7: Emotion processes- Feeling and communicating emotion

Question 1

How do emotions feel?

Appraisal approach:

Answer 1

Arnold (1954)- emotions are relational- connect us to the environment. Thought to be relatively stable across cultures.

Question 2

Discrete approach:

Answer 2

Lazarus Two stage approach (1991)
Goal relevance: emotion or no emotion
Goal congruence: positive or negative
Ego involvement = actual emotion

Question 3

Discrete approach (Oatley and Johnson (1987, 2011)

Answer 3

Each emotion has an associated core relational theme: Anger= a demeaning offense against me and mine.

Question 4

Problems with the discrete approach

Answer 4

1. cant explain similarities between emotions and the events that cause them
2. cant explain why people change emotions so quickly.

Question 5

ellsworth and smith (1985)

Answer 5

argue that there are 8 dimensions of appraisal. pleasantness, responsibility, legitimacy and control.

Question 6

Dimensional approach

Answer 6

The dimensions allow us to differentiate betweene mtooins but also highlight similarities between pairs of emotions
- explain rapid shifts in emotions in light of new information.

Question 7

How do emotions make us feel

Answer 7

Prototype approach Shaver et al (1987) used to identify the distinct characteristics oof each emotion
Highlights fuzzy boundaries between emotions .

Question 8

Feeling emotions in the body

Answer 8

Mummenma et al (2013) the somatosensory feedback of emotions accounts for conscious emotional expeeriences.
Some emotions are consistenylu associated with certain bodily sensations map.
Concordant across cultures.

Question 9

Individual differences in experiencing emotion

Answer 9

• respond in more intense way (neuroticism)
• prone to positive or negative emotions (optimism, pessimism).
• BUT is there experience different

Question 10

communicating emotion

Answer 10

face, body voice

Question 11

facial expression

Answer 11

Ekman (1972) 6 basic emotions distinct muscle configurations. Brief- involve involuntary muscle actions that people cant produce on demand or easily suppress- faked emotions ususally lack this muscle action.

Question 12

Facial expressions are universal

Answer 12

Ekman found accuracy in 80-90% of cultures.
Blind people spontaneously produce facial expressions (matsumoto 2009)

BUT EMG cannot accurately distinguish

Question 13

Facial expressions dimensional ?

Answer 13

Might reflect intensity of emotions

Question 14

Context and facial expression

Answer 14

Aviezer et al (2008) facial expression of disgust interpretted differently with different body positiions and props = context/

Question 15

How to infer how someone is feeling

Answer 15

Theorization: Reading his or her behaviour

Simulation : Getting their perspective by experiencing situation

Question 16

The voice

Answer 16

tone, speed, loudness, interjections, non verbal verbalisations, language.

Question 17

Individual differences in communicating emotion

Answer 17

Trait of emotional expressivity (Gross and Jogn 1998)

Gender differences:
_ women more expressive not more emotional.
- women cry more.
-

Question 18

Fischer and LaFrance (2015) gender differences

Answer 18

Women cry and smile more- more facial expressiviity
But size of these effects explained by 3 variables:
1. stereotypes- dictate which emotions are more appropriate or desirbale,
2. social roles and situational constraints: men reports on crying more determined by adherence to sppecific crying noms
3. emotion intensity