EMOTIONS

Emotion

A class of subjective feelings elicited by stimuli with high personal significance characterized by strong intensity rapid onset automatic processing and evolutionary adaptive value

Three components of emotion

Emotion consists of physiology bodily arousal cognition interpretation of situation and expression facial vocal and behavioral output

Physiological component

Bodily responses such as increased heart rate sweating and respiration that prepare the body for action

Cognitive component

Mental appraisal that interprets arousal and determines which emotion is experienced

Expressive component

Observable outward signs of emotion including facial expressions tone gestures and posture

Core emotion debate

Debate over whether physiological arousal causes emotion or cognitive appraisal determines emotional experience

Misattribution of arousal

Process by which physiological arousal is incorrectly attributed to an unrelated stimulus leading to mistaken emotional interpretation

Dutton and Aron bridge study

Field experiment showing men crossing a fear inducing bridge misattributed arousal as attraction toward a female experimenter

Bridge study findings

High arousal participants produced more sexual imagery and were more likely to contact the female experimenter

Bridge study limitation

Lack of random assignment and possible self selection bias such as thrill seeking personalities

Experiment 2 bridge

Delay between arousal and interaction reduced attraction suggesting arousal must be present for misattribution

Experiment 3 shock study

Anticipation of strong shock increased anxiety and attraction demonstrating arousal intensifies emotional interpretation

General arousal principle

Many emotions share similar physiological patterns meaning arousal alone does not determine specific emotion

James Lange theory

Emotion arises from perception of distinct physiological responses such that bodily changes precede and determine emotion

Cannon Bard theory

Emotional experience and physiological arousal occur simultaneously and independently rather than sequentially

Two factor theory Schachter Singer

Emotion requires both physiological arousal and a cognitive label based on environmental context

Cognitive labeling process

Interpretation of arousal by assigning a cause which determines the specific emotion experienced

Schachter Singer study design

Participants injected with adrenaline were informed uninformed or placebo and exposed to emotional confederates

Schachter Singer findings

Uninformed participants adopted confederate emotion while informed participants did not showing importance of cognitive labeling

Zajonc LeDoux theory

Some emotional responses occur automatically without conscious appraisal via subcortical pathways

Low road pathway

Fast automatic route from thalamus to amygdala allowing rapid emotional responses without conscious thought

High road pathway

Slower route involving cortex allowing detailed conscious evaluation before emotional response

Limbic system

Network of brain structures involved in emotional processing including amygdala and related regions

Amygdala function

Detects threat and generates fear responses including hormonal and autonomic activation

Amygdala damage

Results in inability to recognize fear in others and impaired fear responses

Frontal lobe role in emotion

Regulates conscious emotional experience decision making and behavioral control

Hemispheric differences emotion

Left frontal lobe linked to positive emotions while right frontal lobe linked to negative emotions

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary physiological arousal including sympathetic activation and calming responses

Fight or flight response

Sympathetic activation preparing body for action by increasing heart rate blood flow and energy availability

Return to baseline

Parasympathetic processes restore calm after arousal

Polygraph test

Device that records autonomic indicators such as heart rate breathing and skin conductance to infer arousal

Polygraph limitation

Cannot directly detect lying and produces significant false positives and false negatives

Guilty knowledge test

Measures recognition of crime relevant information via physiological responses making it more reliable than polygraph

Expression component

Emotion is communicated through facial expressions tone and body language

Ekman theory

Basic emotions are universal biologically innate and associated with distinct facial expressions

Basic emotions list

Happiness anger fear sadness surprise and disgust sometimes including interest

Cross cultural evidence

People across cultures consistently identify the same facial expressions for basic emotions

South Fore study

Isolated group correctly matched facial expressions to emotional stories supporting universality

Infant emotional expressions

Basic emotional expressions are present at birth indicating biological origin

Facial feedback hypothesis

Facial expressions influence emotional experience such that acting happy can increase happiness

Facial feedback evidence

Manipulating facial muscles changes self reported emotional states such as happiness or anger

Nonverbal communication

Emotion conveyed through body posture gestures gaze and movement in addition to facial expressions

Paralanguage

Vocal qualities such as tone pitch and cadence that convey emotional meaning beyond words

Disgust emotion

Strong aversive response involving revulsion and characteristic facial features such as wrinkled nose and protruding tongue

Happiness definition

Subjective well being influenced by perception comparison and adaptation rather than objective conditions

Income and happiness finding

Increases in wealth do not produce lasting increases in happiness over time

Social comparison theory

Individuals evaluate their happiness relative to others rather than absolute standards

Adaptation level theory

Emotional responses adjust to new circumstances so positive and negative events have temporary effects

Happiness set point theory

Individuals have a stable baseline level of happiness to which they return after life events

Twin study evidence happiness

Identical twins show similar happiness levels even when raised apart suggesting genetic influence

Temporary effects life events

Major events such as marriage or illness affect happiness only briefly before returning to baseline

Stress definition

Physiological and psychological response to perceived threats or challenges requiring adaptation

Stressor types

Include catastrophic events major life changes and microstressors daily hassles

Catastrophic stressors

Large scale unpredictable events such as natural disasters causing widespread disruption

Major life stressors

Significant but infrequent events such as death of a loved one or divorce

Microstressors daily hassles

Routine minor stressors that accumulate and have substantial long term impact

Microstressors importance

Daily hassles often predict health outcomes better than major events due to chronic accumulation

Examples of college stressors

Academic pressure relationship conflicts lack of time and social concerns

General adaptation syndrome Selye

Three stage stress response consisting of alarm resistance and exhaustion

Alarm stage

Immediate reaction involving activation of sympathetic nervous system and release of stress hormones

Resistance stage

Body attempts to cope with sustained stress maintaining elevated physiological activation

Exhaustion stage

Resources become depleted leading to decreased resistance and increased vulnerability to illness

Chronic stress effects

Prolonged stress impairs immune function and increases risk of illness and disease

Stress and immune function

Greater stress duration increases likelihood of infection such as catching a cold

Stress and academic performance

Higher stress levels are associated with lower academic achievement

Stress and disease evidence

Stress increases risk of serious conditions including cancer and mental health disorders

Type A personality

Competitive impatient hostile individuals at higher risk of coronary heart disease

Type B personality

Relaxed easygoing individuals with lower risk of stress related illness

Coping with stress

Use of cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage stress and reduce negative effects

Uplifts

Positive everyday experiences that counteract stress and improve well being

Relaxation techniques

Methods that reduce physiological arousal and improve cardiovascular health

Relaxation study finding

Patients trained in relaxation experienced fewer recurrent heart attacks

Exercise benefits

Improves cardiovascular efficiency mood energy and resistance to stress

Optimism definition

General expectation of positive outcomes associated with resilience and better health

Optimism and health evidence

Optimistic individuals show better long term health outcomes in longitudinal research

Stress health relationship

Stress impacts health through immune suppression physiological strain and unhealthy behaviors