Cognitive Factors in Emotion: Appraisal Theory Sullivan Molinek, Aliah Price, Solea Van-Heyningen, Robbie Quinlan, Marc Spytkowski, Kanija Beck, Moriah Addison

What is appraisal? Evaluations related to how the situation will impact on one’s personal well-being. Emotions are extracted from our evaluations of events that cause specific reactions Our appraisal is dependent on our emotional response of that specific event The theory of emotion which implicates peoples personal interpretations of events

Speisman et al. In 1964 Speisman et al showed participants a film with genital mutilation. One soundtrack emphasized pain One soundtrack showed participants willing and happy One soundtrack gave anthropological interpretation Manipulated participants appraisal

Speisman et al Continued Three Condition of Speisman et al: 1) The pain soundtrack resulted in trauma condition 2) the happy and willing sound track resulted in denial condition 3) The anthropology soundtrack resulted in intellectualization condition.

Appraisal Theory Problem Focused Coping: People trying to change the actual situation or problem Emotion Focused Coping: When you change you emotion or response about the situation.