26.3 - Emotion Flashcards
What are the key features of emotion?
*Emotions are brief responses to things e.g., people, objects, events, our own
thoughts
*Emotions involve different components (physiological changes, evaluations,
expressions, subjective experience, cognitive/mental processes, behaviour)
*Tools by which we evaluate environment/experience and prepare to act
*Related to our goals
*Emotions have social functions
What are the different levels of emotion?
What are the different theories of emotion?
*Evolutionary Theories - emotions are adaptive responses to stimuli/ dispositions to act.
*Appraisal Theories - emotions are linked to our appraisals of our immediate circumstances.
*Constructive Theories - Emotions are psychological realities.
What is the difference between evolutionary and constructivist theories?
*Evolutionary viewpoints tent to emphasize biology or innate capacities
*Constructionist theories highlight the importance of context and cultural learning
What are the social function of emotions?
Emotions are elicited by events relevant to an individuals concerns. Emotions are states of action, giving rise to tendencies to engage in behaviour (Frijda & Mesquita, 1994).
Emotions are social phenomena, that emerge through interaction, and are fundamentally communicative (Parkinson, 1996).
The ultimate function of facial expressions of emotion is to communicate social motives within an interaction (Fridlund 1991, 1994).
Emotion expressions provide social information (Van Kleef, 2009; Van Kleef, De Dreu & Manstead, 2010).
What is the differentiation of emotions?
What is Alexithymia?
Alexithymia is characterized by an impaired awareness, identification, and describing
of one’s feelings (Nemiah et al., 1976).
Disconnect between physiological experience and their understanding of this experience.
What is the cognitive model of emotional response?
How is the Orbitofrontal cortex involved in emotions?
*Lateral (lOFC) - appraisal of exteroceptive sensations based on current goals/needs
*Medial (mOFC) – appraisal of episodic memories and imagined future events based on physiological needs and other goals
How is the prefrontal cortex involved in emotions?
*Dorsomedial (DMPFC) – appraisal of others metal states with respect to one’s wellbeing
*Rostro medial (RMPFC) – Appraisal of self based on integration of social feedback,
subjective feelings, and autobiographical narrative
*Lateral (latPFC) – Appraisal of emotional state and potential regulatory strategies based
on context and goals
How do lesions in the PFC affect emotions?
Lesions of VMPFC (Ventral-Medial Pre-Frontal Cortex) disrupt processing of emotional signals (somatic markers)
Leads to impaired decision-making in everyday life
How is the amygdala involved in emotions?
What is psychopathy?
Individuals with psychopathy lack empathy, guilt or remorse, are callous, and have
shallow affect.
How does contextual information affect facial expression and what does it include?
*Much previous research has failed to account for the role
of context in facial expression perception
*In real-life facial expressions are inherently and heavily
cotextualised (e.g.Aviezer, Ensenberg & Hassin, 2017)
*Contextual information influences expression perception
and interpretation
*Contextual information arises:
From the expresser e.g. tone of voice, body language
External to expresser e.g. other people, setting/location
From the observer e.g. prior experience/knowledge
What is depression and emotional blunting?
*Numbing of both positive and negative emotions common symptom of depression
*Can involve inability to feel positive or negative emotions; feelings of detachment; or reduced emotional responsiveness
*NOT anhedonia - diminished interest or pleasure in activities
*NOT apathy - absence of motivation
*Impacts quality of life
*Potentially linked to antidepressant medication, often perceived to be by patients
Give an overview of the cognitive theory of emotion disorders
What are some different dysfunctional emotional responses?
