Unit 5 Psych

emotion

a positive or negative experience that is associated with a particular pattern of physiological activity

Valence and arousal as dimensions of emotion.

Valence - how positive or negative the experience is

Arousal - how active or passive the experience is

James-Lange Theory

the theory that a stimulus triggers activity in the body, which in turn produces an emotional experience in the brain

Cannon-Bard Theory

the theory that a stimulus simultaneously triggers activity in the body and emotional experience in the brain

Two-factor theory

the theory that emotions are based on inferences about the causes of physiological arousal

Which theory about emotion is correct, according to SGNW?

James-Lange: suggested that patterns of physiological response are not the same for all emotions

Cannon-Bard: suggested that people are not perfectly sensitive to these patterns of response, which is why people must sometimes make inferences about what they are feeling

The amygdala's role in appraisal

plays a special role in producing emotions; the amydgala is an extremely fast and sensitive threat dectector

Appraisal

an evaluation of the emotion-relevant aspects of a stimulus

slow vs. fast pathways of fear

Fast pathway: goes from the thalamus directly to the amygdala

slow pathway: goes thalamus, cortex, then amygdala

Emotion regulation

the strategies people use to influence their own emotional experience

reappraisal

changing one's emotional experience by changing the way one thinks about the emotion-eliciting stimulus

How is reappraisal a helpful skill?

it is associated with mental and physical health; therapists use it to alleviate depression and distress by teaching people to reappraise key events in their lives

Emotional expression

an observable sign of an emotional state

What evidence suggests that facial expressions are universal?

the universality hypothesis: emotional expressions have the same meaning for everyone

Facial feedback hypothesis

emotional expressions can cause the emotional experiences they signify

What is the problem with lie-detecting machines?

A polygraph can detect lies at a rate that is significant, but the error rate does not make it reliable

Emotions can be described by their location on the two dimensions of

arousal and valence

Which theorists claimed that that a stimulus simultaneously causes both an emotional experience and a physiological reaction

Cannon and Bard

Which brain structure is most directly involved in the rapid appraisal of whether a stimulus is good or bad

the amygdala

Through ___, we can change an emotional experience by changing the meaning of the emotion-eliciting stimulus

reappraisal

___ is the idea that emotional expressions can cause emotional experiences

facial feedback hypothesis

How have Christians tended to de-emphasize the role of emotions?

Many early Christian leaders felt that emotions were associated with our "fleshly" nature. It was presumed that emotions had a great potential to lead us into sin.

What do stories of individuals who lack or have very limited emotions indicate about the importance of emotions?

It showed how integral emotions were into making decisions and relating to others. "Emotions assist us in virtually all of our decisions. Emotions help us to negotiate the social and interpersonal world around us..."

What do the authors claim that the Bible indicates about emotion?

That when God created us in his image and with his characteristics, he created with the ability to have meaningful relationships with others. In order to have those connections, we need emotions and the ability to form emotional bonds.

How are emotions to be "used" properly?

It is not the emotions themselves that are the problem, but rather how we use them. Scripture teaches that people need to be in control of their emotional response and consider the impact of emotions on relationships.

What evidence suggests the value of negative emotions?

They can be used to identify the real source or situation to which we are reacting in order to learn how to constructively deal with the issue and to learn to regulate the intensity and direction of the emotions we experience.

Stressors

specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person's well-being

stress

the physical and psychological response to internal or external stressors

chronic stressors

sources of stress that occur continuously or repeatedly

stressful events

events that are less extreme than traumatic events and stem from single events or multiple or ongoing stressful situations or events; usually occurs from major life events or changes

Perceived control: what makes events most stressful for us?

Events are most stressful when there is nothing you can deal with the challenge

fight-or flight

an emotional and physiological reaction to an emergency that increases readiness for action

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

a three-stage physiological response that appears regardless of the stressor that is encountered

Selye's three phases of stress response

1. alarm phase: the body rapidly mobilizes its resources to respond to the threat; the body calls on its stored fat and muscle

2. resistance phase: the body adapts to its high state as it tries to cope with the stressor; it shuts down unnecessary processes: digestion, growth, sex drive, menstruation, production of testosterone and sperm

3. exhaustion phase: the body's resistance collapses; resistance phase defenses create gradual damage as they operate, leading to costs for the body that can cause further damage to health

telomeres

caps at the end of each chromosome that protect the ends of chromosomes and prevent them from sticking to each other

telomerase

an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres at the tips of chromosomes

stress effects and aging (telomeres)

People exposed to chronic stress have shorter telomere length and lower telomerase activity; cortisol can reduce the activity of telomerase, which has downstream effects that causes accelerated aging and increased risk of diseases

lympocytes

white blood cells that produce antibodies that fight infection, including T cells and B cells

stress effects on immune response

stressors can cause hormone glucocorticoids to flood the brain and wear down the immune system and make it less able to fight off infections

stress effects on heart health (including effects related to Type A behavior).

chronic stress creates changes in the body that increase later vulnerability

type a behavior pattern: the tendency toward easily aroused hostility, impatience, a sense of time urgency, and competitive achievement strivings

