Ch 12: Emotions, Stress, and Health Flashcards
1
Q
What are the three components of emotions?
A
- Bodily arousal
- Expressive behaviours
- Conscious experience: Thoughts and feelings
Emotion is a full body/mind/behavioural response to a situation
2
Q
Emotion Theory: James-Langue Theory
A
First comes conscious awareness, then the feeling.
Emotion follows the bodily response to a stimulus event.
- Stimulus
- Response: Body arousal
- Cognitive awareness & label for the feeling
3
Q
Emotion Theory: Cannon-Bard Theory
A
Bodily/physiological responses and experienced (subjective) emotions occur separately but simultaneously.
One does NOT affect the other.
Emotion-arousing stimulus triggers…
Physiological responses + Subject experience of emotion, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
4
Q
How do spinal cord injury patients defy the Cannon-Bard theory?
A
According to their theory, spinal cord patients would not notice a difference in their experience of emotion after injury.
However, a study revealed that these patients experienced some emotions less intensely, others more intensely.
If Cannon and Bard were correct, people who suffer spinal cord injuries should not notice a difference in their experience of emotion after the injury
However, according to one study of 25 World War II soldiers:
- Participants with lower-spine injuries reported little change in their emotional intensity
- Participants with the high spinal cord (below the neck) injuries reported that emotions were less intense than before the injuries.
5
Q
Emotion Theory: Schachter and Singer Two-Factory Theory
A
Emotion requires a conscious interpretation of arousal.
Our physical reactions (physiology) and our thoughts (cognitions - perceptions, memories, interpretations) together create emotion.
EMOTION = AROUSAL + LABEL = PHYSICAL AROUSAL + COGNITIVE APPRAISAL
6
Q
According to the two-factor theory, arousal _______ from one event to the next.
A
Spills over!
A stirred-up state can be experienced as one emotion or another, depending on how we interpret and label it.
7
Q
Two-factor theory: Arousal _______ emotions, cognition ________ it.
A
Arousal FUELS emotion, cognition CHANNELS it.
8
Q
Emotion Theory: Zajouc-LeDoux Direct Emotion Theory
A
We have many emotional reactions apart from, or even before, our interpretation of a situation.
Emotional responses sometimes occur before we even have time to consciously interpret/appraise the event.
9
Q
What are the two possible neural pathways of emotions?
A
- HIGH ROAD: Especially in more complex feelings.
A stimulus travels by the way of the thalamus to the brain’s cortex.
At the cortex, it is analyzed and label, before the response command is sent out via the amygdala (emotion-control centre). - LOW ROAD: Especially in simple emotions, such as likes, dislikes, fears.
A neural shortcut that bypasses the cortex. Via the thalamus, the input is directed to the amygdala, for an instant emotional reaction.
10
Q
Emotion Theory: Lazarus Cognitive Mediational Theory
A
Some emotional responses don’t require conscious thinking. Though the appraisal may be effortless and unconscious, it is still a mental function.
Emotions arise when we APPRAISE, whether or not we are aware of this appraisal…
aka, this interpretation may not read our conscious awarness.
11
Q
What is the role of the sympathetic division of your autonomic nervous system in a crisis situation?
A
It mobilizes your body for action.
Your adrenal glands release stress hormones, including epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
Your liver pours extra sugar into your bloodstream, providing energy.
Your heart rate, blood pressure, respiration increase.
12
Q
How does arousal affect performance, according to the Yerkes-Dodson law?
A
Arousal affects performance in different ways, depending on the task.
Moderate arousal leads to optimal performance.
13
Q
What is the role of the parasympathetic division of the ANS?
A
When the crisis passes, it calms down the body.
14
Q
Do different emotions activate different physiological and brain-pattern responses?
A
- Different emotions can share common biological signatures = Physiological responses
- A single brain region can dictate different emotions = Multitasking brain regions
15
Q
Our emotions ____ different to us, ____ different to others.
A
Feel; look.
16
Q
Fear and joy stimulate different _______.
A
Facial muscles.
17
Q
Inside the brain, how can emotions differ?
A
In their brain circuits - activating different areas of the brain.
18
Q
How can we recognize different emotions?
A
Facial expressions and brain activity.
