Feelings and the Body: Feelings and the Body: William James and Autonomic William James and Autonomic

Specificity of EmotionSpecificity of Emotion

Bruce H. Friedman Bruce H. Friedman Department of PsychologyDepartment of Psychology

Virginia TechVirginia Tech

October 20, 2007, SPR, Savannah, GA

The James-Lange theory of emotionThe James-Lange theory of emotionJamesJames: : What is an emotion?What is an emotion? (1884); (1884); The The emotions emotions (1890); (1890); The The physical basis of physical basis of emotionemotion ((1894)1894)– Independently proposed by Lange Independently proposed by Lange (1887)(1887)

Lumped Lumped together historically, in spite of separate together historically, in spite of separate emphasesemphases

– Physiological responses causal in Physiological responses causal in emotional experience emotional experience

Emotional stimuli evoke somato-visceral Emotional stimuli evoke somato-visceral reactionsreactions

Sensory feedback from reactions generates Sensory feedback from reactions generates feelings feelings

Emotions have different bodily response patternsEmotions have different bodily response patterns

Anecdotal/case study evidence, but led to Anecdotal/case study evidence, but led to testable hypotheses & much researchtestable hypotheses & much research

Criticized by the structuralistsCriticized by the structuralists (Wundt, 1891; (Wundt, 1891; Titchener, 1896)Titchener, 1896)

Cannon-Bard theoryCannon-Bard theoryFeelings & physiological responses are Feelings & physiological responses are independent independent (Cannon (1927, 1931); Bard (1929, 1934))(Cannon (1927, 1931); Bard (1929, 1934))

– Experimental testExperimental test: severing animal sympathetic : severing animal sympathetic afferents does not eliminate emotional behaviorafferents does not eliminate emotional behavior

SNS activity is relatively undifferentiated across emotionsSNS activity is relatively undifferentiated across emotions

Afferent ANS activity is diffuse; organs lack sensitivityAfferent ANS activity is diffuse; organs lack sensitivity

Visceral organs respond too slowly to induce emotionVisceral organs respond too slowly to induce emotion

Artificial visceral changes do not induce emotional statesArtificial visceral changes do not induce emotional states

– Centralist modelCentralist model: Emotional stimuli activate the : Emotional stimuli activate the thalamusthalamus

Simultaneously relays info to the cortex (experience) and Simultaneously relays info to the cortex (experience) and the hypothalamus/ANS (physiology)the hypothalamus/ANS (physiology)

“…“…devastating attack…(the) historical devastating attack…(the) historical importance (of Cannon’s criticisms) is not importance (of Cannon’s criticisms) is not so much that they destroyed the James-so much that they destroyed the James-Lange theory, but rather that Lange theory, but rather that they were they were influential in producing an extensive influential in producing an extensive research tradition in the research tradition in the

psychophysiology of emotionpsychophysiology of emotion.”.”

-George Mandler, 1979-George Mandler, 1979The first century of experimental psychology The first century of experimental psychology (E. (E. Hurst, ed.)Hurst, ed.)

Activation theory

Further support for undifferentiated arousal– ‘Emotion’: variations in activation under goal-

directed behavior (Duffy, 1934, 1941)

– Reticular activating system: CNS mediator of activation (Lindsley, 1951)

Activation continuum: sleep → intense affect– Little differentiation among intense affective states

The psychophysiological approach:The psychophysiological approach:Visceral patterning Visceral patterning

The physiological differentiation between fear The physiological differentiation between fear and anger in humansand anger in humans (Ax, 1953)(Ax, 1953) – Anger- and fear-producing conditions yielded Anger- and fear-producing conditions yielded

distinct autonomic response patternsdistinct autonomic response patternsGreater between- than within-subject variance; fits Greater between- than within-subject variance; fits Stimulus-Response Specificity Stimulus-Response Specificity vs.vs. Individual Response Individual Response StereotypyStereotypy (Lacey, 1949; Malmo et al, 1950; Graham et al, 1958)(Lacey, 1949; Malmo et al, 1950; Graham et al, 1958)

Greater response integration in angerGreater response integration in anger

Epinephrine (E) response dominant in fear, Epinephrine (E) response dominant in fear, norepinephrine (NE) in anger norepinephrine (NE) in anger (Ax, 1960; Funkenstein, 1956; J. (Ax, 1960; Funkenstein, 1956; J. Schachter, 1957)Schachter, 1957)

NE response to cold pressor in schizophreniaNE response to cold pressor in schizophrenia (Ax et al., (Ax et al., 1969)1969)

Social-Cognitive view of emotionSocial-Cognitive view of emotion

Cognitive, social, and physiological Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional statedeterminants of emotional state((Schachter & Singer, 1962)Schachter & Singer, 1962)

