Unit 4: Theories of Emotions

Emotions

That could be happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, and fear.

Micro expressions

Micro expressions are very brief and fast, involuntary facial expressions that reveal true emotions. This involuntary emotional leakage exposes a person's true emotions.

• Example: When someone is happy, their eyes crinkling would signify their true happy emotions.

• Examples: When he is disgusted, I can notice his nose wrinkling and upper lip raised.

What do emotions Involve?

1. Bodily reactions: a body reaction like your heart racing

2. Expressive behaviors: a smile

3. Cognitions: thoughts about it happening

Stimulus

A stimulus is any object or event that causes a response!!!

How does stimulus work?

After exposure to a stimulus, sensory signals are transmitted to the thalamus.

➜ The thalamus then relays the information to two structures of the structure: the amygdala and the brain cortex.

Role of the amygdala and brain cortex in terms of emotions

Amygdala: control the body’s reaction

Brain cortex: start to think about the stimulus

Types of reactions

1. IN THE NEROUS SYSTEM:
   SNS: Sympathetic Nervous System or PNS: Parasympathetic Nervous System

2. Expressive Behaviors

3. Cognitions

1. SNS and PNS

• SNS: "Fight or flight" response; prepares the body for action.

  • Increases heart rate

  • Dilates pupils

  • inhibits digestion

  • Releases adrenaline

• PNS:

  • Slows heart rate

  • Constricts pupils

  • Stimulates digestion

  • Promotes relaxation and recovery

2. Expressive Behaviors

Facial Emotion or body behavior (shown physically)

➜ Examples: smiling, frowning, raising eyebrows, etc…

This can be:

• smiling when happy

• Clenching fists when angry

• Crying when sad

3. Cognitions

Cognitive appraisal:

• Primary Appraisal: Evaluating whether a situation is a threat, challenge, or irrelevant.

• Secondary Appraisal: Assessing how to cope with the situation.

Cognitions:

• It may be consciously labeling something

• It may also occur automatically as we mentally file something as dangerous or not dangerous (appraisal).

• Positive cognition (thinking) ➜ Positive emotions

• Negative cognition ➜ Negative emotions

Examples:

• Thought: "I'm going to fail this presentation."

• Emotion: Anxiety or fear.

• Thought: "This is a great opportunity to show my skills."

• Emotion: Confidence or excitement.

Cognitive reappraisal

• Reframing a negative situation to view it in a more positive or neutral light.

• Example: Instead of thinking, "I failed the test, I'm a failure," reappraising could be, "I can learn from this and do better next time."

Sensory input can be routed in two ways

1. High road (cognitions): Thoughtful, slower reactions.

2. Low road (bodily reactions): immediate, emotional response.

1. High road

• Stimulus goes to the thalamus and then gets sent to the brain’s cortex so you can think about it and then send it the amygdala if it looks dangerous.

• Slower, but allows for thoughtful analysis and cognitive appraisal.

  ➜ Example: Seeing a spider, thinking about whether it’s dangerous, then reacting.

2. Low road

• Stimulus goes to the thalamus and then gets sent to the amygdala to allow for quicker response.

• Fast, automatic reaction, especially in emotional or survival situations.

  ➜ Example: Jumping in fear immediately when seeing a snake, without thinking.

Emotion Theories

1. James-Lange Theory (One-factor Theory)

2. Lazarus (cognitive-appraisal)

3. Schachter and Singer’s Two-factor theory

4. Cannon-Bard theory

5. Le Doux Theory

1. James-Lange Theory (One-Factor Theory):

• Emotions are caused by our body’s having a reaction to a stimulus.

• Stimulus ➜ Body reaction ➜ Emotion

• Example: "I am afraid because my heart is racing."

2. Lazarus Cognitive-Appraisal Theory:

• Emotions are caused by our thinking (appraisal)(conscious or not conscious) about a stimulus.

• Stimulus ➜ Cognition ➜ Emotion + bodily reaction

• Example: "I assess the situation as dangerous, so I feel afraid."

3. Schachter and Singer’s Two-Factor Theory:

• (Factor 1): a stimulus causes a bodily reactions + (factor 2): Then we interpret the situation (cognitive appraisal) and label it) = Emotionn

• SO, THIS IS A COMBINATION BETWEEN THEORY 1 & 2:

  • Emotions = bodily reaction + Cognition appraisal

• Example: "My heart is racing, and I label the situation as dangerous, so I feel fear."

4. Cannon-Bard Theory:

• GOES AGAINST THE THEORY JAMES LANGE

• Your emotions follow the low and high roads, but one does not cause the other.

• Stimulus ➜ Physiological response + Emotion at the same time.

• Example: "The spider makes my heart race and feel afraid at the same time."

  • Heart and afraid is simultaneous but not dependent on one another!!!

• Key Idea: Emotions and physical changes happen together, not one causing the other.

5. LeDoux’s theory (developed by Joseph LeDoux)

• Emotions, especially fear, are processed in the brain through specific neural pathways.

• Key Pathways:

  1. High Road:

     • Involves the cortex (thinking brain).

     • Slower pathway that allows for conscious appraisal and interpretation of stimuli.

     • Example: Assessing a situation (like a snake) to determine if it’s dangerous.

  2. Low Road:

     • Involves the amygdala (emotional brain).

     • Faster, automatic pathway that triggers an immediate emotional response without conscious thought.

     • Example: Jumping back at the sight of a snake before fully understanding the situation.

Primary Emotions vs Secondary Emotions

• Primary: universal emotions, most basic ones

  • Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, etc…

• Secondary: More complex emotions, happen with cognitive growth and social experiences

  • Combination of primary emotions: Guilt, jealousy, embarrassment, pride, etc…

Example:

• Primary Emotion: Feeling anger when someone cuts you off in traffic.

• Secondary Emotion: Feeling guilt later for getting angry and reacting harshly.

Display rules: Collectivist and Individualistic

Collectivist Culture: Cultures that prioritize the group over individual needs and goals.

Examples:

• Countries: Japan, China, India, South Korea.

Individualistic Cultures: Cultures that prioritize individual rights, personal goals, and self-expression.

Examples:

• Countries: United States, Canada, Australia, many Western European nations.