Psychological reactions to stress

the body's response to stress that is intertwined with responses of the mind; the mind tries to interpret whether an event is threatening or not and whether something can be done about it

primary appraisal

initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful

secondary appraisal

determining whether the stressor is something you can handle or not

differentiate threat vs. challenge.

threat: a stressor you believe you might not be able to overcome

challenge: a stressor you feel fairly confident you can control

Burnout

a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion created by long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowered performance and motivation

why is burnout more likely to occur in helping professions.

those who repeatedly encounter emotional turmoil on the job may only be able to work productively for a limited time; emotionally stressful jobs lead to burnout

repressive coping

avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint

rational coping

facing a stressor and working to overcome it

reframing

finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces its threat

meditation

the practice of intentional contemplation

relaxation therapy

a technique for reducing tension by consciously relaxing muscles of the body

biofeedback

the use of an external monitoring device to obtain information about a bodily function and possibly gain control over that function

aerobic exercise

exercise that increases heart rate and oxygen intake for a sustained period

social support

the aid gained through interacting with others

religious experience in reducing stress responses

Religious experiences can reduce stress by attributing to the strong and more extensive social network one is part of, or the following of healthy recommendations (fasting/dietary restrictions)

Rational choice theory

the classical view that we make decisions by determining how likely something is to happen, judging the value of the outcome, and then multiplying the two

availability bias

items that are more readily available in memory are judged as having occurred more frequently

heuristic

a fast and efficient strategy that may facilitate decision making but does not guarantee that a solution will be reached

Algorithm

a well-defined sequence of procedures or rules that guarantees a solution to a problem

representative heuristic

a mental shortcut that involves making a probability judgment by comparing an object or event to a prototype of the object or event

framing effects

when people give different answers to the same problem depending on how the problem is phrased (or framed)

Prospect theory

people choose to take on risk when evaluating potential losses and avoid risks when evaluating potential gains

What is the relationship of the prefrontal cortex to risky behavior?

In studies where participants had suffered damage to their prefrontal cortex, they showed that their risky decision making grew from insensitivity to the future consequences of their behavior.

Functional fixedness

the tendency to perceive the functions of objects as fixed

Problem of functional fixedness in problem solving

We have difficulty solving problems because of our tendency to think of objects only in terms of their normal, typical functions

belief bias

people's judgements about whether to accept conclusions depend more on how believable the conclusions are than on whether the arguments are logically valid

How does creativity show bearing God's image?

Christians believe that acting creatively in God's world (creation) is very much in line with being the image bearers of God's image; fulfilling their roles as God's agents working in his good creation

System 1 vs. System 2 thinking and how responsible limited agency is seen in both.

System 1: fast, efficient, and intuitive; makes snap judgements (quick meaning maker, but no agency)

System 2: slow, requires effort, and uses reasoning (involves agency and choice)

Agency even in System 1

It would seem that agency is extremely limited if system 1 is often at play. However, your beliefs, reasoning, and behaviors come out of your embodiment and experiences, all of which are part of you. System 1 responses can change with experience. We can be responsible for our behavior despite limited agency.

How do stereotypes impact our view of each other's humanity?

Using any negative stereotyping can result in limiting the expression of the image of God in others by reducing the other's humanity.

How does the example from Greg Boyle suggest a different way of thinking about others?

Greg Boyle encountered people with God's perspective about each person. This gave way to compassion. This can be used by all Christians to lessen the tension between "us and them" situations.

What does it mean to be "faithfully impulsive"?

Practicing habits like reading the Bible for support of faithful behavior and correction and redirection of sinful behavior can open one's eyes to critically examining impulses.

social psychology

the study of the causes and consequences of sociality

Aggression

behavior with the purpose of harming another

frustration-aggression hypothesis.

the extent to which people feel frustrated predicts the likelihood that they will act aggressively

Gender differences in aggression

Women are more likely to plan an attack than act impulsively; more likely to cause psychological injury than physical

situations in which men vs. women are more likely to be aggressive.

Men are often aggressive in situations that challenge their status or dominance, whereas women are more likely to be aggressive when focused on attaining or protecting their status.

What evidence suggests that culture can influence aggression?

There is correlation between violent crime and areas where men are taught to react aggressively when they feel their status has been challenged. (North and South Americans).

Cooperation

Behavior by two or more individuals that leads to mutual benefit

What makes cooperation risky?

We expect others to cooperate the same as us, but that is not always the case, making it risky because you could end up putting in the bigger sacrifice and someone else not

group

a collection of people who have something in common that distinguishes them from others

prejudice

a positive or negative evaluation of another person based on their group membership

discrimination

positive or negative behavior toward another person based on their group membership

common knowledge effect

the tendency for group discussions to focus on information that all members share

group polarization

the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than any member would have made alone

groupthink

the tendency of groups to reach consensus in order to facilitate interpersonal harmony

Deindividualtion

A phenomenon that occurs when immersion in a group causes people to become less aware of their individual values

diffusion of responsibility

the tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

social loafing

the tendency for people to expend less effort when in a group than when alone

bystander intervention

the act of helping strangers in an emergency situation

what situations impact bystander intervention

people are less likely to help an innocent person in distress when there are many other bystanders present, simply because they assume that one of the other bystanders is more responsible that they are

Altruism

Behavior that benefits another without benefiting oneself