Arousal Theory and Physiology of Emotion

Yerkes-Dodson Law
  • Overview: Describes the relationship between arousal and performance.

    • Performance improves with moderate arousal but declines when arousal is too high or too low.

    • Optimal arousal depends on the complexity of the task:

      • Simple tasks: High arousal can enhance performance.

      • Complex tasks: Low to moderate arousal is better to avoid cognitive overload.

  • Limitations:

    • Individual differences: Perception of stress varies; what feels manageable for one person may be overwhelming for another.

    • Cultural and situational contexts also influence stress tolerance and arousal thresholds.


Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and Specificity of Emotion
  • Experiment Details:

    • Participants were instructed to mimic facial expressions associated with specific emotions (e.g., happy, angry).

    • Later, participants were asked to recall emotional memories matching those expressions.

  • Key Findings:

    • Anger: Increased heart rate and finger temperature.

    • Demonstrates that different emotions can have unique physiological markers.

  • Meta-Analysis #1:

    • Even among negative emotions, physiological responses vary.

      • Example: Fear may cause a rapid heart rate but cooler extremities, while anger increases finger temperature.

  • Meta-Analysis #2:

    • Found some evidence of publication bias, where studies showing emotion-specific ANS responses are more likely to be published.

    • Suggests the need for caution in interpreting findings due to potential overrepresentation of positive results.


What is Stress?
  • Stress occurs when external or internal demands disrupt homeostasis (the body's balance).

  • The stress response is the body’s way of adapting to threats or challenges, but chronic stress can have negative effects.


Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
  • Purpose: Provides a biological framework for understanding stress responses in stages.

  • Stages:

    1. Alarm Stage:

      • Initial reaction to stress.

      • Fight-or-flight response activates the sympathetic nervous system.

      • Physiological changes: Increased heart rate, adrenaline release, and heightened alertness.

      • Example: Rats fleeing from Hans Selye during his experiments.

    2. Resistance Stage:

      • Prolonged, moderate arousal as the body adapts to the stressor.

      • Physiological resources (e.g., hormones like cortisol) are deployed to maintain functioning.

      • Example: Rats stop fleeing but remain on edge, adapting to Hans Selye’s presence.

    3. Exhaustion Stage:

      • If stress persists for too long, the body’s resources become depleted.

      • Vulnerability to illness and fatigue increases as the body can no longer sustain resistance.

      • Example: Chronic stress leads to burnout or physical health problems.


Takeaways:
  • Stress and arousal can benefit performance but must be managed to prevent negative effects.

  • Emotions have distinct physiological responses, but individual and situational differences play a role.

  • Chronic stress, as explained by GAS, highlights the importance of addressing stressors before reaching the exhaustion stage.

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