PowerPoint® Presentation by Jim Foley Emotions, Stress and Health PowerPoint® Presentation by Jim Foley © 2013 Worth Publishers

Module 37: Experienced Emotion

Topics you may feel happy or angry about The Experience of Emotion: are we born with basic, universal emotions? Emotional dimensions: low to high arousal, pleasant to unpleasant emotional tone Anger: Causes and Consequences Happiness: Causes and Consequences Up and Down Moods Wealth and Well-Being Adaptation-Level Relative Deprivation Predictors of Happiness No animation.

Is Experienced Emotion as Universal as Expressed Emotion? Carroll Izzard suggested that there are ten basic emotions: those evident at birth (seen here) plus contempt, shame, and guilt. No animation.

Two Dimensions of Emotion We experience this image in dimensions of up/down and left/right. James Russell sees our emotional experience in two dimensions: from pleasant to unpleasant from low to high arousal. No animation.

Closer Look at a Particular Emotion: Anger A flash of anger gives us energy and initiative to fight or otherwise take action when necessary. Persistent anger can cause more harm than whatever we’re angry about. Some ways to keep anger from persisting: distraction, constructive action, problem-solving, exercise, verbal expression, and allowing others to be wrong. The catharsis myth refers to the idea that we can reduce anger by “releasing” it, and we do this by acting aggressively (yelling, punching a pillow). In most cases, expressing anger worsens it, and any “release” reinforces the aggression, making it a conditioned habit. Sometimes, releasing anger causes harm, and results in guilt. Instead, try calming down and moving on. Click to reveal bullets and sidebar.

Closer Look at a Particular Emotion: Happiness Happiness is: a mood. an attitude. a social phenomenon. a cognitive filter. a way to stay hopeful, motivated, and connected to others. The feel-good, do-good phenomenon: when in a good mood, we do more for others. The reverse is also true: doing good feels good. Click to reveal bullets.

Happiness has its ups and downs. Over the Course of a Week Happiness has its ups and downs. Levels of happiness, as well as other emotions, can vary over the course of a week (we like the weekend), and even over the course of a day (don’t stay awake too long!). Over the Course of a Day No animation.

Brighter color means feeling higher up the ladder. “How far are you up a 10-step ladder toward the best possible life?” The answers worldwide: Brighter color means feeling higher up the ladder. No animation. People in Chad and Tanzania are not feeling successful.

Wealth and Well-Being: A Change in Goals In the late 1960s, students entering college had a primary goal of developing a meaningful life philosophy. Since 1977, being very well-off financially has become more of a primary goal for first year students. No animation. Instructor: the goal of students in the past decade may not ensure their well-being, or at least not their happiness. Evidence seems to show that striving for wealth is less likely to lead to happiness than striving for intimacy, contribution to society, and personal growth (Kasser, 2011, cited by Myers on page 482). You can invite students to interpret this data. Note that it applies to college first-year students. Is it possible that this reflects changing attitudes about what college is about? Maybe in the 1960’s, college students were there as more of a luxury, and were spending time searching for a new set of guidelines for life. Perhaps in the 1980’s, students may have entered college more pragmatically, thinking about how they need to earn enough after graduation to pay for the inflated cost.

Can Money Buy Happiness? Money seems to buy happiness when it lifts people out of extreme poverty. Otherwise, money doesn’t seem to help our mood much. The average level of income (adjusted for inflation) and purchasing power has increased in the United States. The percentage of people feeling very happy, though, has not followed the same trend of improvement. Click to reveal bullets. Instructor: this graph and its comments can be explained in part by two upcoming concepts, adaptation and relative deprivation. You can add that this pattern of increased wealth not correlating with increased happiness applies when comparing nations as well comparing different time periods.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon When we step into the sunshine, it seems very bright at first. Then our senses adapt and we develop a “new normal.” If a cloud covers the sun, it may seem “dark” in comparison. The “very bright” sensation is temporary. The adaptation-level phenomenon: when our wealth or other life conditions improve, we are happier compared to our past condition. However, then we adapt, form a “new normal” level, and most people must get another boost to feel the same satisfaction. Click to reveal bullets.

Adapting Attitudes Instead of Circumstances Because of the adaptation-level phenomenon, our level of contentment does not permanently stay higher when we gain income and wealth; we keep adjusting our expectations. It is also true that misfortune, disability, and loss do not result in a permanent decrease in happiness. In both cases, humans tend to adapt. Click to reveal bullets.

Relative Deprivation If the average income has risen by 10 percent in your area, it might be hard to feel great about a 5 percent rise in your income because of People who were satisfied with their own lives might become less satisfied if other people get more power, recognition, and income. We can affect our happiness by choosing the people to whom we compare ourselves. However, the tendency is to compare ourselves to people who are more successful. relative deprivation: feeling worse off by comparing yourself to people who are doing better. Click to reveal bullets.

Correlates of Happiness There are behaviors that seem to go with happiness. Whether they are the cause or the effect of happiness is not clear, but it can’t hurt to try them. Researchers have found that happy people tend to: However, happiness seems not much related to other factors, such as: Have high self-esteem (in individualistic countries) Be optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable Have close friendships or a satisfying marriage Have work and leisure that engage their skills Have an active religious faith Sleep well and exercise Age (example: the woman at the laptop in the picture) Gender (women are more often depressed, but also more often joyful) Parenthood (having children or not) Physical attractiveness No animation. There also may be a genetic basis for a predisposition to happiness. Whether because of genes, culture, or personal history, we each seem to develop a mood “set point,” a level of happiness to which we keep returning.

Possible Ways to Increase Your Chances at Happiness Look beyond wealth for satisfaction. Bring your habits in line with your goals; take control of your time. Smile and act happy. Find work and leisure that engages your skills. Exercise, or just move! Focus on the needs and wishes of others. Work, rest, …and SLEEP. Notice what goes well, and express gratitude. Nurture spirituality, meaning, and community. Make your close relationships a priority. Click to reveal bullets. Instructor, you could introduce this slide by saying, “If you are stuck in depression, you may need treatment. However, in general, there are steps you can take to maximize your likelihood and degree of feeling content, satisfied, and even having more days of feeling joy.” Brainstorm other ideas for happiness. One omission that might not come up: have an appropriate locus of control, not assuming either powerlessness or total ability to prevent bad things from happening. A related idea, which some students may know as part of the “Serenity Prayer”: know what you’re able to change/influence and focus on what you’re able to do, rather than focusing your attention on roadblocks, limitations, and other factors you can’t change.