19
Q
What is a polygraph?
A
A lie detector that measures emotion-linked changes in breathing, cardiovascular activity, and perspiration.
20
Q
What criticism do polygraphs face?
A
- Our physiological arousal is much the same from one emotion to another.
- Many innocent people respond with heightened tension to the accusations implied by the critical questions.
21
Q
Which lie detection approaches are more effective?
A
Guilty knowledge tests, which assesses physiological responses to crime-scene details only known to the police and the guilty.
fMRIs, which show activity in the brain that varies between the liar and the honest.
22
Q
________ influences how we perceive emotions, _________ us to some.
A
Experience; sensitizing.
23
Q
What reveals emotions you are trying to conceal?
A
Hard-to-control facial muscles, such as eyebrow lifting, your smile.
24
Q
Which expressions do we find difficult to detect, despite our brain’s emotion-detecting skills?
A
Deceiving expressions, as the behavioural differences between liars and truth-tellers are too minute.
25
Who tends to excel at reading others' emotions?
Introverts
26
Who is generally easier to read?
Extroverts
27
Why is written communication considered incomplete?
Gestures, facial expressions, voice tones convey important information.
28
Who is better at reading emotional cues, men or women?
Women!
29
What helps explain women's greater emotional literacy?
Women's heightened nonverbal sensitivity, emotionality.
30
Who is more emotionally responsive, men or women?
Women.
31
Which emotion is perceived as more masculine? Which is more feminine?
```
Smiling = Female
Angry = Male
```
32
Who is more empathetic, men or women?
Women
33
Do gestures and facial expressions mean the same thing in all cultures?
No, gestures have cultural definitions.
34
How do facial expressions convey clues to one's culture?
There are some nonverbal accents. As such, people have slightly enhanced accuracy when judging emotions from their own culture.
35
What signs of emotions are shared across cultures?
- Common facial expressions: Joy, sadness, fear anger
- Musical expressions of emotion
- Facial muscles (eg. Smiles)
36
How do cultures differ, in terms of emotions?
How MUCH emotion they express.
37
Which cultures display mostly visible emotions? Which have less visible displays?
Individualistic cultures display more visible emotions, while those encouraging people to adjust to others display fewer emotions.
38
In Japan, people infer emotion more from the _____________________.
Surrounding context.
39
Which body part is expressive in North America? What about in Japan?
The mouth is important in North America, while the telltale eyes dictate things in Japan.
40
What type of phenomenon is emotion?
Biological, cognitive AND social-cultural.
41
How do our facial expressions influence our feelings?
As James predicted, expressions not only communicate emotion but also amplify and regular it.
42
What is the facial feedback effect?
The tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings.
43
What is the behaviour feedback effect?
Going through the motions awakens the emotions.
44
According to Izard, how many distinct emotions are there?
Ten basic emotions: Joy, interest-excitement, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, fear, shame, guilt
45
What are other emotions, other than these ten?
A mixture of the ten basic ones!
46
What are the two dimensions of emotional experience?
1. Positive/negative valence
| 2. Low/high arousal
47
What makes us angry?
Anger is a response to someone's perceived misdeeds, especially when the person's act seems willful, unjustified, and avoidable. However, small hassles and blameless annoyances can also make us angry!
48
How can anger harm us?
- Chronic hostility = Heart disease
- Activates our body
- Triggers the brain's alarm system
49
How do individualist cultures want people to deal with their anger?
They encourage people to vent their rage.
50
How do group-focused cultures see anger?
A threat to group harmony, given the interdependence between the members.
51
What is catharsis?
Emotional release.
52
What is the catharsis hypothesis?
Maintains that "releasing" aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.
53
Is catharsis really calming?
Only sometimes, if...
- They direct their counterattack toward the provoker;
- Their retaliation seems justifiable;
- Their target is not intimidating.
54
Does catharsis cleanse our rage?
No, it may be TEMPORARILY calming.
55
How does the behaviour feedback theorem play in catharsis?
Expressing anger can magnify anger! Acting angry can make us feel angrier.
56
How can anger outbursts be dangerous?
They may be reinforcing, habit-forming!
57
What is the best way to manage your anger?
