emotion13
DESCRIPTION
Myers Chp13TRANSCRIPT
The Biology of Emotion
Chapter 13
• Emotion Defined as states of feelings that have the following components
– Cognitive (what we believe)– Physiological ( ANS arousal)– Behavioral (avoidance & attack
tendencies, etc.)
Brain M
echanisms
• Limbic System• Hemispheres
Limbic System
• The amygdala appears to have an important role in emotions
• Amygdala removal in animals produces lack of fear and rage responses
Hemispheres
• The right hemisphere is active during many displays of emotion
• Damage to the right hemisphere often leaves individuals emotionally indifferent and unable to read emotions
AutonomicNervousSystem
Autonomic
Nervous System
• The sympathetic nervous system releases acetylcholine that prepares the body for vigorous activity
• Examples include dilated pupils, increased respiration, and accelerated heartbeat
Theories of Emotion
Plutchik’s Theory of Em
otion
• 8 primary emotions; secondary emotions(like love) are derived from combinations of primary emotions
1. Joy2. Anticipation3. Anger4. Disgust5. Sadness6. Surprise7. Fear8. Acceptance
James-Lange
• Emotional stimulus causes physiological reaction
• Physiological reaction produces emotion– "We are afraid because we
run." – "We feel sorry because we
cry."
Cannon-Bard
• Thalamus relays emotional stimuli to cortex and internal organs simultaneously
• Emotional awareness and physiological changes occur at the same time
Cognition & Emotion Theory
Schacter & Singer
• How we think about events affects the experience of the emotion
• Physiological arousal is an undifferentiated state that we can be given any of a number of labels
• The labels we use to describe our emotions depend on our immediate environment and what is on our mind at that particular moment
Expressing Emotion
Facial Expressions Theory
Ekman
• Universal occurrence of facial
expressions of emotions
• Facial expressions amplify and regulate the emotion
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
• Stereotypical facial expressions can contribute to stereotypical emotions
(put on a happy face can really work… if you want to be happy!)
Culture &
Emotional
Expression
Expression
• The meaning of gestures varies with the emotion
• Display rules1.Cultural norms that tell us which
emotions we display2.Learned during childhood and act to
exaggerate, minimize, or mask emotional expressions
• Expression of emotions depend on the situation and who is present
Experiencing Emotion
7 Recognized Em
otions
• Anger• Disgust• Fear• Happiness• Sadness• Surprise• Contempt
(Matsumoto, 1994)
Anger
Causes of Anger • Annoyances
• Foul odors• Extreme temperatures• Aches and pains
Catharsis Hypothesis
• reduction of anger by release through aggressive actions
– Advantage: can be temporarily calming if it does not leave us feeling guilty or anxious
– Disadvantage: expressing anger leads to more anger
Appropriate Ways to Channel Anger
• Exercising• Playing music• Talking to a friend
Catharsis
• Evidence supports the opposite of catharsis - – an increase in aggression
Disgust
Fear
Fear
• Adaptive response preparing our bodies to flee danger
• Acquired through classical conditioning (i.e., those reflecting our past traumas)
• Acquired through observational learning (i.e., those reflecting fears of parents and friends)
• Biological predispositions (i.e., snakes, cliffs, spiders, not cars and electricity)
Happiness
Happiness
• The adaptation-level principle: – we adapt to levels of a stimulus and
need something even better to make us feel happy
• The relative-deprivation principle: – the sense that we are worse off
than others with whom we compare ourselves
Predictors of Happiness
• High self-esteem• Outgoing• Close relationships• Work that engages• Religious faith• Sleeping well• Exercise
Sadness
Surprise
Contempt