5: Emotion 1

Introduction to Emotion

• Emotion plays a critical role in human life; it's inseparable from motivation.

• Music is often described as the shorthand of emotion (Leo Toy Story).

• Influential quotes:

  • Dale Carnegie: "When dealing with people, remember you're not dealing with creatures of logic but creatures of emotion."

  • Vincent van Gogh: "Little emotions are the great captains of our lives."

  • Honoré de Balzac: "All humanity is passion; without passion, various human expressions would be ineffective."

What is Emotion?

• Definition: Emotion is a complex construct involving neural circuits, response systems, and feeling states that motivate and organize cognition and action.

• Experts agree that emotions are more than just feelings; they encompass various components including:

  • Antecedent cognitive appraisals

  • Ongoing cognition and interpretation

  • Social communicative signals

  • Regulation of experience

Regulation of Emotions

• Emotion Regulation: Not just top-down (e.g., trying to reduce anger) but also relational; emotions can influence each other (e.g., anger may lead to fear).

• Emotions are not only subjective feelings; they also involve physiological changes and can be processed unconsciously.

Dimensional Models of Emotion

• Emotions have two main dimensions:

  • Valence: Positive vs. negative (e.g., joy vs. fear)

  • Arousal: Low vs. high (e.g., calmness vs. excitement)

• Emotions are often pictured in a two-dimensional model with various emotions mapped accordingly.

• Example emotions:

  • High Arousal Negative: Anger, fear

  • Low Arousal Positive: Calmness, sadness

Theories of Emotion

• James-Lange Theory: A physiological response leads to the subjective experience of emotion.

• Cannon-Bard Theory: Physiological responses and emotional experiences occur simultaneously and independently.

• Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory: Emotion is based on physiological arousal coupled with cognitive labeling.

• Excitation Transfer: Arousal can be misattributed to different situations, intensifying emotional responses.

  • Example: Arousal from exercise may heighten emotions experienced later.

  • Kipilano River Bridge Study: Men on a high bridge rated a woman more attractive than those on a low bridge; their arousal was misattributed.

Role of Facial Expressions

• Facial Feedback Hypothesis: The act of expressing an emotion can influence that emotion.

  • Studies showed that people posing facial expressions experienced corresponding emotional states, regardless of their conscious awareness of the emotion.

• Facial Action Coding System (FACS): Developed by Paul Ekman; provides a systematic way to categorize facial movements and expressions associated with emotions.

Emotions and Behavior

• Instrumental Behaviors: Emotions can motivate behaviors and expressions.

• Families of emotions: Different emotions can be categorized in families (e.g., anger family with varying intensities).

• Example emotions:

  • Anger: Includes lower intensity (irritation) to high intensity (fury).

  • Sadness: Reduces approach motivation and may elicit sympathy from others.

  • Joy: Communicates attraction.

Affective Neuroscience and Emotions

• Yak Panksepp’s Emotional Systems:

  • He proposed systems of emotions (e.g., seeking, rage, fear, panic, play, lust, care).

  • Highlighted both positive and negative emotional systems.

• Hormones and Emotions:

  • Hormones like oxytocin (affiliation), testosterone (anger), and cortisol (stress) are associated with emotions but do not have a one-to-one relationship with them.

Cultural Influences on Emotion

• Research shows emotions are universally recognized despite cultural display rules that dictate how emotions are expressed (e.g., some cultures may inhibit anger).

• Empirical Evidence: Cross-cultural studies involve examining emotional expressions in various populations, including those blind from birth, to support the universality of emotions.

Conclusion

• Emotions are multifaceted and complex, encompassing physiological responses, subjective experiences, cognitive appraisals, and social displays.

• While there are several theories of emotion, no single theory encompasses all aspects of emotional experience. Understanding emotion requires a multifaceted approach that includes biological, psychological, and cultural perspectives.