Emotion

?
what are emotions
biologically-based responses to situations that are seen as personally relevant. they are shaped by learning, and usually involve physiological changes, changes to behaviour and to our experience
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emotion vs. mood
emotions: immediate responses to a specific object or situation - moods tend to diffuse, long-lasting emotional states
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charles darwin (1872)
- emotions evolved as a survival mechanism - expression and recognition, 'genetic fitness' - outward manifestations of an inner state - communication of emotion - universal nature
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ekman (1972)
- emotional expression is adaptive - emotional expression is not just a function of underlying states - hard-wired connections links each of the 'basic' emotions - cultural learning may moderate facial expressions and contexts that elicit expression
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evidence
- cross cultural consistency of emotion attribution to faces (six basic emotions) - differences between the 'basic' emotions - developmental evidence mixed: 'generic distress' face
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Fridlund (1994)
- communication with others most important - intrinsic other-oriented messages rather than individual reactions - emotions express behavioural intentions or social motives - sensitivity to signals offers adaptive advantage
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audience facilitation - Ekman (1972)
should be less inhibition of spontaneous emotional expression in unobserved than observed situations
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Fridlund (1994)
should be less facial movement in unobserved than observed situations
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Bowling Pins: ***** and Johnston (1979)
- recorded smiles in a game of 10-pin bowling - smiling rarely occurred facing the pins (regardless of outcome)
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Fernandez-Dols & Ruiz-Belda (1995) 1992 Medal Ceremonies
- high levels of positive emotions and happiness; smiling only in stage 2 (social interaction stage) - happiness not sufficient to induce smiling
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theories of emotion: James Lange (1884) - common sense:
stimulus -> subjective experience -> body response
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James Lange:
stimulus -> body response -> subjective experience
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can peripheral bodily events influence emotions?
- pencil between teeth/lips while watching funny film - forced or prevented smiling - alterations in expression -> differences in subjective reporting of emotions -> "facial feedback hypothesis"
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replication study (Wagenmakers, Beek, Dijkhoff & Gronau, 2016)
- involvement of 17 labs around world (n=1894) - some small changes - conflicting findings, much smaller effect sizes, Fritz Stack queried validity - still some support i.e. botox patients
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limitations of James-Lange theory
- different emotions, same physiological state - physiological changes, too subtle to notice? - issues of timing - 4. Physiological arousal does not always result in the experience of emotion e.g. exercise
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cannon-bard theory of emotion
- Originally based on observations with animal subjects - Unilateral lesions or tumours of the thalamus in humans o Tendency to display excessive emotional reactions o Uncontrollable laughter/crying (damage to cortical regions)
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schachter and singer (1971)
- Injected people with adrenaline or placebo - Information/no information about the side effects - Completion of questionnaire with confederate (happy vs. angry)
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results
- Forewarned and placebo subjects: no pronounced emotion reported.
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emotional processes
1. Ability to interpret emotional information 2. Ability to express emotion 3. Ability to experience emotion
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two examples of individual differences in emotional processes
- anger - alexithymia
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anger
- emotional state associated with desire to hurt someone or to drive that individual away
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types of aggression
- hostile - instrumental
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positive functions of anger
- improve relationships - elicit power status - result in individual getting more of what they want
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negative functions of anger
- drive people away - associated with cardiovascular disease
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what elicits anger: Scherer (1997) - questionnaires exploring six basic emotions
- - Characteristics of the situations (how it occurred) - Bodily sensations - Their reactions and behaviours
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results
- - Anger related to perceived unpleasant, unfair situations, that were deliberately caused by someone else - Situation is potentially unchangeable - Individual impact
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state-trait anger expression inventory:
1. Exposure therapy: practicing remaining calm 2. Cognitive restructuring: replacing angry thoughts 3. Social skills training: communication to reduce conflict
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alexythmia
- lacking words for feelings - difficulties in emotional processing and regulation of emotions - associated with: increased reporting of somatic symptom disorders, linked to disorders and maladaptive coping mechanisms
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treatment
- - Respond poorly to intervention - Discussion, recognition and modification of emotional responses in psychological therapy is often crucial - Cognitive behavioural therapy may help patients identify emotions
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emotion vs. mood

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emotions: immediate responses to a specific object or situation - moods tend to diffuse, long-lasting emotional states

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charles darwin (1872)

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ekman (1972)

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evidence

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