Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-1 Invitation To Psychology Carol Wade and Carol Tavris PowerPoint Presentation by H. Lynn Bradman Metropolitan Community College-Omaha

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-2 Emotion

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-3 The Varieties of Emotion Primary Emotions: –Emotions that are considered to be universal and biologically based; they generally include fear, anger, sadness, joy, surprise, disgust, and contempt. Secondary Emotions: –Emotions that are specific to certain cultures.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-4 What is Emotion? A state of arousal involving facial and bodily changes, brain activation, cognitive appraisals, subjective feelings, and tendencies toward action. 3 Components: 1.Physiological changes (e.g., fight or flight, increased heart rate) 2.Subjective feeling (e.g., happiness) 3.Behavior (e.g., smiling; running away)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-5 The Chicken/Egg dilemma Which happens first: do we feel the emotion first and then act, or do we react first then figure out the emotion? –What do you think? –Are you laughing because it’s funny, or do you think it’s funny because you laughed? –Have you ever felt unhappy or uneasy and not known why?

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-6 Chicken/Egg Dilemma Most modern Psychologists now agree that these factors combine to form emotion The Schachter Two-Factor theory of emotion, based on a study by Schachter & Singer (1962) The theory that emotions depend on both physiological arousal and a cognitive interpretation of that arousal.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall 13-7 Biology and emotion 3 Biological areas of emotion: 1.Facial Expressions 2.Brain Regions and circuits 3.Autonomic Nervous System (physiological changes)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Facial Expressions The process by which the facial muscles send feedback to the brain about the basic emotion being expressed. Studies show that smiling will make you feel better; grimacing will make you feel angrier Emotions are also contagious among people via facial expression

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Facial Expressions Evolutionary basis: Darwin argued that human facial expressions are a built-in product of evolution; –they evolved because they signaled friendly or hostile intent. –What do you think is the evolutionary purpose of the emotion of disgust?

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Darwin’s Taxonomy of Emotion

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Emotion and the body Evidence: Certain emotional displays seem to be universal. –Recognized throughout the world –Appear early in development –Babies not only display emotions, but also recognize them What’s the first thing a baby will probably do when she falls?

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Can you identify these emotions?

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall How about these?

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Brain Regions and Circuits There is a long route and a short route from the thalamus (sensory input) to the amygdala (emotional processing) The short route goes directly from the thalamus to the amygdala to the autonomic nervous system The long route passes through the cerebral cortex and hippocampus for more detailed processing

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Brain Regions and Circuits The amygdala is hypersensitive to danger and will immediately trigger your autonomic nervous system If the cerebral cortex later realizes there is no real danger, you will begin to relax Why are we set up this way? (Hint: think of an evolutionary explanation)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Brain Regions and Circuits Amygdala seems responsible for evaluating sensory information for emotional importance. Cerebral cortex incorporates other information and can override the amygdala

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Brain Regions and Circuits Signals can travel back and forth between the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex, but the amygdala is able to exert a stronger influence –Our brains tend to err on the side of caution

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Research What impact would damage to the amygdala have on your reaction to scary situations? The amygdala is important in emotion, and especially important in allowing us to feel and recognize fear, anger, and disgust. Phillips & LeDoux (1992); Bechara et. al. (1995)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Other brain research People with damage to the amygdala are less able to recognize fear in others. –Mirror Neurons allow us to not only recognize, but actually feel and experience others’ emotions as well as the reasons why they act (Iacoboni 2005)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Autonomic Nervous System (Physiological Responses) When the amygdala signals fear, the sympathetic division of your autonomic nervous system releases hormones to assist you: –Epinephrine and norepinephrine dialate your pupils, increase your heart rate and breathing rate, raise your blood sugar, slow digestion, etc.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Autonomic Nervous System (Physiological Responses) Your body produces epinephrine and norepinephrine for most high affect emotions: –Excitement, anger, infatuation/love, worry, cheering at a sports event, playing a video game, etc. Polygraph tests

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Polygraph Tests Tests autonomic responses: pulse, breathing rate, fidgeting, skin response Not much specific psychological support Inadmissible in most courts; illegal for most job screening Some people do “beat” the test and lie, ie Aldrich Ames

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Emotion and the Mind: Subjective Feeling Appraisal: evaluation of an emotional state of being One early theory is the Arnold theory: –Perception -> Appraisal -> Emotion Lazarus has a newer, more complicated model which takes into account how the event may relate to us –Transactional: the environment produces emotions, and the individual finds ways to deal with them, respond to them, and may then change the environment.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Lazarus’ Model of Appraisal Primary Appraisal 1.Motivational Relevance: Does it impact you and your goals? If no, then there is no emotion. If yes, continue… 2.Motivational Congruence: Does it promote your goals? Yes results in positive emotions, no in negative. 3.Accountability: You or someone else? (helps determine type of emotion)

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Examples Your classmate tells your teacher you cheated on a test Your boyfriend/girlfriend takes you out to dinner You accidentally break your mom’s favorite vase A Japanese company kills whales and dolphins for profit

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Lazarus’ Model of Appraisal Secondary Appraisal: Reacting/Coping –Who is responsible? –How likely is the situation to change? –What options are available? –Can you accept/process the situation emotionally? Secondary and Primary appraisal interact –For example, if you can easily change a situation, it won’t upset you as much.

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Research Speisman et. al. (1964) “Sub-incision” study Aim: To see if cognitive appraisal impacts emotions Procedure: All participants watch a film showing a right of passage for young adolescent boys in a primitive society in which the underside of the penis is cut deeply from the tip to the scrotum using a sharp stone

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Speisman Procedure (cont’d) IV: Subjects were divided into 4 groups, their videos were identical but had different soundtracks –Control: no soundtrack –Trauma condition: soundtrack played up the pain, danger and horror –Denial condition: narration said the boys were not hurt but were willing and joyful participants who "look forward to the happy conclusion of the ceremony." –Scientific condition: narration encouraged viewer to consider the anthropological and scientific impact

Wade and Tavris © 2005 Prentice Hall Speisman et. al. (1964) Procedure cont’d: Physiological (heart rate) and self-report (questionnaire) measures of emotion were taken Findings: The trauma condition had a higher level of emotional reaction than the control; the denial and scientific conditions had less emotional reaction than the control Conclusions & Criticisms?