– Creative experiment finds no support for distinct Creative experiment finds no support for distinct ANS patternsANS patterns

Experimental ConditionsExperimental Conditions((Schachter & Singer, 1962)Schachter & Singer, 1962)

EUPHORIA ANGER

Epi Inf Epi Inf

Epi Ign Epi Ign

Epi Mis

Placebo Placebo– Epi Mis condition not run in anger; conceived as a

control to assess artifactual effect of the Epi Inf instructions, use in euphoria would suffice for this purpose

Social-Cognitive view of emotionSocial-Cognitive view of emotionCognitive, social, and physiological Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional statedeterminants of emotional state((Schachter & Singer, 1962)Schachter & Singer, 1962)

– Creative experiment finds no support for distinct Creative experiment finds no support for distinct ANS patternsANS patterns

Fit cognitive zeitgeist of the 1960’s – 1970’sFit cognitive zeitgeist of the 1960’s – 1970’sMethodological, conceptual flaws noted Methodological, conceptual flaws noted (Ax & Plutchik, (Ax & Plutchik, 1967)1967)

“…“…findings…findings…in accord with James' hypothesis that different emotions are related to differential patterns of bodily change ” ” (Fehr & Stern, 1970) (Fehr & Stern, 1970)

Such papers largely ignored; concept of non-specific, Such papers largely ignored; concept of non-specific, diffuse autonomic arousal dominated this eradiffuse autonomic arousal dominated this eraFailures to replicate led to debate (Maslach, 1979; Failures to replicate led to debate (Maslach, 1979; Marshall & Zimbardo, 1979; Schachter, 1979)Marshall & Zimbardo, 1979; Schachter, 1979)

Modern era of ANS specificity researchModern era of ANS specificity research

Autonomic nervous system activity Autonomic nervous system activity distinguishes among emotions distinguishes among emotions (Ekman, (Ekman, Levenson, & Friesen, 1983)Levenson, & Friesen, 1983)– Further support Further support (Levenson, Ekman, & Friesen, 1990; (Levenson, Ekman, & Friesen, 1990;

Miller et al., 1987; Schwartz et al., 1981; Sinha et al., 1992Miller et al., 1987; Schwartz et al., 1981; Sinha et al., 1992))(a) Explained variance minimal (b) discordance among (a) Explained variance minimal (b) discordance among subjective & physiological responses (c) large individual subjective & physiological responses (c) large individual variability (variability (Lang, 1994Lang, 1994))

James appreciated the complexity of emotion (James appreciated the complexity of emotion (Ellsworth, Ellsworth,

19941994))

Pattern classification approach Pattern classification approach (Fridlund, Schwartz, & Fowler, (Fridlund, Schwartz, & Fowler, 1984; Thayer, 1986; Friedman, 1988; Nyklicek, Thayer, & van 1984; Thayer, 1986; Friedman, 1988; Nyklicek, Thayer, & van Doornen, 1997; Christie & Friedman, 2004; Rainville et al., 2006; Doornen, 1997; Christie & Friedman, 2004; Rainville et al., 2006;

Kreibig et al, 2007Kreibig et al, 2007))

William James (Harvard, 1868)

G. Stanley Hall (Harvard, 1878)

Joseph Jastrow (Johns Hopkins, 1886)

Clark L. Hull (Wisconsin 1918)

Neil E. Miller (Yale 1935)

Edgar E. Coons (Yale 1964)

Julian F. Thayer (New York University 1986)

Bruce H. Friedman (Penn State 1992)

Israel C. Christie (Virginia Tech, 2005)

Chad L. Stephens (Virginia Tech, 2007)

ConclusionConclusionThe debate continuesThe debate continues– Somatovisceral afference modelSomatovisceral afference model (Cacioppo et al., (Cacioppo et al.,

1992, 2000)1992, 2000)

– Are there “natural kinds” of emotion? Are there “natural kinds” of emotion? YesYes (Izard, 2007; Panskepp, 2007); (Izard, 2007; Panskepp, 2007); NoNo (Feldman Barrett, 2007) (Feldman Barrett, 2007)

– James’ theory: prolifically generativeJames’ theory: prolifically generativeANS specificity tenet particularly influential in ANS specificity tenet particularly influential in psychophysiologypsychophysiologyMixed support stimulates new conceptualizations of Mixed support stimulates new conceptualizations of emotional processingemotional processing

– Future researchFuture researchPerson-situation variables that moderate ANS Person-situation variables that moderate ANS specificityspecificityExpansion to include endocrine, CNS measuresExpansion to include endocrine, CNS measures