsive babies (to environmental stimuli like odors) may develop anxiety disorders later in life. Low responders may develop antisocial behaviors later in life. Psychopaths are extremely non-responsive, possibly leading to lack of empathy.

physiological response? Which comes first, feeling or physiological response? Remember when I said emotions have two components: physical reaction (rapid heartbeat, etc.). conscious experience or feeling (sadness, anger, etc.).

James-Lange Theory of Emotion Emotion arises from physiological arousal James-Lange Event triggers appropriate physio reaction (see bear, get ready to run), each emotion has a specific pattern of physio cues Means specific physio cues will always lead to specific feelings Important thing here is CNS gets feedback from PNS, and then emotion occurs Note: no cognition required here So making muscles move in formation of smile should make us happy If people told to change face in particular ways to mimic expressions (w/o being told which emotion they were imitating), they got happier, etc. Happiness – increase heart rate, increase skin temp Anger – decrease heart rate, no temp diff Fear – increase heart rate, decrease skin temp Figure 9.2 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kassin, S. (2001).

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion “Body” (physiological systems) and “Mind” (emotional experience) are independently activated at the same time Cannon-Bard “Body” (physiological systems) and “Mind” (emotional experience) are independently activated at the same time One thing has nothing to do with other thing, two separate systems, independent Feedback from PNS not needed to create emotion, CNS can do it directly Figure 9.3 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source:

Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion Physiological arousal Sweaty palms Increased heart rate Rapid breathing Cognitive Label Attribute source of arousal to a cause. Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion First assess physio reactions, but similar responses to some situations (i.e., general arousal to a situation), so we then make a conscious decision about what we were feeling and why Physiological arousal Sweaty palms Increased heart rate Rapid breathing Cognitive Label Attribute source of arousal to a cause. Figure 9.9 from: Kassin, S. (2001). Psychology, third edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Source: Schachter, S. (1964). The interaction of cognitive and physiological determinants of emotional state. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1, 49-80. New York: Academic Press.

Theories of Emotion and the Capilano Bridge Experiment Men confused fear of the bridge with sexual arousal. James-Lange assumes that emotions produce distinct physical responses, so results here do not support this theory. Cannon-Bard and Schachter would predict these results. An interesting experiment was conducted by Dutton and Aron (1974)) The subjects were a groups of unsuspecting males aged 18 - 35 who were visiting the Capilano Canyon in Canada. An attractive female experimenter approached the men and asked them some questions as part of a survey she was doing on scenic attractions. One of the things they were asked to do was to invent a short story based on a picture of a woman that could have been interpreted in different ways. This was later scored for the amount of sexual content which was then taken to reflect the amount of attraction felt towards the interviewer. Some men were interviewed on an extremely unstable suspension bridge 230 feet above the Canyon (seen as a high arousal situation) and others on a solid wooden bridge over a small stream (low arousal) The men on the unstable suspension bridge had stories containing significantly more sexual imagery than those on the low bridge. © Ted Streshinsky/CORBIS

Theories of Emotion and Catharsis Catharsis: expression reduces emotion. Expressing an emotion reinforces the feeling. Maori haka moves used by the New Zealand All Blacks Consistent with James-Lange Imitation as the basis of empathy Catharsis: expression reduces emotion (like in a well, emotion fills well up, until it overflows, person has emotional outburst, then emptied of emotion)(too much anger held in will make it worse) Expressing an emotion reinforces the feeling. Maori haka moves used by the New Zealand All Blacks (warriors used to prepare for battle by grimacing, etc to make them more aggressive, same thing used by soccer team) Consistent with James-Lange Imitation as the basis of empathy (we usually have easier time assessing emotion in others if we can enter same emotional state – maybe by imitating facial expressions) © Reuters/CORBIS Focus New Zealand Photo Library