Psychology of Emotion: Lecture 7-10

Charles Darwin

started scientific study of emotions

• Increased BP in Threat vs. Challenge Condition

• Stress reports

Tomaka’s experiment results

Responses to our perceived environments that prepare and mobilize us to cope in and adaptive manner; appraisal incorporate a “relational meaning”

Lazarus defined emotion as…

• Instructions provided before performing a mental arithmetic task (while obtaining cardiac arrest)

  • Emphasizing difficulty (threat condition)

  • Emphasizing that the task very do-able (challenge condition)

Tomaka’s experiment on appraisal and physiology

• Primary Appraisal: Does the situation have relevance for our personal well-being?

  • Always automatic but can be addressed consciously as well

• Secondary Appraisal: Assessing possible ways of coping with the situation

• Core Relational Theme: Each emotion is a response to a certain theme of the situation

Components of Lazarus’ Appraisal Theory

• ego relevance (how related to personal goals)

• ego congruence (consistency with personal goals)

• ego involvement (self-esteem/morals/ideals

Lazarus’ primary appraisal

• credit or blame (external - internal)

• coping potential (controllable - not controllable)

• future expectancy

Lazarus’ secondary appraisal

• Found for skin conductance

  • Highest for trauma conditions

  • Lowest for intellectualization and denial conditions

• RESULT: Thus, how one appraises events, influences emotional responses

• RESULT: Appraisals can be influenced even before stimulus is presented, by changing expectations of event

Result from Lazarus’ experiment (using circumcision film of aboriginal adolescent males)

Cognitive Coping Strategies

the mental processes individuals use to manage stress and navigate challenging situations; theorized by Lazarus

• Show circumcision film of aboriginal adolescent males

• Different soundtracks were used

  • Intellectualization: (told: approach film as an anthropologist would - ‘detached’)

  • Denial: (told: procedure is not that bad)

  • Trauma: (told: how very awful procedure is)

  • Silent: (told: nothing, no soundtrack, just watch)

Summary of Lazarus Cognitive Coping Strategies Experiment

• observations of behavior and facial expression

• methodological advances

• theory of evolution applied to understanding of emotion

major contributions of Darwin to the study of emotions

• Expression and behavior

• Methodological Advances

Darwin’s methods for studying emotioin

• animals must have some form of emotins

• emotions are innate

• emotions are functinal and adaptive

Consequences of evolutionary theory to emotions according to Darwin

• universal facial expressions

• babies have emotions

• deaf and blind children experience same emotions as other children

• similarity of emotions between animals and humans

Evidence for “emotions must be innate”

• principle of serviceable habits

• principle of antithesis

• principle of nervous discharge

Darwin’s Three Principles on the Origins of Expression

facial movements that were useful and take on meaning, and then inherited by offspring

principle of serviceable habits

facial movements opposite to one developed by habits take on meaning, and then are inherited by offspring

principle of antithesis

build-up in nervous system, leads to arousal that is discharged; ie. emotional vocalizations, nervous chatter of lips/teeth

principle of nervous discharge

all

Ekman argues that______ emotions (should) have an evolutionary orgin

• Emotions should be functional (they do something for humans that is important for reproduction)

• Emotions signal others (expressions) likely evolved from living socially

Ekman’s uses of emotioins

• Presence in primates (or other closely related species)

• Automatic Appraisal

• Brief Duration

• Commonalties in Antecedents

• Distinctive Physiology

• Unbidden Occurrence

• Quick Onset

Features of emotions if evolutionary according to Ekman

• Patient SM does not experience fear because of non-functional amygdala → gets into trouble and unsafe activities

• People with Huntington’s Disease cannot recognize some facial expressions (Disgust and Fear!)

Evidence for Function of Emotion from Lacking Emotions

• Some on the Autism spectrum do not have strong emotions or some might be altered

Evidence for Function of Emotion from Developmental

• Avoidance or Withdrawal Motivation

  • ANS response system aids survival in fear-driven emergencies

• Approach Motivation

  • Regulated by emotional processes, aiding/fostering one to be social (for survival) or to find mates (reproduction)

Evidence for Function of Emotion from Evolutionary Outcomes

• Use expression to guide behavior

  • Smiles used for signaling to others

• Influencing Group Cohesiveness

Evidence for Function of Emotion from Social Interations

Know Duchenne smile vs. social smile

different smiles can solve the basic tasks of social living

Niedenthal social-functional view of smiles

• Reward/Enjoyment Smiles

  • Rewarding self (or positive feelings)

• Affiliative smiles

  • Cueing nonthreat (or positive motivation)

• Dominance smiles

  • Negotiating social hiearchies

Three types of smile according to Niedenthal

universally expressed

Ekman believes that basic emotions would be…

Emotions are not universally expressed, there are commonalities across US, Japan, Argentina, and Europe through Movies/TV

Criticism of Ekman’s basic emotion theory

• Display rules are learned in the culture or social context

• May be conscious but are usually not

Ekman’s Display rules