1. Wait: Reduce the level of physiological arousal of anger.
2. Find a healthy distraction or support.
3. Distance yourself.
58
In which ways is anger 'right'?
- Communicates strength, competence
- Motivates people to take action, achieve goals
- Controlled expressions = Better than pent-up feelings
59
What can you do, if you are really hurt, but cannot resolve the conflict?
Forgiveness! This releases anger, calming the body. As well, it increases blood flow to brain regions helping people understand their own emotions, make socially appropriate decisions.
60
Why is happiness so important?
Happy people...
- Perceive the world as safer
- Feel more confident
- More decisive
- Cooperate more easily
- More socially connected
- Live healthier
- More energized, satisfied
61
What is the feel-good, do-good phenomenon?
People's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood.
62
What is positive psychology?
The scientific study of human flourishing, with the goal of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities thrive.
63
What is subjective well-being?
Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used along with measures of objective well-being, such as physical and economic indicators, can evaluate people's quality of life.
64
What are the three pillars of the positive psychology movement?
1. Positive well-being: Satisfaction with the past, happiness with the present, optimism about the future
2. Positive character:
Exploring and enhancing creativity, courage, compassion, integrity, self-control, leadership, wisdom, spirituality
3. Positive groups, communities, cultures: Foster a positive social ecology.
65
Over the long run, our emotional ups and downs _________.
Balance out!
66
What is the reality about our emotions and adaptability?
We overestimate the duration of our emotions, underestimate our resiliency and capacity to adapt.
67
What is the correlation between wealth and well-being?
Raising low incomes will do more to increase happiness than raising high incomes.
Once one has enough money for comfort and security, piling up more and more matters less and less.
Economic growth in affluent countries have provided no apparent boost to morale, or social well-being.
68
Who experiences a higher quality of life?
Those who strive for intimacy, personal growth, community contribution experience = Developing a meaningful life philosophy
69
Which two principles suggest that happiness is relative?
ADAPTATION-LEVEL PHENOMENON: Our tendency to judge various stimuli in comparison with our past experiences ('neutral' levels).
RELATIVE DEPRIVATION: Perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself = Relative to others' successes.
Seeing others succeed may inflate our own expectations, which may soar above attainment --> Disappointment
70
What are some predictors of happiness?
- High self-esteem
- Optimism, outgoingness, agreeability
- Close friendships, satisfying marriage
- Work and leisure engaging one's skills
- Active religious faith
- Good sleep and exercise
+ Genes
+ Personal history (neutral level)
+ Culture: Valued traits differ
71
What doesn't predict happiness?
Age, gender, physical attractiveness
72
What is the happiness setpoint?
Depending on our genes, outlook, recent experiences, the point at which our happiness fluctuates
73
What are evidence-based suggestions for a happier life?
- Enduring happiness may not come from financial success
- Take control of your time
- Act happy
- Seek work and leisure engaging your skills
- Buy shared experiences, not things
- Join the "movement" movement
- Give your body the sleep it wants
- Prioritize close relationships
- Focus beyond self
- Count your blessings, record your gratitude
- Nurture your spiritual self
74
What is stress?
The process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event.
75
When can stressors have positive effects?
When short-lived, perceived as challenges: Mobilizes the immune system to fend off infections; arouses and motivates us to conquer problems.
Having conquered a major stressor, people emerge with stronger self-esteem, deepened spirituality, sense of purpose.
76
How can experienced stress early on help?
Builds resiliency.
77
How can extreme or prolonged stress harm us?
Poses health risks!
78
What are the three main types of stressors?
1. CATASTROPHES: Unpredictable large-scale events = Significant emotional and physical damage
2. SIGNIFICANT LIFE CHANGES: Life transitions, many of which happen during young adulthood, bring stress.
3. DAILY HASSLES: Everyday annoyances that add up, take a toll on health and well-being.
79
What is the stress response system?
A unified mind-body system, in which our sympathetic nervous system arouses a fight or flight response, with hormones driving the 'reaction'.
80
What is the general adaptation syndrome (Selye)?
The body's very general adaptive response to stress.
