1. EMOTIONS
Emotion is a relatively brief reaction to stimuli involving subjective feelings, physiological arousal, and observable behavior.

2. Motivation & Emotion Motivation is the source of our behavior.
Emotion is the feelings associated with our behavior.
Emotions can function as motivation
Hit someone because you are angry
Do something because it makes you happy

3. The Brain and Emotion

4. Functions of Emotion Increase, decrease or regulate arousal
Focus perception and attention
Influence learning & memory
Organize and motivate behavior
Communicate with others

5. Four Components of Emotion
Interpret, appraise some stimulus (ex. Shark = serious threat)
Experience a feeling (fear, terror, excitement)
Physiological response (heart rate or breathing change)
Show observable behaviors (cry, panic, freeze)

6. Physiological Theories
Theories Of Emotion
Physiological Theories
Cognitive Theories

7. Physiological Theories of Emotion
Main Belief – Emotions derive from physical changes in the body
EX = fear heightened when heart races (panic attack)

8. Emotion and Physiology
Autonomic nervous system controls
physiological arousal
Sympathetic
division (arousing)
Pupils dilate
Decreases
Perspires
Increases
Accelerates
Inhibits
Secrete stress
hormones
Parasympathetic
division (calming)
Pupils contract
Dries
Slows
Activates
secretion of
stress
EYES
SALIVATION
SKIN
RESPIRATION
HEART
DIGESTION
ADRENAL
GLANDS

9. Cognitive Theories of Emotion
Main Belief – Emotions result from mental processes and physiological changes working together

10. James-LangeTheory of Emotion= I see a bear, my muscles tense, I feel afraid!
Experience of emotion is awareness of physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli (react and then label)
Fear
(emotion)
Pounding
heart
(arousal)
Sight of
oncoming
car
(perception of
stimulus)

11. Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion = I see a bear, I feel afraid and my muscles tense!
Sympathetic NS too slow to account for the speed of emotional reactions = problem with James-Lange.
Emotion-arousing stimuli simultaneously trigger:
physiological responses
subjective experience of emotion
Sight of
oncoming
car
(perception of
stimulus)
Pounding
heart
(arousal)
Fear
(emotion)

12. Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion = I feel nervous
Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion = I feel nervous. I must be scared!
Cognitive
label
“I’m afraid”
Fear
(emotion)
Sight of
oncoming
car
(perception of
stimulus)
Pounding
heart
(arousal)
To experience emotion one must:
be physically aroused
cognitively label the arousal
Then label the feeling

13. Facial Expressions and Emotion
Function = communicate emotion to others
Paul Ekman
some facial expressions are universal & few of us (10 – 20%) can hide true emotions
Communicate 3 things
What emotion is being experienced
Whether 2 emotions are blended
Strength of emotion
identified six emotions associated with universal facial expressions (30 yr study)

14. Culturally Universal Expressions
A = happiness
B = surprise
C = fear
D = sadness
E = anger
F = disgust

15. Expressed Emotion
People more speedily detect an angry face than a happy one

16. Gender and expressiveness
Women
have greater emotional responsiveness
Usually better at reading emotions
Express empathy more
Better at expressing happiness
Men
Women
Sad Happy Scary
Film Type 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2
Number of
expressions

17. Experienced Emotion
Infants’ naturally occurring emotions

18. Tony Robbins: Why We Do What We Do