Foundational Theories of Emotion in Psychology

James-Lange Theory of Emotions

Emotions stem from bodily changes, leading to emotional feelings

William James

Influential psychologist, father of American psychology, James-Lange theory proponent

Carl Lange

Danish physiologist, independently proposed theory with James on emotions

Vasomotor Center

Brainstem region activating physiological responses to emotional stimuli

Nucleus of the Solitary Tract (NTS)

Brain region where vasomotor center is located, crucial for memory formation

Peripheral Nervous System

Part of the nervous system connecting the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

Physiological Fingerprint

Unique bodily changes associated with each emotion, aiding in emotional labeling

Bottom-Up Theory

Emotions develop from bodily signals to the brain, creating conscious feelings

Emotional Stimulus

External event triggering emotional response

Expressive Behavior

Outward actions like crying or smiling reflecting internal emotions

Facial Expression

Visible emotional cues like frowning or smiling

Interoception

Awareness of internal bodily states, crucial for emotional experiences

Schachter-Singer Theory

Emotions influenced by cognitive appraisals and physiological arousal

Plutchik's Theory

Emotions occur in complex ranges from mild to intense

Arousal

Physiological and psychological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli

Thalamus

Brain region acting as a relay station to the cerebral cortex, processing sensory information

Amygdala

Brain region involved in processing emotions, particularly fear responses

Endocrine System

System of glands producing hormones regulating bodily functions

Cardiovascular System

System involving the heart and blood vessels, crucial for circulation

Gut Instincts

Intuitive feelings or reactions based on instinct rather than logical reasoning

Motor Reactions

Physical responses to stimuli involving movement or action

Locomotion

Movement or travel from one place to another, often used in the context of animal behavior

Environmental Events

External occurrences influencing emotions and behaviors

Affective Experience

Subjective feeling or emotion, influenced by internal and external factors

James-Lange Theory

Emotions result from sensing bodily changes triggered by stimuli

Disembodied Emotion

Concept of emotion without bodily manifestations, as per James

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotional and physiological reactions occur simultaneously to stimuli

Thalamic Theory of Emotions

Environmental stimuli trigger emotions and physiological reactions via the thalamus

Cerebral Cortex

Processes sensory signals for perception, memory, and emotional awareness

Hypothalamus

Regulates physiological systems in response to emotional stimuli

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates 'fight or flight' response via adrenaline release

Preganglionic Nerve Fibers

Transmit signals from spinal cord to sympathetic chain for physiological responses

Adrenal Gland

Releases adrenaline in response to sympathetic activation

Sympathectomy

Surgical removal of sympathetic innervation to the body

Decorticate Cats Experiment

Failed to suppress emotional responses, supporting independence of emotions from physiological changes

Sham rage

Animals w/ whole cerebral cortex removed show emotional responses

Thalamus lesions

Suppress emotional responses, indicating cortex role in taming

Parasympathetic nervous system

Regulates heart rate, adrenal activity, returning body to normal

Vagus nerve

Removal in dogs didn't affect emotional displays due to ascending branches

Maranon's study

Injected adrenaline in humans to test physiological arousal and emotions

Schachter-Singer's Two-Factor Theory

Emotions result from physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal

Cognitive appraisal

Mental interpretation of bodily changes and environment to label emotion

SS Theory assumptions

Physiological arousal + context appraisal determine emotional label

Contextual cues

Environmental factors influencing subjective emotional states

Mislabeling physiological responses

Anxieties often result from misinterpreting bodily reactions

Schachter's study design

Manipulated physiological arousal and context to study emotion labeling

Physiological arousal awareness

Necessary to assign labels to immediate arousal based on context

Emotion attribution

Interpreting physiological changes in context to assign emotions

Different emotions context

Brain interprets context prior to assigning labels to conscious emotions

Maranon's study significance

Links physiological arousal, cognition, and emotions

Physiological Arousal

Bodily response to stimuli causing emotional arousal

Cognitive Appraisal

Process of labeling feelings based on situational knowledge

Adaptive Value

Survival benefit of automatic cognitive appraisal

Darwin's View

Outward emotions predict inner mental states

Facial Expressions

Outward cues providing insight into inner emotions

Universal Expressions

Emotional expressions common across cultures

Basic Emotions

Core emotional states like happiness, sadness, fear

Dimensional Framework

Grouping emotions by arousal and valence levels

Valence

Feeling quality produced by stimuli

Paul Ekman

Researcher on universal emotional expressions

Robert Plutchik

Proposed the Circumplex model of primary emotions

Facial Expression Measurement

Identifying emotions through facial cues

Behavioral Manifestations

Observable expressions of emotional states

Ekman's Research

Studying universal facial expression recognition

Operational Definitions

Categorizing basic emotions based on expressions

Emotional Expression Modes

Forms of expression like body posture, facial cues

Triggering Stimulus

Event leading to emotional expression

Physiological Responses

Bodily reactions to emotional stimuli

Facial Action Coding System

An objective method to analyze facial movements that infer emotional expression and affective states, described by 46 individual facial muscle movements.

Circumplex Model of Primary Emotions

Proposed by Plutchik, it suggests that emotions vary in similarity, can exist in varying degrees of intensity, and all other emotions are mixtures or compounds of eight basic emotions: joy, trust, anticipation, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger.

Autonomic Variables

Physiological variables such as heart rate and temperature used to compare with facial expressions to verify if outward expressions denote true inner emotions.

Somatotopic Maps

Culturally universal maps that represent emotions in the somatosensory system, showing a point-for-point relationship between bodily changes and brain activity.

Facial Expression Identification

The ability to detect emotions from facial expressions, which can be influenced by bodily changes and environmental context.

Primary Emotions

Basic emotions like joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, and anticipation that form the basis of the Circumplex Model of Emotions.

Emotion Elicitation Study

A study where participants are shown stimuli like words, stories, movies, and facial expressions to elicit emotions, and then asked to color regions where they feel changes in bodily activity.

Emotion and Survival

Emotions are activated when issues of survival are raised, leading to bodily changes, feelings, impulses, and goal-directed behaviors to counteract external stimuli.

Emotion-Related Bodily States

Bodily changes associated with emotions that may trigger subjective emotional feelings and motivate actions.

Fear Picture

A composite of seven muscle movements representing the facial expression of fear in the Facial Action Coding System.

Translational Applications of Emotion Studies

Utilization of emotion research, like Ekman's work, in various fields such as security, law enforcement, and AI for identifying internal states and intentions from facial expressions.

Context in Emotion Perception

The role of environmental context in interpreting facial expressions and emotions, highlighting the importance of considering context for accurate emotional perception.