Studied by 10 peopleEmotion
physical and psychological reaction to some event
Valence
one way emotion is measured
= range from positive to negative
Arousal
one way emotion is measured
= range from low to high intensity
Left Hemisphere
hemisphere of the brain that is associated with positive emotions
Right Hemisphere
hemisphere of the brain that is associated with negative emotions
also processes facial expressions
evolutionarily: makes sense because need to read faces
it would be more dangerous to misread negative expressions like anger than happiness
Insula
= neural center that works with somatosensory and gustatory cortex
activated for negative social emotions
lust, pride, disgust
gustatory = disgust (sensation of bad taste)
somatosensory = integrates bodily information (emptiness in stomach) with prefrontal cortex
basically, helps interpret what body is feeling
region of cortex not visible from the surface view = is “insulated”
Amygdala
= neural system for processing fearful and threatening stimuli
detection of threat
activation of appropriate fear-related behaviors
ex. this brain region/circuit is activated when seeing fearful face
Reticular Formation
= regulatory center for sleep, alertness, fatigue
helps determine arousal level/intensity of emotions
Serotonin
body's natural “feel good” neurotransmitter
at normal levels, you feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier and calmer.
Low levels are associated with depression
Sympathetic Nervous System
activates the fight-or-flight response in threatening situations
releases epinephrine
to Prepare body for action
one purpose of emotions
ex. fear = danger = run away
to Help us learn
one purpose of emotions
like operant conditioning
positive experience → positive emotion → “I should do that again!”
negative experience → negative emotion → “yeah, don’t do that again :(“
to regulate social interactions
one purpose of emotions
helps us react appropriately to others’ emotions
ex. if someone looks sad :( → “how can I help?”
if someone looks angry >:( → avoid, give them space
James-Lange Theory
one of the emotion theories
= physiological response causes emotion
stimulus → physical reaction → emotion
ex. (see bear) → (heart racing) → (fear)
Canon-Bard Theory
one of the emotion theories
= stimulus arriving at thalamus activates sympathetic nervous system, and SIMULTANEOUSLY alerts cerebral cortex of the stimulus
= we experience physiological and emotional reaction at same time
Think: standing next to a cannon that unexpectedly fires, leap into the air while expressing surprise at same time
stimulus → physical reaction + Emotion
ex. (see bear) → (heart racing) + (fear)
Schachter-Singer (2-factor) Theory
one of the emotion theories
= individual can cognitively appraise identical physical sensations differently depending on the context
first factor: physiological response
second factor: cognitive response
stimulus → physical reaction + Cognition → Emotion
“is my heart racing because I’m looking at my date, or because I’m on a roller coaster?”
Opponent Process Theory
one of the emotion theories
= emotions are paired as opposites such as
Happiness and sadness
Fear and relief
Pleasure and pain
When you experience one emotion, the other is temporarily inhibited. With repeated stimulus, the initial emotion becomes weaker, and the opposing emotion intensifies
ex.
first time sky diving = fear/anxiety
after completing it = don’t return to baseline normal, but have an opposed feeling of happiness/euphoria/relief
next time sky diving, fear (initial emotion) is reduced, but opposing emotion of elation just as or even more intense
ex.
Emergency room doctors = extreme levels of stress / adrenaline.
With time, however, stress decreases, and the rush of adrenaline may drive them to perform better instead of being stressed out.
Evolutionary Theory
one of the emotion theories
= emotions are evaluated along two roads: the "Low Road" and the "High Road"
= Emotions motivate people to respond quickly to stimuli in the environment, which helps improve the chances of success and survival.
Low:
= elicits defensive responses without conscious thought
amygdala has evolved to process threats really fast
ex. visual input of a snake is received by thalamus, projected to the amygdala, which sends its signals directly to areas of the brain responsible for generating self defense behavior.
High:
= involves and indirect pathway to the amygdala. In this case thalamic info is transmitted to the sensory cortex where it is further processed and evaluated for level of threat prior to being sent to the amygdala.
takes longer than low road
ex. sensory cortex recognizes that the “snake” is in fact just a wiggly stick → tells parasympathetic system to bring you back down
Primary/Universal Emotions
= a certain set of emotions that’s innate no matter your culture
anger, fear, happiness, sadness, disgust, love
thought because of evolutionarily causes
(disgust protects you from eating rotten stuff, wrinkling nose → closes nose from foul odors)
(surprise → raise eyebrows / eyes widen → you can see better)
Evidence:
blind (people who’ve never seen other’s expressions) also do them
Ekman’s research gathered from people around the world
Display Rules
different cultures have different ideas of what emotions are appropriate to express
ex. westerners think a firm handshake = outgoing/expressive
europeans think it customary to kiss and hug as greeting (but in US that would be weird)
Difference in nonverbal behavior between genders
women have a higher sensitivity to nonverbal cues
women have a higher emotional literacy and express more complex emotions
girls are “allowed” to express stronger emotions than boys (social factor)
although both genders experience empathy, women are more likely to express it
Facial Feedback Effect
= tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings
ex. if someone forces a smile, induces happy feelings
supports james-lange theory, that first physical response, then experience emotion
Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love
= “love is based on three different scales: intimacy, passion, and commitment”
a relationship based on a single element is less likely to survive than one based on two or more
Emotional Intelligence
the ability to:
understand/control own emotions
understand/react appropriately to others’ emotions
understand that emotions impact decision making
Note
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