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He distinguished five different stimulus evaluation checks:
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
The model of Scherer, (1986):
Scherer and other appraisal theorists of emotion (e.g.,
Roseman et al., 1996; Smith & Ellsworth, 1985) assume that
people check perceived information according to different
criteria. These checks are built in in our system, but normally
remain unconscious.
Scherer called these checking mechanisms “stimulus
evaluation checks”. They are executed in a fixed order.
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need Significance Check
• Coping potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need Significance Check
• Coping Potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Novelty Check:
People check if external or internal
stimulation has changed and if a
new event has happened or has
to be expected.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need Significance Check
• Coping Potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
This is a check whether the stimulus is affectively
positive or negative. An affectively positive stimulus
elicits approach tendencies, whereas an affectively
negative stimulus elicits avoidance tendencies.
Based on inborn feature detectors or learned
associations.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need Significance Check
• Coping Potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Goal/need Significance Check
Consists of four different subchecks:
The Relevance Subcheck tests whether a stimulus is relevant for a goal or need.
The Expectation Subcheck tests if an outcome fits expectations for this stage of an action sequence.
The Conduciveness Subcheck checks whether a stimulus is conducive or hindering to goal achievement.
The Urgency Subcheck measures to which degree a behavioral response is urgent.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need Significance Check
• Coping Potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Coping Potential Check
Consists of five different subchecks:
The Causality Subcheck checks the cause of existence of a stimulus.
The Control Subcheck gauges the coping potential that is available to an
organism, specifically the available control of an event and its consequences.
The Power Subcheck measures the energy an organism can mobilize in order
to change or to avoid negative conseqences through fight or flight.
The Adjusting Subcheck gauges to which degree an organism can accept
a new outcome by adaptation.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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• Novelty Check
• Intrinsic Pleasantness Check
• Goal/need significance Check
• Coping Potential Check
• Norm/self Compatibility Check
Norm/self compatibility check
Consists of two different subchecks:
The External Standards Subcheck judges whether an event,
especially an action, is in agreement with social norms,
cultural conventions, or expectations of other people.
The Internal Standards Subcheck judges whether an event,
especially an action, is in agreement with internalized norms,
or with standards that are part of one’s self concept or ideal
self.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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Human language has emotion words for states that
may result from such stimulus evaluation checks.
Some emotions may be determined by a single
stimulus evaluation checks
Surprise can be seen as a positive result of the
Novelty Check; joy is a positive result of the intrinsic
Pleasantness Check.
Stimulus Evaluation Checks
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Anger can be seen as the result of an event that is relevant for our
goals (Relevance Subcheck) and that prevent us from achieving a
goal (Conduciveness Subcheck); the subsequent Coping Potential
Check shows that there are enough resources to remove or to ignore
the obstaclce.
Fear is the result of the same checks of the Relevance and
Conduciveness Subchecks, but the subsequent Coping Potential
Check shows that there are not enough resources to remove or to
ignore the obstaclce.
The quality of most emotions, however, is the result of differentiated and
characteristic features of several stimulus evaluation checks:
Stimulus Evaluation Checks