chp 1 barrett

  1. What does the expression “emotion fingerprint” refer to? 

Emotions have a distinct pattern of physical changes, like a fingerprint. The fingerprint we leave on a door knob may vary depending on the grip we had on the door, or how slippery our hands were. However, it is unique enough to identify from who it came from. Emotion works similarly, as the “fingerprint” of an emotion is similar enough from one instance and/or person to the next. A scientist can identify an emotion someone is feeling by focusing on the physiological aspects like facial expressions, brain activity, and bodily behaviors. Facial expressions is one component of an emotion’s fingerprint.  

 

  1. Describe the classical view of emotion? Where does it stem from?  

Recognizing facial expressions is an objective and accurate way of assessing one’s emotion. Each emotion displayed on the face corresponds to a particular pattern of movements (happy --> smile, angry --> furrowed brows).  

This idea stems from Charles Darwin’s claim that emotions and their corresponding expressions are a part of universal human nature.  

 

  1. How many facial muscles do human have? P4 

42 small muscles on each side of the face. 

84 facial muscles in total. 

 

  1. What are the 6 basic emotions according to Tomkins, Ekman &. Izard? 

Anger, fear, disgust, surprise, sadness, happiness.  

 

  1. What are the typical experimental methods used by Ekman to study emotion “basic emotion method”? Fig. 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 

They began by creating six images dramatically representing the prototypical facial expression of each basic emotion.  

One method is to present one photo of a facial expression with a set of emotion words, in which the participant chooses the best corresponding emotion.  

Another method is to present two photos of different facial expressions, while also being told a story. The participant must choose which photo best matches the story. The basic emotion method is debated to be indirect and too subjective.  

 

 

 

  1. Describe the EMG method and main findings & criticisms? P7-8 

Facial electromyography is the process of placing electrodes on the skin to detect electrical signals that make facial muscles move. It can precisely record when a muscle moves, how much and how often it moves.  

While participants wear the electrodes on various areas of the face, they either imagine or recall situation or view films or photos to evoke emotion. Scientists record electrical changes and degree of movement in each muscle. If people are moving the same facial muscles in the same pattern each time they experience an emotion, then those movements may be a fingerprint.  

Findings show that muscle movements do not reliably indicate a certain emotion (sad, happy, anger). Nor do they match the expression illustrated in the initial photos. At most, EMG can distinguish pleasant and unpleasant feelings. EMG is too limited as it cannot capture all 42 muscles of each side of the face.  

 

  1. What is an alternative method (FACS)? Explain it P8-9 

Facial action coding is a less subjective method in which observers classify a person’s facial movements as they occur. The movements observed using the FACS method also do not match the original photos of basic emotion.  

 

  1. Discuss the method and main findings of Camras & Oster studies on infants? Did the findings support the basic emotion theory? 2 experiments- P9 

It was thought that infants were more likely to express dramatic or typical facial expressions because they’re unaware of social appropriateness. One study placed infants in situations that would evoke fear (gorilla toy) and anger (arm restraint). Researchers realized their facial expressions in both situations were indistinguishable. Infants do not show adult-like expressions. Additionally, adults could identify the emotion of each baby, even with their faces blurred out, by using context.  

 

  1. What are the main findings from Barrett’s study that utilized stimuli from the book In Character? P10 

Barrett conducted an experiment, analyzing whether facial expressions of basic emotions were universal. Barrett pulled photos of actors making facial expressions that match a particular scenario, (“He just witnessed a shooting on his quiet, tree-shaded block in Brooklyn”). One group read the scenario alone. The second group was given the photo only. The third group were given both. Each group were given a list of emotions to choose which best matches the material they were given. In groups 1 and 3, 66% rated the scenario as fearful. The second group, 56% rated it as surprise, and only 38% rated the photo as fearful.  

Another scenario describes a woman trying to tell her husband about a traveling rumor that she is gay before he hears it from someone else. Her facial expressions show a slightly downturned smile and knitted brows. Three-quarters of the test subjects rated the photo alone as “sad.” With the scenario, however, 70% rated her face as showing fear.  

