Basic Emotion Theories Flashcards
According to basic emotion theories, what is emotions
Pre-programmed emotional scripts rooted in our biological system
- Stimuli, emotion, physiological and emotional response
- Emotions are viewed as latent causes of emotional manifestation*
- Compromised of distinct facial and bodily behavior
The Atomist Perspective
- Feelings are unitary elements
- Focus is on the feeling state of the emotion
- Emotion just happens to us
Emotions - Historical Overview
- How emotions feel to different types of emotions and action readiness
- Emotion as motivation; wanting, willing and motion
- Functional purpose
- First emotion, then behavior
What are affect programs?
- Study of facial expressions
- Each basic emotion prompts to a direction, evolution, that are relevant to our goals
What are the 4 criteria to Ekman’s theory on basic emotions?
Emotions(families)
1. Are innate rather than acquired
2. Comes from the same context for everyone
3. Are distinct
4. Evoke a distinctive and predictable physiological patterned response - prewired
- Only 6 basic emotions (7 with contempt)
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Emotion is the awareness of the facial expression you have
- Minor effect the other way around
- Botox changes how we perceive emotions from other people
- To feel change your feelings, actively feel the the desired emotion
- Evidence on emotion-related facial behavior has an innate unlearned component, seems to be universal and cross-cultural
Izard’s differential emotion theory*
- 10 basic emotions exists in the principal motivation system
- Distinctions made by the emotion’s uniqueness
- Divided in 3 groups; positive emotions, neutral and negative
Izard’s Unique Components
- Unique feeling
Subjectivity - Unique expression
Facial expression - Unique neural activity
Specific firing rate - Unique purpose/motivation
Distinct motivational properties and serves adaptive functions
Robert Plutchik’s emotion wheel
- 8 primary emotions as distinct colors
- These primary emotions can be mixed, resulting in a different emotion
- Focus on function and adaptation
What is a functional perspective on basic emotions?
- Emotion is a patterned bodily reaction to a stimuli, readiness
Establish, maintain or disrupt a relationship with environment - Emotions are adaptions to the environment
- Emotions serves biological functions
What is coping funtions?
Gives room for flexibility in functions
- Emotion often motivate a range of different behaviors
- Can be adaptive and maladaptive
What social functions does emotions have?
- To communicate our feelings
- Emotions influence how others interact
- It can invite and facilitate interaction
- Create, maintain and dissolve relationship
Criticism to Basic Emotion Theories
- Variability than unity in emotional expression
Same emotion, varying facial expression - No evidence for biological markers, no universal physiological patterns
- Difficulty differentiating emotions purely based on behavior
Avoidance due to both anger and fear - Do all emotions elicit behavior?
What solutions are offered to the criticism?
- Multiple action tendencies within one emotion
- Emotion do not have to involve a specific behavior, but a readiness exist
Is there universality with basic emotions?
- FFH supports there is some universality with basic emotions
- Most research goes against it but recognize their existence
- Language effect on emotion
- Social context
- Subjectivity
