Lecture 1: Emotion Theory

What is the problem with defining emotions?

People know what emotions are, but they are hard to define / explain

What changes are emotions associated with?

Changes in expressive behaviour (e.g. facial expressions,

Changes in subjective feeling

Changes in sense of purpose (e.g. readying for action) → Emotions can guide our behaviour

Changes in bodily responses (physiological activation)

When we feel threatened, we feel fear. But usually this subsides after a time. How does that work in anxiety?

There is an exaggerated sense of threat even in non-life threatening situations

What are the most basic emotions according to the lecture?

Joy
Anger

Sadness

Fear (Anxiety)

Shame

Other emotions can be peeled back to these basic emotions

Anxiety is an emotion, as it has all the components that other emotions have. But an emotion is more than a feeling, and different emotions can be associated with similar physiological responses. What is an example of this?

Heart racing = Just before an exam, going on a rollercoaster

Explain the differences between moods, attitudes, emotions and temperament?

Give an example of emotions in places on the valence / arousal spectrum

What vital functions do emotions serve?

When ‘vital interests’ are at stake.

Survival of self and offspring

Give an example of a stimulus, experience, action tendency and function?

What is the Schlachter-Singer theory of emotion? (two-factor)

Emotions are the result of an interaction between physiological arousal and a cognitive interpretation

Neuroticism is a vulnerability factor for anxiety. But what is it?

A personality trait that is associated with: High stress reactivity, more intense fluctuations of emotions, more intense negative emotions

Overthinking, self-consciousness, need for control > higher physiological arousal, more negative

mental states

It is genetically transmitted, a “higher-order” trait and closely associated with many DSM-V disorders

What disorders is high neuroticism a vulnerability factor for?

Depressive, anxiety, trauma and OCD and related disorders

What makes an anxiety disorder “abnormal”?

The intensity and disproportionate nature of the threat response compared to the threat actually present

a lot of people fear specific things (e.g. snakes) more than other things. What can this specific anxiety response be explained by?

Vicarious learning - fear learning from others

Latent inhibition - having a less fearful response to something if you’ve had positive experiences with them in the past

Preparedness - the idea that we are evolutionarily ready for some threats

What is a common response to anxiety?

Avoidance and safety behaviours (doing the feared situation but having a safety mechanism in place)

What is the model of extinction in exposure therapy? (inhibitory learning model)

Learn that CS (heart racing) does not equal US (heart attack) through experiencing CS without US multiple times

What is habituation in exposure therapy?

The idea that threat response will go down after some time

Do we need a theory for exposure therapy?

Yes, because it guides us for further research. Knowing (e.g. that avoidance behaviours maintain anxiety disorders) will help you realise why treatment is not working and guide you to useful treatment options and future research