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

Module 37: Experienced Emotion

Carroll Izzard suggested that there are ten basic emotions: those evident at birth (seen here) plus contempt, shame, and guilt. Is Experienced Emotion as Universal as Expressed Emotion?

Two Dimensions of Emotion James Russell sees our emotional experience in two dimensions: 1.from pleasant to unpleasant 2.from low to high arousal. We experience this image in dimensions of up/down and left/right.

 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. Closer Look at a Particular Emotion: Anger

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. Closer Look at a Particular Emotion: Happiness

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 Week Over the Course of a Day

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.

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. 1.The average level of income (adjusted for inflation) and purchasing power has increased in the United States. 2.The percentage of people feeling very happy, though, has not followed the same trend of improvement.

 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.

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.

After receiving exciting news about the birth of a healthy grandson, Mr. Haney was easily persuaded to contribute a generous sum of money to a neighborhood church. This best illustrates the: A. two-factor theory. B. feel-good, do-good phenomenon. C. James-Lange theory. D. relative deprivation principle.

After the excitement of her promotion wore off, Karen started to dream about her next promotion and raise. This illustrates: A. the Cannon-Bard principle. B. the adaptation-level phenomenon. C. the feel-good, do-good phenomenon. D. Stanley Schacter and Jerome Singer ’ s theory.

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.

Correlates of Happiness 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. 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

 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. Possible Ways to Increase Your Chances at Happiness