Ch 4.4-4.6 Flashcards
3 components of emotion
physiological ( body) component
behavioral ( action) component
cognitive ( mind) component
physical aspect of emotion
and example
one of emotional arousal or excitation of the bodyès internal state
sensations that accompany emotion
feel heart pounding , breathing becoming shallow and rapid and palms becoming sweaty when you are suprised
behavioral aspect of emotion
includes some kind of expressive behavior
example: screaming and bringing hands to mouth when suprised
cognitive aspect of emotion and example
involved appraisal or interpretation of situation
initially after being startled, the thought dangerous situation or fear may arise , reassesed to suprise and exciteent
emotions and physiological and behavioral responses
many emotions share the same phys or behav responses , it is mind that interprets one situation which evokes quickened heart rate and tears as joyful and another with same responses as fearful
darwinès assumption regarding emotions
emotions had a strong biological basis
emotions should be experienced and expressed in similar ways across cultures if this assumption is true
is in fact true
six major universal emotions
happiness, sadness, suprise, fear, disgust, and anger
emotions have an innate basis
despite of culture, most people can readily identify these emotions by observing facial expression
childrenès capacity for emotional expression and recognition appear to develop along similar timelines, regardless of their environment
environmental factors and expression of emotions
environmental factors do play a role in the expression of emotions
relationship between performance and emotional arousal
is a U shaped correlation
people perform best when they are moderately aroused
Yerkes Dodson law
suggests that there is a correlation between emotional arousal and performance up to a point a student will perform best when neither too complacent nor too overwhelmed , but at the sweet spot of optimum arousal
where is the sweet spot of optimal arousal for people
can vary greatly from person to person and task to task
adaptive roles of emotion
moderating performance
enhances survival
role in influencing individual behaviors within a social conext
emotionès role in enhancing survival
useful guide for quick decisions
fear when walking down dark alley can be a useful tool to indicate that the situation may be dangerous
anger may enhance survival by encouraging attack on an intruder
emotion in social context
embarrassment may encourage social conformity
in social contexts, emotions provide a means for non verbal communication and empathy, allowing for cooperative interactions
emotion and everyday life
choices often require considerations of our emotions
prefrontal cortex and emotion
person with injury in prefrontal ( which plays a role in processing emotion ) has trouble imagining their own emotional responses to the possible outcomes of decisions
which can lead to inappropriate decisions that can cost someone a job
commonsense way of thinking about emotion
something happens ( stimulus), then you experience an emotion, then you have a physioloical response
example for commonsense way of emotion
scary dog starts chasing you ( stimulus) , you experience the emotion ( fear) and physiological response ( heart begins to race) then a behavioral response ( you run away)
James Lange theory
proposed in late 1800s
flips commonsense notion of how emotion is experienced:
instead of first experiencing the emotion and then the physiological response, JL theory proposes we first experience phys and then we exp emotion
ex for JL theory
if scary dog begins to chase you, we first experience the increase in heart rate followed by a conscious labeling of the feeling as fear
counterintuitivity of the theory
implies you feel afraid because your heart is racing ( ex)
suggests emotional experience ( brain labeling situation as fear inducing) as a result of physiological response
JL theory suggestions regarding autonomic NS responses
increased muscle tension, increased heart rate, sweating and other physiological reactions caused by the auto NS
suggests emotions are a result of physiological responses, and not their cause
James and Lange suggested that auto activity induced by emotional stimuli generate the feeling of emotion, not the other way around
evidence to support JL theory : breathing patterns
short shallow breathing causes feeling of panic while long deep breathing creates a feeling of calm
evidence JL: spine damage
ppl with spine damage often experience less arousal and reduced emotion because they no longer percieve physiological arousal frm their bodies
2 assumptions of JL
1.assumes each emotion originates from a distinct physiological state
however, many emotions share the same physiological profiles
ex. fear and sexual arousal involve similar physiological patterns
2. theory assumes that we possess the ability to label these physiological states accurately
evidence that same physiological state can be interpreted differely based on context
Walter Cannon criticism of JL theory
