Emotion, Stress & health

Ekman found 6 facial expressions that could be recognized around the world What 6 emotions do you suppose those are that are expressed with the same ‘face’ around the world?

Can you draw a picture for each? Surprise Disgust Happiness Sadness Anger Fear Pride Contempt Ekman knows which muscles you need for each of these emotions

Can you imagine a different “feeling” for each? Sadness Anger Fear Pride

Why do we need emotion? What purpose does it serve?

Brain and body: Experience + physiological activity Amygdala QUICK response, straight from thalamus – arousal in ANS SLOW response from thalamus via cortex – ok to turn off the fear? Or not…. Pre-frontal Cortex* Approach! Good! Avoid this! Bad! *When damaged in “frontal lobotomy,” people do neither – they do nothing.

Mirror neurons, facial feedback, empathy and “contagious” moods A happy brain makes us smile, but a smile can make our brain happier, too When we see others smile, our smiling neurons fire, too… so… Smiling is “contagious” Try this….

If your last name begins A-L Hold the end of your pen between your teeth If your last name begins M-Z Hold the end of your pen between your lips

Gender Differences in Emotion Feeling or Expression?

Can stress make you sick? Stressors very likely to affect the immune system: Work related: unemployment and colds! Noise: airports and blood pressure, hormones, learning problems Bereavement/loss: Widowed men’s mortality rate rises Poverty, powerlessness, low status

Is the glass half full? How do optimists approach problems? How do pessimists approach problems?

Which is more likely to lead to a heart attack… Anger? A heavy workload? Who benefits from forgiveness? Who benefits from holding a grudge?