Phase 1: Alarm Reaction
- Sympathetic nervous system activated
- Fight or flight mode
Phase 2: Resistance
- You cope with the stressor, with all your resources summoned to meet the challenge
- The body's resistance can only last so long before exhaustion sets in
Phase 3: Exhaustion
- Reserves are depleted
- Higher vulnerability to illness, collapse, death
81
What is Selye's basic point?
The human body copes well with TEMPORARY STRESS, but prolonged stress can damage it.
82
What are other ways to deal with stress?
- Withdraw, pull back, conserve energy
| - Tend and befriend response: Give and seek support
83
How do men respond to stress?
- Social withdrawal
- Alcohol
- Aggression
84
How do women tend to respond to stress?
-Nurture, band together
85
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
The study of the interactions between your thoughts & feelings, which influence your brain, which influences the endocrine hormones affecting the immune system.
86
What are the four primary cell types within the immune system?
- B LYMPHOCYTES (white blood cells): Mature in the bone marrow, releasing antibodies fighting bacterial infections.
- T LYMPHOCYTES (white blood cells): Mature in the thymus, attacking cancer cells, viruses, foreign substances.
- MACROPHAGES: Identify, pursue, ingest harmful invaders and worn-out cells.
- NATURAL KILLER CELLS: Pursue diseased cells - virus/cancer infected.
87
What happens when your immune system doesn't function properly?
- Respond too strongly
| - Underreact
88
How does stress trigger immune suppression?
-Reduces the release of disease-fighting lymphocytes (ALTERS IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING)
=Slower healing, higher vulnerability to cold, less effectiveness of vaccination
89
Why are some more prone than others to coronary heart disease?
Personality types!
TYPE A PERSONALITIES are those that are competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, anger-prone = Higher stress levels
TYPE B PERSONALITIES are those of easygoing, relaxed people
90
What is Type D personality?
Those that tend to suppress negative emotion in order to avoid disapproval.
91
What other factors correlate with coronary heart disease?
-Pessimism, depression
92
What leads to excessive inflammation?
Chronic stressors, depressive symptoms, cardiac disease
93
What are two ways to alleviate stress?
PROBLEM-FOCUSED COPING:
Attempting to alleviate stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
**When we feel a sense of control over a situation, think we can change something.
EMOTION-FOCUSED COPING:
Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding, ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
94
What is learned helplessness?
The hopelessness, passive resignation learned when one is unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
95
How does a perceived lack of control affect health?
Higher vulnerability to ill health!
Loss of control provokes an outpouring of stress hormones.
96
In which conditions do people thrive?
In conditions of personal freedom, empowerment!
97
What happens when there is excess freedom?
In Western cultures especially, too many choices can lead to a TYRANNY OF CHOICE: Information overload that makes us regretful over some of the things we left behind.
98
What are the two perceptions of control?
EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL: Perception that chance or outside forces control our fate.
INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL: Those who believe they control their own destiny
99
What is self-control?
The ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term rewards.
100
How does self-control change?
It is constantly changing, as exercising willpower temporarily depletes the mental energy needed for self-control on other tasks.
101
How does the development of self-discipline in one area affect other areas of your life?
This strengthened self-control may spill over into other areas!
102
How does an optimistic outlook affect health and longevity?
Optimists have better control, cope better with stressful events, enjoy better health.
103
Why is social support important?
- It calms us, reduces our blood pressure and stress hormones.
- It fosters stronger immune functioning.
- Close relationships give an opportunity for "open heart therapy", confiding painful feelings.
104
How does mindfulness practice improve our well-being?
- Strengthens connections among regions in our brain
- Activates brain regions associated with more reflective awareness
- Calms brain activation in emotional situations
105
What is the faith factor?
A correlation between those that are religiously active and their tendency to live longer.
106
How does religion influence health and longevity?
- Health behaviours: Religion promotes healthier lifestyles.
- Social support: Access to a network
- Positive emotions: Creates a stable, coherent, hopeful worldview
107
Are we good at detecting deception in others?
We tend to believe that we are better at detecting lies than we actually are - OVERCONFIDENCE BIAS, an overestimation of the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments
108
What strategies can be used in detecting deception?
Focus on effective interview strategies!
- Withhold evidence until later in the interview
- Increase the cognitive load in interviewees
- Ask the interviewee to describe more of the story and ask unexcepted questions
- Look for a lake of detail
109
Which studies show that a lack of control is correlated with poor health?