suggested that in order for JL to adequately describe the process of emotion, 1. there must be a different physiological response corresponding to each different emotions 2. physiological experiences do not appear to differ from each other to the extent that would be essential to discriminate one emotion from another based sole on our bodily reactions
Cannon experiments
in 1900s on cats, where he severed the afferent nerves of the symp branch of auto NS ( preventing cats from recieving any phys input from their bodies and exposed them to emotion introducing stimuli
Cannon and his grad student Phillip Bard found that cats still experience emotion even in the absence of physiological input from their bodies , thus casting significant doubt on JL theory
Cannon Bard theory
suggests that after a stimulus , physiological response and experience of emotion occurs simultaeously and independently of each other
example of CB theory
scary dog comes running after you ( stimulus) and you experience fear ( emotion) and an increased heart rate ( physiological response) at the same time; fear does not cause increased heart rate and increased heart rate does not cause fear
CB and overlap between phys state and emotion
able to explain the overlap in physiological states between emotions like fear and sexual arousal because cognitive thinking is independent from the physiological rather than directly causing it
struggles of CB theory
struggles to explain phenomena in which controlling physiological response influences the experience of emotion ( deep breathing causes us to feel more calm)
Schachter SInger theory SS
once we experience physiological arousal, we make a concious cognitive interpretation based on our circumstances, which allows us to identify the emotion we are experiencing
similarities between SS and JL
like JL, it suggests that each emotional experience begins with an assessment of our physiological reactions
differences b/w SS and JL
SS suggests that cognitive label is given based on the situation rather than being a one to one correlate of physiological experience
similarities b/w SS and CB
like Cb, physiological states can be similar but cognitively labelled differently ( for example, fear and sexual arousal )
SS ex ( scary dog stimulus )
sight of scary dog would cause physiological change of an increased heart rate, which would be interpreted as a result of fearing the dog because of the situation
this then informs a behavioral response ( running away )
shortcoming of SS theory
same as CB theory
does not explain how physiological responses influence cognitive aspects of emotion
emotion and heart
while romantics tend to believe that emotion is purely a matter of the heart, it turns out that the brain is very much involved in emotional states
emotions and brain regions
hard to map because thinking of different emotions as based on different parts of the brain has been proven to be too simplistic
instead of emotion centers, there are emotional circuits which involve many brain structures
limbic system and primary role
collection of brain structures that lies on both sides of the thalamus
together, structures appear to be primarily responsible for emotional experiences
amygdala
main structure involved in emotion in the limbic system
almond shaped structure deep within the brain
serves as the conductor of the orchestra of our emotional experiences
communicates with hypo
hypothalamus
brain structures which controls physiological aspects of emotion such as sweating and racing heart
comm with pre frontal cortex
pre frontal cortex
located at the front of the brain
controls approach and avoidance behaviors - behavioral aspects of emotion
not part of limbic system
key role of amygdala
identification and expression of fear and agression
limbic system components
amygdala hippocampus thalamus hypothalamus basal ganglia cinguate gyrus
hippocampus
brain structures that plays a key role in forming memories
memory formation and emotion
when memories are formed , often the emotion associated with these memories are also encoded
recall of event and emotions
recalling an event can bring about the emotions associated with it
important role in suffering of patients who have experienced traumatic events
flashback
recall of memory of the experience
can be unconcious recall
prefrontal cortex importance
emotional experience
temperament and decision making
associated with reduction in emotional feelings, especially fear and anxiety
prefrontal cortex and amygdala
calms down the amyg when it is overly aroused
methods of stress relief and emotion regulation
often activate the pre frontal cortex
prefrontal cortex plays role in
executive functions; higher order thinking processes such as planning, organizing, inhibiting behavior , and decision making
damage to pre cort
leads to inappropriateness , impulsivity and trouble with initiation
pre cort dev.t
not fully developed in humans until they reach their mid 20s, explaining the sometimes erratic and emotionally charged behavior of teens
famous case of damage to pre cort
Phineas Gage ( 1800s)
Gage was railroad worker who at age 25 suffered accident where railroad tie blasted thru his head
entering under cheek bone and exiting thru top of skull
