Social Psychology

Emotions Chapter 6

What are emotions?

Are a reaction to specific people and events

What are emotions associated with?

With psychological changes

How long do emotions last for?

Last for seconds or minutes, not hours or days

How long do emotional facial expressions last for and physiological responses last?

Emotional facial expressions: between 1-5 seconds

Physiological responses (sweat): between dozens of seconds and minutes

How long do moods, by contrast, last?

Often hours or days

____ help humans meet goals. Specifically ___ goals 

Emotions, Social

What are appraisal processes?

How objects and events in our environment are evaluated relative to our goals 

What is the primary appraisal stage? 

Automatic positive or negative view made of an event or circumstance

What does the primary appraisal stage align with?

Whether the event aligns or doesn’t align with one’s goals 

What is the secondary appraisal stage? 

Evaluate the different ways of responding to an event and the consequences of the response 

What stage explains why we feel the way we do?

Secondary Appraisal Stage

What emotions do secondary appraisals lead to?

Anger, guilt, pride, fear

True of False: You can control your thoughts that influence your emotions

True

What are core relational themes?

Themes that define the essential purpose of each emotion

How do core relational themes trigger emotions? 

By specific appraisals. “That’s unfair” triggers anger 

True or False: Core relational themes are not similar across cultures 

False. They are similar across cultures

What are evolutionary approaches?

Emotions are biological behaviors that are adapted and meant to promote survival and reproduction

What are cultural approaches?

Emotions that are influenced by views of self, social values, and social roles which vary from culture to culture,

True or False: Emotions should be expressed in different ways in different cultures

True

Emotional responses may be natural and universal, but what may affect it?

Cultures

What was Darwin’s thesis?

Human emotions come from motivations and displays that were evolutionary advantages for our species.

What principle does Darwin’s thesis fall under?

Principle of serviceable habits

What did Darwin say about emotions?

They are universal.

Why did Darwin say emotions are universal?

All humans have the same facial muscles and express emotions similarly across cultures.

What do mammals and humans have in common when it comes to emotions, according to Darwin?

Display of emotions

What do facial expressions of anger resemble in other mammals?

As a threat

True or False: Human facial expressions are not learned

True

Explain the difference between the facial expressions of someone who is blind and someone who isn’t

There is no difference. People who were born blind still show the same facial expressions as sighted people, despite having never seen a facial expression. 

What were Paul Ekman and colleagues’ findings?

Primary emotions are recognized cross-culturally

Cultures that are not exposed to what cultures can identify what expressions shown by Westerns

West or Western media, Happiness, Sadness, Surprise, Anger, Disgust, Fear

True or False: U.S. college students accurately identify facial expressions shown by the Fore of Papua New Guinea

True

Give an example of how facial expressions may be innate. (natural)

Blind and sighted athletes show similar facial expressions of pride after winning a competition

What do human facial expressions resemble?

Displays of other primates

What does human anger resemble to other primates?

Threat displays

When playing, chimpanzees have what type of expressions that resemble human laughter.

Open mouth pant-hoot

True or False: Cultures do not show variation in expression of emotions

False. They do show variation in the expression of emotions

What are display rules?

Cultural rules that control when and how particular emotions should be expressed

Members of interdependent cultures are better at communication through …?

Touch

When do interdependent cultures touch each other more

Within a given conversation

What did Jourard observe?

Friends talking in a cafe. British friends touched each other 0 times, American friends touched each other twice, and Puerto Rican friends touched each other 180 times.

What are emotion accents?

Culturally specific ways that emotions are expressed

In India, how can embarrassment be signaled?

By biting one’s tongue

What are focal emotions?

Emotions that are more frequently emphasized in some cultures

What expressions do collectivists and individualists express more of?

Collectivists may express more shame and embarrassment, whereas individualists may express more pride

What does hypercognize mean?

Have multiple words or descriptions for a particular emotion

True or false: Some cultures may hypercognize specific emotions

True

What can touch promote?

Closeness in social relationships

What does touch release?

Oxytocin

What encourages reciprocity?

Touch, it encourages another positive action

In primates (monkeys), what does touching increase?

The likelihood of sharing food with grooming partners

In humans, what does touch increase?

Cooperation and compliance with requests

What type of social emotions can touch signal?

Gratitude and compassion

In a study, what could participants do without being able to see or hear the other person?

Communicate different emotions from touch

True or False: Interdependent cultures may be better able to communicate emotions through touch than independent cultures

True

Do people imitate others on purpose?

No, studies have found that people often unconsciously imitate others

What emotions are most likely to get mimicked?

Laughing and blushing

When doing musing tasks, friend will do what that strangers will not?

Mimic each others’ laughter

In roommates, a study has found that..

The emotional responses of college roommates became more similar, and roommates who were closer friends mimicked each other more than those who were less close friends.

What is oxytocin?

A hormone and a neurotransmitter involved in caregiving and mating in non-human animals.

When is oxytocin released?

During human childbirth, breastfeeding, and orgasm

How might oxytocin be involved in feelings of love?

When women were asked to recall warm feelings about another person, physical displays of love were associated with higher levels of oxytocin in the bloodstream

What may oxytocin encourage?

Trust between strangers