- Nursing home residents with less control over the activities they were to partake in had a faster decline, sooner death.
- Finnish workers with low stress, high-control jobs were half as likely to die of a stroke or heart disease.
110
How does generalized helpless behaviour come about?
Uncontrollable bad events --> Perceived lack of control --> Generalized helpless behaviour
111
What are the benefits of high self-control?
Self-control predicts good health, higher income, better academic performance
In one study, it is deemed a better predictor of future success than intelligence test scores
112
Self-control is _____________ with an external locus of control
NOT mutually exclusive. It doesn't require you to change your beliefs but requires altered conceptions of the self.
113
How can we build self-control? Why is it important?
it is like strengthening a muscle, requiring persistence and patience. Old habits die hard!
It is an important tool for dealing with stress!
114
What is the difference between experiencing stress and managing stress?
While building self-control can help us EXPERIENCE less stress, we still need to MANAGE existing stress.
115
What is meditation?
Rooted in Buddhist traditions, meditation has been practiced for thousands of years.
It is a rich and ancient practice with many schools, teachers, and styles.
116
What are the seven principles of mindfulness?
- Non-judging: Not labelling thoughts and emotions
- Patience: Letting things unfold on their own time
- Beginner's Mind: Seeing everything as if it is new to you
- Trust: In yourself & your feelings
- Non-striving: Enter into meditation without goals, anything to achieve
- Acceptance: Seeing things as they are
- Letting go: Not holding on to things in your mind
117
True or false: There is some universality to emotional expressions
TRUE! When people from varied cultural context were shown basic facial expressions, they did fairly well recognizing them
118
What is the in-group advantage within an emotional expression?
Accuracy in emotion detection is slightly enhanced when people judged emotions from their own culture
119
What is the cultural variation in emotional expression?
Cultures vary in the types of emotions people express - the emotions that are idealized within the culture (excitement vs calmness)
120
Can Botox change your mood?
Yup! In a study, depression decreased for all participants after undergoing botox treatment.
121
What increases happiness? Spending money on others, or yourself?
On others!!
122
What is the mind-body connection?
Interaction between the central nervous system and other aspects: Primary immune organs (bone marrow, thymus gland), endocrine glands, immune cells, secondary lymph organs (spleen, lymph glands)
123
What is unforgiveness?
Getting stuck in negative emotions and a hyper-aroused state, which can only be reduced by forgiveness.
124
What are some common ways that unforgiveness can affect you?
- Muscles tighten
- Headaches
- Less blood flow to the joints
- Inadequate tissue repair
- Restricted breathing
- Clenched teeth
125
How does unforgiveness impact your mental health?
It is linked to chronic anger, anxiety, general distress, guilt, depression
126
How does unforgiveness impact your physical health?
It is linked to higher fatigue, more chronic pain, higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, decreased immune system functioning
127
What is forgiveness, and what is it not?
Forgiveness is letting go of negative emotions, thoughts, behaviours and adopting positive emotions, thoughts, behaviours.
It is NOT forgetting, excusing, condoning, getting back into the relationship.
128
How does forgiveness help?
Just thinking about a grudge you are holding affects your body!
Forgiving reduces physiological stress, re-established social support.
129
Where is the facial expression of disgust located?
Primarily around the mouth and the nose.
130
Approximately at what age do children start discriminating between things that should and shouldn't be eaten?
A 1-year-old will eat almost anything (e.g., Cleo at 14 months old ate the chocolate fudge that looked like feces). However, at about 3, children start learning that some things shouldn't be eaten (not only because they taste bad but some things just seem inappropriate to eat).
131
In the video, Paul Rozin presents participants with juice with a cockroach in it. This was used to demonstrate how disgust is tied to the idea of __________ for adults and older children (e.g. Richard at age 7) but not for slightly younger children (e.g., Zack at age 4).
Contamination
As adults, when we see the juice we can see that it's been contaminated by the cockroach even after you remove it. This isn't something we are born with but develops over time.
132
True or False: While disgust starts off as a "get it out of my mouth" type emotion (bad-tasting food or offensive food) it develops further into a broader emotion about anything that the person construes as "offensive".
True
