Emotions

Nikhita Iyer

Elementary Responses to a stimulus, include: Physiological arousal Expressive behaviors Conscious experience Mood – overall feeling one has that lasts

for an extended time frame

Basic

Fear, surprise, anger, disgust, happiness, sadness

Basic emotions are innate (inborn) and “hard-wired”

Complex emotions are a blend of many aspects of emotions

Classified along two dimensions Pleasant or unpleasant Level of activation or arousal associated with

the emotion

Purpose Can move us to act, triggering motivated

behavior Help us to set goals, but emotional states can

also be goals in themselves. Influences rational decision making and

purposeful behavior. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to

understand and manage your own emotional experiences and to perceive, comprehend, and respond appropriately to the emotional responses of others.

Theories

James-Lange Theory Event causes physiological arousal first

and then we interpret this arousal.  Only after our interpretation of the

arousal can we experience emotion.  If the arousal is not noticed or is not

given any thought, then we will not experience any emotion based on this event

Cannon-Bard Theory  We experience physiological arousal &

emotional at the same time, But gives no attention to the role of

thoughts or outward behavior.  

Schachter-Singer Theory An event causes physiological arousal

first.  You must then identify a reason for this

arousal and then you are able to experience and label the emotion.

Lazarus Theory A thought must come before any

emotion or physiological arousal.  In other words, you must first think

about your situation before you can experience an emotion.

Facial Feedback Theory Emotion is the experience of changes in

our facial muscles.  In other words, when we smile, we then

experience pleasure, or happiness.  When we frown, we then experience sadness. 

It is the changes in our facial muscles that cue our brains and provide the basis of our emotions. 

Just as there are an unlimited number of muscle configurations in our face, so to are there a seemingly unlimited number of emotions.

Nervous System

Sympathetic Nervous System The part of the autonomic nervous system that

arouses the body to deal with perceived threats Fight or flight response

Parasympathetic Nervous System The part of the autonomic nervous system that

calms the body Brings the body back down to a relaxed state

Autonomic Nervous System

School Of Thought Psychology has multiple perspectives

Psychodynamic Behavioral Cognitive Social Learning

Psychodynamic Perspective

Focus: How behavior is affected by unconscious drives and conflicts

Behavior is explained through unconscious motivation and unresolved inner conflicts from one’s childhood.

Modern version of psychoanalytic perspective (Sigmund Freud)

Behavioral Perspective Focus: How we learn through rewards,

punishments, and observation View of behavior based on experience or

learning

Cognitive Perspective Focus: On how people think and process

information Behavior is explained by how a person

interprets the situation How is knowledge acquired, organized,

remembered, and used to guide behavior?

Focus: How thinking and behavior change depending on the setting or situation

Behavior is explained by the influence of other people present

Cross culture also is a heavy influence

Social Learning Perspective

Applications Lie detectors Brain fingerprinting