PSY2012 Exam 3

EMOTION

Immediate, specific (positive or negative)

response to environmental events or internal

thoughts

EMOTION

Evoked by a “triggering event” that prompts a change

in thought and behavior. Short lived, directed at/caused by something specific

Mood

longer-lasting emotional state without an identifiable trigger. Influences thought or behavior

Primary emotions

innate and evolutionarily adaptive, Often recognized across cultures

Secondary emotions

reactions to primary emotions

Emotions

involve the activation of the autonomic

nervous system to prepare the body to meet

environmental challenges.

Primary Emotions

Fast pathway in the limbic system

Secondary Emotions

Slow pathway, frontal lobes in the cortex

CANNON-BARD THEORY

Emotion and arousal are independent but simultaneous. Experience emotion and bodily

reactions at roughly the same time

JAMES-LANGE THEORY

Perceive specific bodily responses then feel emotion

SCHACHTER-SINGER TWO-FACTOR THEORY

All physiological responses are the same at their core giving them a

cognitive label is what differentiates

MISATTRIBUTION OF AROUSAL

Physical states caused by a

situation can be attributed to the

wrong emotion

Drive

Physiological state that causes arousal and

motivates people to satisfy needs

Motivation

Series of behavioral responses that lead us to

attempt to reduce drives and achieve goals

boredom

Too little arousal

stress

Too much arousal

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Moderate arousal is

generally best

for performance

Simple task

higher arousal helps

Complex task

lower arousal helps

Motivation

Series of behavioral responses that lead us to attempt to

reduce drives and achieve goals

Approach motivation

Predisposition towards things

Avoidance motivation

Predisposition away from things

loss aversion

People take more risks to avoid loss

Extrinsic motivation

behavior is due to an

external reward

Intrinsic motivation

behavior is due to the value or pleasure

associated with that activity

Overjustification effect

Extrinsic motivation can reduce intrinsic motivation

OVERJUSTIFICATION – MARKER STUDY

Extrinsic motivation (a reward) can undermine intrinsic motivation

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

The application of psychological principles to

promote health and well-being

Stress

The physical and

psychological response to internal

or external stressors

Eustress

Stress of positive events

Distress

Stress of negative events

Stressors

Specific events or

chronic pressures that place

demands on a person or

threaten the person’s well-being

Major life stressors

Changes or disruptions that strain central areas of people’s lives

Chronic stress

A set of ongoing

challenges often linked to long-

term illness, poverty, or caregiving

Daily hassles

Small, day-to-day

irritations and annoyances, such as

driving in heavy traffic, dealing

with difficult customers, or waiting

in line

Fight or flight response

The physiological preparedness

of animals to deal with danger by either fighting or

fleeing.

Tend and Befriend Response

The tendency to protect and

care for offspring and form

social alliances rather than fight

or flee in response to threat.

oxytocin

hormone associated with love,

emotional bonding

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

A body system involved in stress responses

General adaptation syndrome

A consistent pattern of responses to stress that consists of three stages

Alarm stage

an emergency reaction that prepares the

body to fight or flee

Resistance stage

when the body prepares for longer,

sustained defense from the stressor

Exhaustion stage

when various physiological and

immune systems start to weaken

Immune system

A complex response system that

protects the body from bacteria, viruses, and other

foreign substances

Appraisal

Evaluation of an event

Primary appraisal

Initial decision regarding whether an

event is stressful, benign, or irrelevant

Secondary appraisal

Evaluate ways to respond and

choose coping behaviors, only occurs if we determine an event was

stressful/harmful during primary appraisal

Coping response

Any attempt

made to avoid, escape from, or

minimize a stressor

PROBLEM FOCUSED COPING

Coping strategy by which we

problem-solve and tackle life’s

challenges head on

PROBLEM FOCUSED COPING

We tend to use this when we

believe we can cope with or

control a stressor

EMOTION FOCUSED COPING

Short-term coping strategy in

which people try to prevent an

emotional response to a stressor

EMOTION FOCUSED COPING

We tend to use this strategy when

we can’t control the situation

Social support

The extent to

which individuals feel cared for,

can receive help from others,

and are part of a supportive

network

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

How others influence our thoughts, feelings, and

behaviors

Social Norms

Expected standards of conduct

Conformity

Altering

behaviors/opinions

to align with others

Normative influence

Go along with the

crowd to fit in and avoid looking foolish

Informational influence

Assume the behavior of

the crowd represents the correct way to respond

Compliance

Doing what is requested of you

Obedience

Following orders from an authority figure

Prosocial behaviors

Acting in ways to help others

Social Identity Theory

Identity is tied to group

memberships

Ingroup

Those considered to be members of the

same social category

Reciprocity

People treat others as others treat them

Transitivity

People generally share the same opinions

Outgroup

Those who are not in a given ingroup

Outgroup homogeneity effect

view outgroup members as less varied

Ingroup favoritism

More likely to distribute resources to ingroup

More likely to do favors or forgive mistakes for ingroup

Actively prevent outgroup from getting resources

GROUP EFFECTS

Being in a group influences our thoughts and actions

SOCIAL LOAFING

Reducing one’s personal

efforts when in a group.

SOCIAL FACILITATION

The presence of others can either improve or impair

performance

Simple/Well Learned Tasks

The presence of others improves performance

Difficult/Unfamiliar Tasks

The presence of others impairs performance

Groupthink

Desire for harmony

or conformity results in irrational

or dysfunctional decision-making

Group polarization

Group

interaction intensifies the

original opinion of group

members

Bystander Effect

Failure to

help by those who observe

someone in need when

other people are present

ATTITUDES

Feelings, opinions, and beliefs, Shaped by social context

MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT

The more you’re exposed to

something, the more you like it

Explicit attitudes

Know

about and are able to

report

Implicit attitudes

Influence

feelings and behaviors at

an unconscious level

Cognitive Dissonance

Psychological stress caused by

holding two or more contradictory

beliefs, ideas, or values

Attributions

Explanations for events, actions, and

behaviors

Personal attributions

Internal or disposition explanations. Skill, mood, effort, etc.

Situational attributions

External explanations. Luck, accidents, etc

Self-serving bias

Self-perception is distorted to see self

in a positive way

The Actor/Observer

Discrepancy

Focus on different attributions

when explaining our own behavior vs.

someone else’s behavior

Fundamental Attribution Error

Explains others’ behavior

Self-Serving Bias

Explains your own behavior

Actor-Observer Discrepancy

Explains others’ behavior AND your own

STERNBERG’S TRIANGULAR THEORY OF LOVE

3 defining features of love: Passion, intimacy, commitment

Secure Attachment

Caregiver is a consistent source of comfort

Avoidant Attachment

Caregiver does not provide comfort to the infant

Anxious (Ambivalent) Attachment

Caregiver is inconsistent in their care

Self Expansion Theory

Engaging in new and exciting

activities together can boost relationship satisfaction