after accident, he is prone to impulsivity, unable to stick to plans and unable to demonstrate empathy
accident severely damaged his pref cort, led to discovery of role of pre cort in personality
ANS brief summary of effects
responsible for controlling the activities of most of the organs and controls arousal
answers primarily to hypo
SNS summary
body with brief, intense, vigorous responses
fight or flight
increase heart rate, bp, blood sugar levels
prepares body for action
SNS effect adrenal gland
release stress hormones epi and norepi
parasympa NS summary
provides signals to internal organs during a calm resting state when no crisis is present
when activated , leads to changes that allows recovery and conservation of energy, including increase in digestion and repair of body tissues
physiological states associated with emotion
heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, sweating and release of stress hormones
increase in phys functions
associated with sympa ( fight or flight) response
meausring auto function
measure heart rate, finger temp, skin conductance ( sweating) , muscle activity
diff patterns exist during diff emotional states
stress psych
reminder that what is often consdered psych is simultaneously physiological
prolonged periods of stress
can lead to immunosupression, infertility, hypertension
stress response to a stimulus
one person will be much more stressed than the other
appraisal
most important for determining the stressful nature of the event
how the event is interpreted by the individual
emotions are extracted from our evaluation of events
cingulate gyrus
fold in brain that lies covers the corpus callosum
component of limbic system involved in processing emotions and behavior regulation
effect of appraisal on the person
MCAT challenge
threat
when percieved to be challenge like MCAT, can be motivating
when percieved as threatening aspects of our identity, wellbeing or saftey, may cause severe stress
negative and uncontrollable produce more stress than controllable ones
three main types of stressors
catastrophes
significant life changes
daily hassles
catastrophes
unpredictable, large scale events
includes natural disasters and wartime events
events that almost everyone would appraise as dangerous and stress inducing
repercussions are often felt for years after the event
catastrophe repercussion example
in the months following, 9/11 , many people developed psychological disorders including anxiety, depression and PTSD ( post traumatic stress disorder)
health consequences can follow prolonged periods of stress
significant life changes
include events like moving, leaving home, losing a job, marriage, divorce, death of a loved one
frequency of events during young adulthood help explain the high degree of stress during this time
effect of significant life changes on health
events can be risk factors for disease and death, with several concurrent events creating greater risk than single stressful events would
daily hassles
everyday irritation in life including bills, traffic jams, misplacing belongings and scheduling activities
universal events, some ppl take them lightly while others may be overwhelmed
effect of daily hassles on health
little stressors can accumulate and lead to health problems such as hypertension and immunosupression/
optimal levels of stress and psych functioning
moderate amounts of stress improve psych functioning by providing more E and motivation for cognitive activities
non optimal levels of stress
can impair psychological functioning by leading fatigue , decreased ability to concentrate, irritability
learned helplessness
sense of exhaustion and lack of belief in oneès ability to manage situations
occurs when stress is accompanied with a lack of control over stress inducing events
result of severe or prolonged stress
ppl may develop PTSD
characterized by symptoms of re experiencing a traumatic event thru flashbacks or nightmares, hypervigilance to oneès surroundings, avoidance of situations related to the stressful event
hypervigilance
enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect activity
physiological response to stress
activates parallel systems
1st sympa NS ( fight or flight)
2nsd cognitive system initiated by hypo
sympa NS respond to stress
responds to acute stress situations;
releases stress hormones adrenaline ( epi) and noradrenaline ( norepi ) into bloodstream from adrenal glands
increased heart and resp.y rate, release sugar into blood, dulls pain
fast acting response
cognitive system to stress
hypo releases CRH , which stimulates pituitary gland to release ACTH. ACTH signals adrenal glands to release cortisol
slower process than near instantaneous fight or flight response , triggered during long term stress
cortisol in stress response
glucocorticoid
hormone shift body from using sugar ( glucose) as E source to using fat as an E source
glucose sparing effect as a result
glucose sparing effect and the body
keeps the blood sugar levels high during stress situations
important because the only energy source the brain can use is glucose , thus ensuring brain has enough fuel to stay active
cortisol release short effects
short term release is useful
