PSYC*4750 (Motivation & Emotion Lecture 1)

Human Behavior is

motivated by physical,

psychological, and social needs

seek outcomes that we need/want

Human Behavior

Human behavior results form a willingness

/urge/drive to expend effort (work) to obtain such

outcomes.

Prioritization is to

satisfy motivational states, priority must be given to some thoughts

and actions over others.

When prioritizing food, how is emotion/evaluation involved

1: nice or nasty?

2: approach or avoid?

When prioritizing food, how is attention involved?

1: Is it task relevant?

2: Does it facilitate or suppress the prioritization

Motivation is that which

gives energy and direction to behavior.

1: Arousal / Urge / Drive

2: Goals / Intentions / Plans of action

3: Seeking / Avoiding

These are all involved in

Motivation

Emotion is a process which evaluates the

significance of events with respect to important goals.

Emotion is a means of

communicating with others

In the emotional theory, the answer to the question of “Is emotion expression”{ is that

Emotion has evolved to transmit social / biologically-relevant

signals

In the emotional theory, the answer to the question of “Is emotion an action tendency” was found by Dewey in 1895 and is that

-emotions are states of readiness to act in

certain ways

- approach, avoidance, domination, submission

In the emotional theory, the answer to the question of “Is emotion a bodily reaction”, the answer was found by James–Lange (1884/1885) and states that it is a

Physiological response that precedes emotion:

Bodily reactions elicit emotions in consciousness

and are consequently primary to other

emotional components

James Lange on “Is emotion a bodily reaction”

Who said “My theory... is that the bodily changes follow

directly the perception of the exciting fact, and

that our feeling of the same changes as they

occur IS the emotion” in regards to emotion being a bodily response

William James, 1884

In emotion theory, Cannon–Bard (1927/1928) believed that with emotions

bodily reactions do not cause the emotion elicitation,

because they lack specificity

similar bodily reactions accompany very

different emotions, as well as other

non-emotional states.

Cannon–Bard (1927/1928) on emotions and bodily reactions

Discrete emotions are when

Each emotion has its own ‘essence’

Corresponds to a unique combination of

subjective experience, physiology, and

behaviour.

Discrete emotions

Discrete emotions should be universal because they are

1: Both experienced and recognized across

cultures, backgrounds etc.

2: Homologous in other animals

Discrete emotions should be measurable via

behavior

(e.g., facial movements) and physiology

What is included in the basic emotions?

1: Fear

2: Anger

3: Disgust

4: Sadness

5: Joy

6: Interest

What are the two themes of the basic emotions

Negative emotions & Positive Emotions

What are the negative emotions on the basic emotions

Threat & Harm

What are the positive emotions in the basic emotions

Motive Involvement and satisfaction

What are the Self-Conscious Emotions

1: Shame

2: Guilt

3: Embarrassment

4: Triumph

5: Pride

What are the Cognitively Complex

Emotions

1: Envy

2: Guilt

3: Disappointment

4: Regret

5: Schadenfreude

6: Empathy

7: Compassion

What is the problems with emotion and emotional facial expression charts?

- Not as universal, specific, or consistent as it

should be.

- Lots of variability.

The response to variation is to create

more fine grained typologies, in an attempt to bring nature under control and make it easier to identify emotions essence

But their is another approach to emotion, one that accounts for all the empirical evidence (Bothe the evidence that supports the classical view and that which does not) this is an

essence - free view that considers typological thinking as a lot of misplaced creativity and effort (construction approach to emotion)

Dimensional/Constructionist views are that an emotion is not

an entity with firm boundaries but a category of instances that vary highly depending on the specific situation

An instance of an emotion category emerges

as the brain makes meaning of incoming

sensory inputs from the body and the world.

This is talking about the Dimensional/Constructionist views

In Dimensional/Constructionist views, emotions emerge as you make sense of

the

complex dynamics within your nervous

system, which is constantly in dynamic

interaction with the surrounding context,

including with other people / emotional

beings.

What is the categorical theory?

It involves basic emotions

What is the Dimensional view

It involves Arousal & Valence

In Dimensional/Constructionist views, All emotions emerge from shared causal

mechanisms– a few common dimensions include Valence which is

1: Pleasure/Displeasure

2: Positive / Negative

In Dimensional/Constructionist views, All emotions emerge from shared causal

mechanisms– a few common dimensions include Intensity which is

1: Activation / Excitement / Arousal / Tension

2: Engagement / Disengagement

In Appraisal theories, an emotional response begins with

appraisal

of the personal significance of an event

What is the sequence of events for the appraisal theory

Core affect is a state of

pleasure or displeasure with some degree of arousal

barring injury, core affect is grounded in the

Somatovisceral, kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and neurochemical fluctuations that take place within the core of the body

Somatovisceral is

the complex, bidirectional communication between the body's musculoskeletal system, skin and the internal organs, often involving nerve signals that link these systems to influence bodily functions, sensations, and emotions

With Somatovisceral, the Soma is the

body's musculoskeletal system and skin

With Somatovisceral, the viscera is the

Internal Organs

often involving nerve signals that link these systems to influence bodily functions, sensations, and emotions, such as pain, stress responses, and emotional development.

It describes how signals from the body's outer parts (skin, muscles, joints) affect internal organs (viscera), and vice versa, forming crucial pathways for perception and regulation.

This is talking about the Somatovisceral,

The hypothesized neural reference space for core effect include brain areas like

1: Visceromotor

2: Sensory Integration Networks in the OFC

3: The Anterior Insuli

4: The Amygdala

5: Sungenual and Pregenual parts of the ACC

6: Hypothalamus

7: Ventral Striatum

8: Midbraim

9: Brainstem

What are the different categories of emotions

1: Feelings

2: Sense of Purpose

3: Bodily arousal

4: Social Expression

What is the feelings part of emotion

• Subjective Experience

• Phenomenological Awareness

• Cognition

What is the Sense of Purpose part of emotion

• Goal-Directed Motivational State

• Functional Aspect

What is the Bodily Arousal Part of emotion

• Physiological Activation

• Bodily Preparation for Action

• Motor Responses

What is the Social Expressive part of emotion

• Social Communication

• Facial Expression

• Vocal Expression

1. Communicate our feelings to others.

2. Influence how others interact with us.

4. Create, maintain, and dissolve relationships.

3. Invite and facilitate social interaction.

This is talking about the social functions of emotion

Positive affect and Negative affect are

independent ways of feeling

In Everyday moods, positive effects include

• Pleasurable engagement

• Reward-driven, appetitive

motivational system

• Approach behavior

• Dopaminergic pathways

In Everyday moods, Negative effects include

• Unpleasant engagement

• Punishment-driven, aversive

motivational system

• Withdrawal behavior

• Serotonergic and noradrenergic

pathways