MODULE 56: Theories and Physiology of Emotion

Learning Targets:
- Explore interactions among arousal, behavior, and cognition in emotion.
- Investigate whether emotions can exist without conscious labeling.
- Identify primary emotions and their link to the autonomic nervous system.
- Analyze if different emotions activate distinct physiological responses.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of polygraphs in lie detection.
Emotions & Physiology:
- Emotions like fear and joy involve subjective experiences and physical reactions.
- A stress response can disrupt or enhance life.
Interaction Components:
- Emotions arise from a blend of bodily arousal, expressive behaviors, and cognitive experiences.
- Key questions for researchers:
- Which comes first: bodily arousal or emotional experiences?
- How do cognition and feeling interact?
Historical Theories of Emotion:
- James-Lange Theory: Emotions result from recognition of bodily responses.
- Sequence: stimulus → arousal → emotion.
- Cannon-Bard Theory: Arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously through the nervous system.
- Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory: Emotion arises from physical arousal and cognitive interpretation.
- Zajonc and LeDoux: Some emotional responses can occur without conscious appraisal.
- Lazarus: Appraisal of stimuli (dangerous or harmless) determines emotional responses.
Primary Emotions:
- Commonly identified primary emotions include: anger, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness.
- Additional emotions like love and pride may also be considered primary.
- Emotional response links to the autonomic nervous system's functions in crisis situations.
Distinct Physiological Responses:
- Different emotions may share common physiological signatures, complicating distinction.
- Unique brain circuits may characterize different emotions:
- Insula: activated by negative social emotions.
- Right prefrontal cortex: associated with negative emotions; left cortex linked with positive emotions.
Polygraphs & Lie Detection:
- Polygraphs measure autonomic responses but can be misleading.
- High false positive rates: innocent individuals can appear guilty due to physiological responses to stress.
- Concealed Information Test offers a more effective alternative for lie detection.
  
  Emotions involve bodily arousal, behavior, and cognition. Key theories include the James-Lange Theory, Cannon-Bard Theory, and Schachter-Singer Theory. Primary emotions are anger, fear, disgust, sadness, and happiness, linked to the autonomic nervous system. Polygraphs, which measure physiological responses, can mislead in lie detection.