THREE COMPONENTS OF EMOTION Austin, David, Danyale, Em

Three Components ● Physiological changes- unconscious arousal of the autonomic nervous system, release of adrenaline, etc. ● Subjective feeling- how the person feels, such as happy ● Associated behavior- how the person reacts, such as running away, crying, etc.

Fight or Flight ● In an event one sees as dangerous, the body will trigger the fight or flight response ● This prepares the person to take action or avoid the danger ● The person also will make a cognitive appraisal of the situation, where they decide what to do based on previous experiences.

Studies ● Lazarus and Folkman (1984): o They suggested that the emotion is less important than the way we choose to react to the situation. o Emotion-focused coping is when we try to change our negative emotional responses to a stressor o Problem-focused coping tries to get rid of the stressor, or work on the problem causing stress, to reduce negative emotions.

Studies ● Damasio (2000) o Emotions are physiological signals as a reaction to external stimuli, whereas feelings arise with interpretation of the stimuli o Fear is useful, as it allows the fight or flight reaction, to help humans react to danger o Emotional arousal activates adrenaline and cortisol, and memory of the fearful experience is stored in the cortex, with the emotional memory stored via the amygdala. o We cannot always control irrational fear. o Anxiety, phobia, panic disorders, and PTSD in humans show that those people’s brains have problems with controlling fear reactions o People with damaged amygdalas may feel no fear, endangering their survival.

Other Sources coping.html coping.html

LEDOUX’S EMOTIONAL PATHWAYS

Explanation of Routes  LeDoux’s Emotional Pathways  Amygdala receives input from sensory processing areas in the neocortex and thalamus  Projects these to areas in the brainstem that control systems like fight or flight  Connections between the different brain structures allow: – The Amygdala to transform sensory info into emotional signals – The initiation and control of emotional responses

Long vs. Short Route  Advantageous to have both pathways because it allows us to be flexible in our responses!  For danger, the fast and direct pathway is best  The long pathway allows for a more thorough evaluation of a situation – Helps us avoid inappropriate responses to situation

APPRAISAL: A COGNITIVE FACTOR IN EMOTION Julia R., Alexis G., Austin Perez, Simone L.

What are appraisals?  Evaluations related to how the situation will impact on one’s personal well being. Positive emotions emerge if appraisal assesses potential benefit Negative emotions emerge if appraisal assesses potential harm

 Problem-focused coping  Aims to change problematic situation that causes stress  Emotion-focused coping  Handle the emotions rather than changing the problematic situation Folkman & Lazarus (1988)

 Escape  Self control over expression of emotions  Seeking social support  Attempting to provide a positive reappraisal of the situation  ie. Speisman et al. (1964) Trauma condition (emphasizes pain) Denial condition (perceived as willing and happy) Intellectualization condition (appeals to human nature) Methods of coping:

FLASHBULB MEMORY Hannah Barnett Yhana Figures Kirsten Powell Bria Patterson Marc Reid

Correlation.. In the skit the witnesses presented different information about the actual scene. Each witness had a vivid memory of each event that they encountered. This vivid memory can be an example of flashbulb memory.

Flashbulb Memory ● Flashbulb memory is a special kind of emotional memory, which refers to vivid and detailed memories on highly emotional events that appear to be recorded in the brain as though with the help of a camera flash. ● The theory was suggested by Brown and Kulik (1977)

Flashbulb Memory ● Brown and Kulik discovered people had very clear memories of where they were, what they did, and what they felt. ● (Assassination of JFK) ● Of 80 participants, 73 said they had flashbulb memories associated with personal shock such as a sudden death of a close relative. ● Suggested that a special neural mechanism triggers an emotional arousal because the event is unexpected or extremely important.

Separate Studies ● Neisser (1982) suggested that memories are vivid because the event is rehearsed and reconsidered afterwards, it is a narrative of an event. ● Neisser and Harsch (1992) suggest post event information influences memory and that inaccuracy of emotional memory is common. ● Talarico and Rubin (2003) suggest that emotional intensity is a associated with greater memory confidence but not with accuracy ● Breckler (1994) Holmeerg and Holmes (1994) suggest that current attitudes and emotions may influence people's memory