1 Arousal and Emotion

2 High Arousal zArousal response - pattern of physiological change that helps prepare the body for “fight or flight” ymuscles tense, heart rate and breathing increase, release of endorphins, focused attention ycan be helpful or harmful yin general, high arousal is beneficial for instinctive, well-practiced or physical tasks and harmful for novel, creative, or careful judgment tasks

3 Yerkes-Dodson Law zSome arousal is necessary zHigh arousal is helpful on easy tasks zAs level of arousal increases, quality of performance decreases with task difficulty zToo much arousal is harmful Degree of arousal Quality of performance Very difficult task Moderately difficult task Easy task

4 Concept of Emotion zA class of subjective feeling elicited by stimuli that have high significance to an individual ystimuli that produce high arousal generally produce strong feelings yare rapid and automatic yemerged through natural selection to benefit survival and reproduction

5 Theories of Emotion zCommon sense might suggest that the perception of a stimulus elicits emotion which then causes bodily arousal Perception (Interpretation of stimulus-- danger) Stimulus (Tiger) Emotion (Fear) Bodily arousal (Pounding heart) Common-Sense Theory

6 James’s Peripheral Feedback Theory zperception of a stimulus causes bodily arousal which leads to emotion Perception (Interpretation of stimulus-- danger) Stimulus (Tiger) Emotion (Fear) Bodily arousal (Pounding heart) James’s Theory

7 Schachter’s Cognition- Plus-Feedback Theory zPerception and thought about a stimulus influence the type of emotion felt zDegree of bodily arousal influences the intensity of emotion felt Schachter’s Theory Type Intensity Emotion (Fear) Perception (Interpretation of stimulus-- danger) Stimulus (Tiger) Bodily arousal (Pounding heart)

8 Ekman’s Facial Feedback Theory zEach basic emotion is associated with a unique facial expression ySensory feedback from the expression contributes to the emotional feeling

9 Ekman’s Facial Feedback Theory Facial expression Average happiness score Average anger score Facial expression Facial expressions have an effect on self-reported anger and happiness

10 Ekman’s Facial Feedback Theory Heart rate change (beats per minute) Temperature change (degrees C) (a) (b) Facial expressions can produce effects on the rest of the body

11 Brain-Based Theory of Emotions zAmygdala yevaluate the significance of stimuli and generate emotional responses ygenerate hormonal secretions and autonomic reactions that accompany strong emotions ydamage causes “psychic blindness” and the inability to recognize fear in facial expressions and voice

12 Brain-Based Theory of Emotions zFrontal lobes yinfluence people’s conscious emotional feelings and ability to act in planned ways based on feelings (e.g., effects of prefrontal lobotomy) left frontal lobe may be most involved in processing positive emotions right frontal lobe involved with negative emotions Parietal Frontal Occipital Temporal