cortisol release long effects
prolonged release due to chronic stressors is harmful
inhibits activity of while blood cells and other functions in the immune system
does stress make us sickÉ
no it does not but increases vulnerability for illness
shown that stress can exacerbate course of diseases including AIDS, cancer and heart disease
exacerbate
make a problem or situation worse
emotional stresses
correlated with worse medical outcomes
high levels of stress contribute to development of anxiety and depressive disorders, which are characterized by negative mood and irritability
example of emotional stresses and medical problems
anger can trigger cardiac events such as heart attacks, arrhythmias, and sudden death in people who already have heart disease
avoidance of uncomfortable situations
accompanied by habits such as ciggarette smoking, consuming alcohol, eating as a means of temporary physical comfort
response to high stress situations
some people develop PTSD
PTSD three clusters of symptoms
avoidance
hyperarousal
re-experiencing
avoidance
avoiding both circumstances, that remind one of trauma and emotions associated with the trauma
ex of avoidance of a PTSD patient
someone with PTSD will tell a story of personal trauma in flat tone that is disconnected from the associated emotion
hyperarousal
involves heightened sensitivity ( making person easily startled and hypervigilance to surrounding danger
re-experiencing symptoms
responses to triggers related to traumatic event, such as flashbacks and nightmares,
sleep disturbances are common side effects of stress
stress levels and performance
optimal level of stress that is motivating and invigorating
too little can lead to complacency, too much is overwhelming and debilitating
three means for managing stress
- aerobic exercise
- biofeedback and relaxation
- utilization of social support
exercise and stress
useful adjunct ( supplement) to antidepressant drugs and psychotherapy and is about as effective as these treatments in reducing depression lowers bp, increase production of neuro that boost mood
neuro that boost mood
norepinephrine, serotonin, endorphins
biofeedback
means of recording and feeding back info about subtle autonomic responses in an attempt to train the individual to control those involuntary responses
example of biofeedback relaxation
people can be trained to adjust their muscle tension, heartbeats, and respiratory rates
biofeedback and relaxation
particularly effective in treating tension headaches
many same benefits occur thru relaxation training including meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visual imagery and yoga
utilization of social support
stronger social support associated with lower bp, lower stress hormones and stronger immune system function
impact of stressful events can be mediated when individuals can express their emotional reactions and recollection of traumatic events through talking about them, writing in journals and other means best suited to those individuals
spiriuality and health
unclear relationship
many studies established religious activity associated with longer life expectancy and healthier immune functioning, unclear whether it is causal
those involved religiously tend to have healthier diets and are less likely to smoke or drink
stronger social support sytems within religious community
most defining human characteristic
our ability to use and learn language
behaviorists and language
argue lang is just another example of conditioned behavior
behaviorist approach to psych
empiricist
they believe study of psych should focus on directly observable environmental factors as opposed to abstract mental states
nativists and language
argue lang is a human ability prewired into the brain
nativist approach to psych
rationalist
they hold that certain ideas and capabilities cannot come from experience, so it must be innate
materialist approach to language and cognition
ground work in belief that all discussion of ideas, linguistic expression and like is a set of convenient metaphors for real physical changes in brains and actions of the body
materialist belief
that only grey matter matters and study thoughts and words by looking at what happens in the brain when people think, speak, write and listen
language acquisition
term psychologists used to refer to the way infants learn to understand and speak their native language ( usually the language used by their parents
language acquistion ( other form)
learning a language in school or learning a foreign language
other forms of language acquisition seem to work much differently
BF Skinner model of lang acq
behaviorist model
infants are trained in language by operant conditioning
Skinner idea of lang use
though complex, form of behavior like any other
subject to conditioning
conditioned behaviors
types of associative learning where a stimulus becomes associated with a consequence
operant conditioning
a technique of behavior modification through positive and negative reinforcement and punishment
conditioned behavior is gradually modified as by its consequences as animal responds to stimulus
positive reinforcement and speech
