chapter 7 physchology psya02
How are motivation and emotion related
An emotion is a brief combination of physical sensations, such as rapid heartbeat, conscious, subjective feelings
this includes feeling afraid, that prepares an individual for action
Communicate our emotions through behaviours such as facial expression and body language, tone of voice and gestures
The circumplex theory of emotion argues that emotions can be placed along two orthogonal dimensions,,, pleasant/ unpleasant and high arousal to low arousal instead of isolated states. this approach to emotion suggests that some emotions are closer together than others
A mood is a more general state than an emotion
You can be in a good mood while feeling a variety of specific emotions such as happiness pride or relief, moods generally last longer than a single emotion
Motivation is defined as a process that arouses, maintains and guides behaviour toward a goal,,, or motivation is a process that motivates action
Ex. We are motivated to seek a drink of water when we are feeling thirsty
7-2
The word emotion is derived from the Latin word meaning “to move”. The arousal production by an emotion a stimulates action
7-3 WHAT MAKES AN EMOTION ?
emotions combine a physical sensation, such as a rapid heartbeat, and a conscious subjective feeling like happiness or sadness.
James Lange theory states that emotion is the result of a sequence of events, once an individual perceives a stimulus, such as a snake, that person experiences a physiological response, like increased heart rate which would be interpreted as fear.
Emotions results from physical sensations
James-Lange theory is that we might be able to influence our subjective feelings by changing our physical sensations ex. By appearing to be happy we can be happier
Cannon-Bard Theory - in contrast this theory argues that emotions and physical sensations happen simultaneously or at the same time and independently
ex. Seeing a snake would trigger both the feeling of fear and the physiological fight-or-flight response at the same time
Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory - this theory posits that arousal happens first, but to identity the emotion a person must assess their situation
ex. in a situation when you’re encountering a snake, the person would feel aroused and then label the emotion based on the context (fear)
Facial feedback Hypothesis: suggests that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences
7-3b - The biology of Emotion
Appraisal theory - ex a person who believes that they are responsible for a negative outcome (failing a test) will experience different emotions than a person who believes that someone else is responsible for the exact same event
autonomic nervous system - participates in the general arousal associated with emotional states
controls activities our glands and organs
hypothalamus - direct management role over the autonomic nervous system
participates in any of the emotional states that engage that system
During stimulation of the hypothalamus one patient experienced both physical and subjective feelings associated with a panic attack - shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and the patient's subjective feelings of overwhelming anxiety
the posterior hypothalamus serves a central role in activating the subcortical emotional system of the brain
Amygdala
identifies emotional stimuli, both positive and negative and initiates responses to the perception of these stimuli
Has a tight connection with the hypothalamus and affects autonomic, hormonal and behavioural processes
Ex. When it perceived danger from environmental stimuli, it initiates a hormonal cascade involving the pituitary gland
Insula
plays an important role in our subjective experiences, or feelings
Activity toward the back of the insula is associated with many internal sensations, including pain and itch, that can be localized as originating from particular parts of the body.
This area is also associated with many of the physical sensations we associate with emotional feelings, including changes in blood pressure, breathlessness, and feelings of butterflies in the stomach.
In contrast, activity in the forward areas of the insula is associated with more global feelings, including a strong reaction to disgust
Consulate cortex
major gateway between the amygdala and other subcortical structures and the frontal areas of the cortex.
processes the emotional quality of both physical and social pain
Basal ganglia
large, subcortical structures that participate in the generation of voluntary movement. These structures coordinate movements in response to emotional stimuli.
7-3c emotions
Our smiles, frowns, and other facial expressions we make are influenced by the way the brain controls the tiny muscles of our faces
These muscles receive input from the motor areas of the cerebral cortex high control voluntary movement including the basal ganglia
What is the subcortical input responsible for?
The subcortical input is responsible for spontaneous expressions of emotion
Ex. Laughing at a funny joke
A young man with a tumour that affects his right motor, when asked to smile voluntarily his smile appears crooked, but when he smiles spontaneously to a joke his smile is more natural bc his subcortical areas can react normally
People with Parkinson’s disease that damages their subcortical emotional pathways, show the opposite pattern
they can’t smile spontaneously in response to a joke but can smile voluntarily when asked to
Darwin believed that human emotional expression had been shaped through evolution
view is supported by studies indicating that many of our basic emotion expressions appear to be universally recognized
Children in diverse cultures show the strongest emotional reactions to separation from their mothers around the same stage in development, suggesting that this emotional behaviour has a biological origin
When young children are exposed to novel stimuli ( such as the odour of alcohol on a cotton swab) some react strings to the stimuli, while others ignore it
Emotional reactivity
children who are highly responsive often develop into cautious, anxious adults
In contrast, children who are relatively oblivious to stimulation may develop into bold, fearless risk takers
Two major strategies used in emotion regulation
Suppression (inhibiting expression)
Cognitive reappraisal (modifying the meaningfulness of an event)
7-3 d interpreting emotion
Emotional intelligence
ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions
Lying is typically more difficult in high-stakes situations featuring high arousal
when ppl are aroused they betray their lying in predictable ways
Inappropriate smiling and nervous laughter might reflect a person's high arousal
Unwillingness to make eye contact might indicate dishonesty
A deceptive person typically stiffens their upper body and bids their head less frequently
7 - 4 What does it mean to be motivated
Motivational systems allow animals to be aroused only when necessary, such as when it needs food then reduce arousal following the solution of a problem
we can think of motivation as a process that maintains Homeostasis
Homeostasis is a term introduced by psychologist Walter Cannon (1932)
describes a steady internal balance or equilibrium
Motivation begins with a stimulus, arising from either the internal or the external environment of the organism
Drive
Stimuli that is important for survival, in the presence of a predator, generating arousal and tension
Incentives
psychologists believe that rewards or incentives have the capacity to pull an organisms in a particular direction
Ex. Animals are viewed as naturally inclined to act on their environment rather than wait passively for a need to arise
Intrinsic rewards - a reward that arises internally
Extrinsic rewards - a reward from an outside source
Ex. If a child enjoys reading and gets paid for each book completed, the child’s motivation shifts from intrinsic, the love of reading, to extrinsic, the love of reward money
7- 4a the motivation to affiliate
Humans are a social species and need other people
when people are asked to identify which pleasures are most important to their happiness…majority rate love, intimacy and social affiliation above wealth, fame, and even physical health
The experience of loneliness appears to serve as an aversive signal that, like hunger, thirst and pain, evolved to warn humans that they are facing a threat to their survival and that their social connections are in need of repair.
People find that affiliation/company of others reduces stress
Stanley Schachter (1959) conducted an experiment showed that people expected to be given a painful electric shock were more likely to seek the company of other study participants than to wait for their shock alone.
Achievement Motivation 7-4b
Achievement motivation
a desire to excel or outperform others
William James (1890) was a psychologist interested in achievement motivation and using measures of individual achievement motivation,
people who are high in achievement motivation have been shown to seek and typically succeed in competitive, entrepreneurial occupations