 

  1. She keeps repeating the phrase “variation is the norm” what does that mean? 

“Variation is the norm” describes the idea that a single emotion does not have one universal facial expression. Instead, it has a diverse population of facial movements that vary in a given situation/context. Each emotion has varying facial expressions, such as “fear,” in which different people will display fear in differing ways. Emotion fingerprints are a myth.  

 

  1. Why do participants still classify wide-eyes as fear? P11 

Because it is a stereotype that is created by society to be taught and learned. They are cultural short hands often taught to preschoolers or in therapy.  

 

  1. Discuss in details the famous Ekman, Levenson & Friesen 1983 study? Facial feedback hypothesis? P12 

Changes in the autonomic nervous system of patients were measured (heart rate, temperature, and sweat). Also arm tension in the skeletomuscular nervous system. To evoke each of the 6 basic emotions, participants were told to make a particular facial expression, guided by the researcher while sitting in front of a mirror. They found clear, consistent bodily responses in regard to each emotion. The facial feedback hypothesis describes the idea that holding a facial expression of a certain emotion can evoke the corresponding physiological changes. Findings showed that the bodily responses for most emotions, besides anger, have too much similarity to one another. Additionally, participants could easily recognize the emotion that correlates to the expression they were making. This acknowledgment of the emotion can also evoke the bodily responses that were observed.   

 

  1. What are alternative explanations of the Ekman et al. 1983 results? P13 

Another experiment was conducted with the Minangkabau of West Sumatra where volunteers had little understanding of western emotion. They did not show the same physiological changes and reported feeling the expected emotion less frequent than Western participants.  

Other studies use horror films, tearful chick flicks, and other evocative material to induce emotion. Still, there is no clear pattern of bodily responses to each emotion. When researchers do distinguish patterns, they often do not match patterns from previous done studies.  

 

 

 

  1. What is the main finding from the meta-analysis on autonomic nervous system and emotion? P14-15 

None of the meta-analyses found consistent and specific emotion fingerprint in the body. Many different internal areas of the body are activated during the experience of a particular emotion. The same emotion category involves different bodily responses.  

 

  1. What is population thinking? How does it relate to emotion? P16 

A way of thinking proposed by Darwin. Population thinking is understanding that a category, like an animal species, has many members that vary from one another. There is no distinct fingerprint in this population.  

 

  1. Kluver Bucy & Urbach-Wiethe patient S.M.- has revealed that amygdala is the seat of fear? Why does Barrett disagree? P17-18 

When trying to teach S.M. to be fearful of a boat picture (loud horn), her physiological response remained the same after many trials. SM could see fear in body posture and hear it in voices. When breathing carbon-dioxide concentrated air, she began to panic.  

 

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  1. Explain the terms “degeneracy”, “core systems” & “equipotentiality” and how they pertain to emotions? P19 

Degeneracy means “many to one,” describing that a combination of neurons produce the feeling of an emotion. One study found that men and women who experienced the same emotion (arousal) showed different patterns of brain activity. Women strongly correlated with anterior insula, men with visual cortex.  

Core system describe that one part of the brain serve more than one purpose; “one to many”. For example, a core system can play a role in seeing, hearing, perceiving, remembering emotions.  

Equipotentiality describes the incorrect claim that all neurons can perform the same job and fill in for other neurons.  

 

  1. Summarize studies on fMRI and the amygdala? What function does Barrett ascribe to the amygdala? P.20 

While inside an fMRI, participants were dhown photo of fear-posed facial expressions. Their amygdala would fire, but only when the eyes stared directly at them. After repeated exposure to the photo, the activation of the amygdala tapered off. It also activates during the experience of other emotions. The amygdala is activates to any face (fearful or not) as long as it’s novel.  

 

  1. Explain the pattern classification method. What does the average statistical summary for an emotion mean? And how does that pertain to population thinking? P23-24 

Training a software program to recognize brain scans of people experiencing emotions and computes a statistical program that summarizes each emotion category. Then, it is able to read new scans and determine whether the pattern of the scan is closer to anger or fear. Also known as “neural mind-reading.”