positive reinforcement when baby says bu ba while looking at a bottle conditions the infant to make the sound in association with the stimulus ( sight of bottle) and encourages imitative behavior so baby begins to copy the sounds made by the parent more regularly
imitation is how more words are learned progressively faster, with each correct utterance producing some reinforcing behavior and nonsense utterances achieve no reinforcement and are abandones
Noam Chomsky alternative
we all posess innate feature unique to human mind which allows ppl to gain mastery of language from limited exposure during sensitive developmental years in early childhood
idea later named universal grammar
Chomsky device
theoretical
provided no anatomical evidence for exact llocation or structure of this device in the brain
research in to functioning of device
empirical
linguists study UG by studying actual languages and actual cases of lang acquisition
goal of linguists studying UG
find the basic rules that apply to all or almost all languages and are presumably innate in the brain, allowing the child to , for ex, distinguish nouns , verbs and adjectives without ever being taught these terms
humans and song birds example: distinction between language rules being prewired in brain and the language itself being prewired
many song birds are born knowing how to sing the territorial songs of their species but no human is born knowing English or Mandarin
UG theory and language
states humans have an innate ability to make grammatical distinctions and do so naturally when exposed to ( not actively taught) language at a young age
relationship between language and speech
some argue that lang is 1st and foremost a social phenomenon and speech is not developmentally equivalent with thought
in other words, children first learn how t think and how to speak as seperate enterprises and only later is there overlap between the two
first stage in acquiring lang
immersion in social speech, which is analoous to other social phenomena
social speech
first stage in development of speech
external speech
child uses speech to control the behavior of others
speech to express simple thoughts and emotions
egocentric speech
second stage in dev.t of speech
children often talk to themselves during this stage regardless of whether or not s1 is listening to them
experimenting with language as a kind of thinking aloud
inner speech
third stage of acquiring language
point in which a childès understanding of grammar and relationship between words and objects is sufficiently advanced to allow him to think in words without mouthing them
critical stage in development of relationship between thought and language
prior to this point, speech and thought are seperate activities, but at this point, some thought becomes verbal, able to be expressed in words and clauses
linguistic relativity hypothesis
not only do language and thought overlap, but cognition and perception are determined by the language that one speaks
universal grammar nativist
suggests that universal grammar exists because grammar is part of our genetic make up
universal grammar nativist
suggests that universal grammar exists because grammar is part of our genetic make up
linguistic relativity vs Chomsky UG
Choms UG emphasizes the commonality among all human languages, this hyppothesis focuses on the important distinctions among families of languages such as Western European vs East Asian languages
linguistic rel.y regarding distinctions between languages
because of distinctions, native speakers in these language groups conceptualize the world differently
ex of ling rel.y arg.t regarding distinctions
famous ex
Inuit peoples conceive snow differently from English people as evidenced by the fact that they have so many more words for snow
further research points out Inuits do not have very large number of words for snow compared to speakers of other languages and skiers who speak different languages
Brocaès A location, general functin
located in dominant hemisphere ( usually L) of frontal lobe
involved in complicated process of speech production
Brocaès aphasia deffintion
injury in brocaès A which causes the loss of the ability to speak
Brocaès aphasia results
aka expressive aphasia
know what hey want to say, but are unable to communicate it
typically able to comprehend words and simple sentences but are unable to generate fluent speech
sometimes they can produce very simple, telegraphic ( Take. Car. Store) speech or are limited to 1 or 2 words that they repeat over and over
Wernickeès A location, general function
posterior section of temporal lobe in dom hemi of brain,
involved in comprehension of speech and written language
Wernickeès aphasia deffinition
aka receptive aphasia
have injury in wernikes A
speech production retains a natural sounding rhythm and syntax but it is completely meaningless
Wernicke aphasia
do not have problem producing speech, they are incapable of producing intelligible, meaningful language
great difficulty understanding speech, often unaware of their mistakes
often difficult to decipher what the patient is trying to communicate
no body weakness or movement issues because injury not near parts of brain that control movement
