PSYCH 41-44

emotion

a response of the whole

organism, involving

(1) physiological arousal,

(2) expressive behaviors, and

(3) conscious experience.

two-factor theory

the Schachter-

Singer theory that to experience

emotion one must (1) be physically

aroused and (2) cognitively label the

arousal.

polygraph

a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect

lies, that measures several of the physiological responses (such

as perspiration and cardiovascular and breathing changes)

accompanying emotion.

facial feedback effect

the tendency of facial muscle states

to trigger corresponding feelings

such as fear, anger, or happiness.

heath psychology

a subfield

of psychology that provides

psychology’s contribution to

behavioral medicine.

stress

the process by which

we perceive and respond to

certain events, called stressors,

that we appraise as threatening or

challenging.

general adaptation syndrome

(GAS)

Selye’s concept of the

body’s adaptive response to stress

in three phases—alarm, resistance,

exhaustion.

tend and befriend response

under stress, people (especially

women) often provide support to

others (tend) and bond with and

seek support from others (befriend).

psychophysiological

illness

literally, “mind-body”

illness; any stress-related physical

illness, such as hypertension and

some headaches.

psychoneuroimmunology

the

study of how psychological, neural,

and endocrine processes together

affect the immune system and

resulting health.

lymphocytes

the two types of

white blood cells that are part of the

body’s immune system:

B lymphocytes form in the bone

marrow and release antibodies

that fight bacterial infections;

T lymphocytes form in the thymus

and other lymphatic tissue and

attack cancer cells, viruses, and

foreign substances.

coronary heart disease

the clogging of the vessels that

nourish the heart muscle; the

leading cause of death in many

developed countries.

Type A

Friedman and

Rosenman’s term for competitive,

hard-driving, impatient, verbally

aggressive, and anger-prone people.

Type B

Friedman and Rosenman’s

term for easygoing, relaxed people.

Fight or flight response

A physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event or threat to survival.

James-Lange theory

The theory that emotions are the result of physiological reactions to stimuli.

Cannon-Bard theory

The theory that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously.

Arousal and performance

Performance is optimal at lower levels of arousal for difficult tasks and higher levels for easier tasks.

Emotional arousal and the autonomic nervous system

Emotional arousal is regulated by the sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic (calming) divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Physiological differences in emotions

Subtle physiological responses, such as muscle movements, distinguish different emotions.

Cultural differences in emotional expression

Cultures vary in how much emotion is expressed, but some facial expressions, like happiness and fear, are universally understood.