psych exam 1 (emotions)

maslow’s hierarchy of needs state that….

you must first fulfill basic needs first to fulfill psychological then self-fulfillment needs

state maslows hierarchy of needs from bottom to top

physiological needs (food, water, rest) → safety needs (security/safety) → belonging/love (intimate relationships/friends) → esteem needs (accomplishment) → self-actualization (“full-potential”)

emotion

an immediate, specific, negative or positive response to external events or internal thoughts 

3 components of emotion

1. physiological (heart beats faster)

2. behavioral (eyes/mouth widening)

3. interpretation/feeling (“I’m terrified!”)

mood

diffuse, long-lasting state without an identifiable triggering event

emotion vs mood

emotions are immediate responses; moods are long-lasting states without a specific trigger

dimensions of emotional experience

1. valence

2. activation

valence

how good or bad an emotion is

activation

refers to the intensity or physiological activation of an emotion; energy

papua new guinea experiment + what it proved

despite not having access to internet/other western civilizations, the people of Papua New Guinea expressed/identified emotions

• proved universality of emotions (emotions/emotional reactions are hardwired into the brain)

blind athlete experiment + what it proved

one group of athletes blind from birth, one group of athletes that became blind later on, one group of athletes that can see normally → all expressed emotion similarly

• showed that despite blindness, the way that people expressed emotions was pretty much the same (universality of emotions)

• way we express emotions is hardwired into our biology

evidence for the biological basis of emotional expression

1. blind athlete experiment

2. papua new guinea experiment

emotional display rules

idea that there are different degrees of expression expressed based on cultural rules of what’s “appropriate” to display

similarities and differences in emotional expression across cultures + what they tell us about emotional expression

similarities: expression of emotions is same acorss cultures

different: based on culture, degree/timing in which emotions are expressed differs (EX: japanese vs american students watching gory video and expressing disgust)

tells us: emotions are universal, degree to which they’re expressed impacted by culture

different theories for emotion + what’s

1. james-lange theory: emotion is determined based on physiological arousal

   • see snake, sweat/pupils dilate, feel fear bc of body’s response

2. cannon-bard theory: emotion occurs simulataneously with physical response

   • see snake, sweat/pupils dilate, feel fear at same time

3. ***schachter singer two-factor theory: emotion is based on cognitive interpretation of physiological arousal

   • see snake, think it’s scary, start sweating + you’re scared

misattribution of arousal

the valence (the label) we give our arousal depends on our expectations

EX: twin story about coffee in class (look at notes for more info)

What region in the brain plays the biggest role in emotions/motivations?

limbic system

insula

insulates somatosensory signals; broadly important for interoception (heart rate, hunger)

amygdala

brain’s “burglar alarm”; processes emotional stimuli and generates immediate reactions 

There is ___ insula and amygdala on each side of the brain

one

How do the amygdala and fusiform gyrus play complementary roles in face perception?

• amygdala: facial emotion recognition (recognizing if someone’s happy, sad, etc)

• fusiform gyrus: facial identity recognition (recognizing identity)

emotion pathway

stimulus → thalamus → primary sensory cortex → amygdala

slow vs fast pathway + significance

slow: stimulus → thalamus → primary sensory cortex → amygdala

fast: stimulus → thalamus → amygdala

significance: helps keep us safe; fast path helps w immediate danger and slow path helps us process situations

• EX: we initially jump/react until we realize it’s a leaf/fly/etc

Results of amygdala damage

patient SM!!!

• no fear (physiological, behavioral, etc)

• no fear responses whatsoever

• normal intelligence/other emotions

What happens when the connection between the emotional system stops working?

1. capgras syndrome

2. pseudobulbar effect

capgras syndrome

believing that a familiar person has been replaced by an imposter (recognizing who the person looks like, but lacking emotional connection to them)

pseudobulbar effect

sudden, uncontrollable episodes of laughing/crying, despite not actually feeling the emotion

What are basic/primary emotions?

universal, biologically hardwired, appear early in life

EX: happiness, anger, disgust, fear, disgust

What are secondary emotions?

blends of primary emotions, feelings about emotions, or emotions that relate to values or concepts

EX: Remorse, guilt, shame, jealousy, pride, love, contentment

What are complex emotions?

emotions that depend heavily on self-awareness, social rules, and the perspectives of others; social emotions

EX: envy, gratitude, admiration, contempt

circumplex model

idea that there are two factors that contribute to emotion