Chapter 12: Flashcards
emotion:
a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological
arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience.
James-Lange theory:
the theory that our experience of emotion is our
awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus.
Cannon-Bard theory:
the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus
simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective
experience of emotion.
two-factor theory:
the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one
must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal.
polygraph:
a machine used in attempts to detect lies that measures several of
the physiological responses (such as perspiration, heart rate, and breathing
changes) accompanying emotion.
facial feedback effect:
the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger
corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness.
behavior feedback effect
the tendency of behavior to influence our own and
others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions.
catharsis:
in psychology, the idea that “releasing” aggressive energy (through
action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.
feel-good, do-good phenomenon:
people’s tendency to be helpful when in a
good mood.
positive psychology:
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and
communities to thrive.
subjective well-being:
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used
along with measures of objective well-being (for example, physical and
economic indicators) to evaluate people’s quality of life.
adaptation-level phenomenon:
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of
lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience.
- ex: wearing a tee shirt outside when the temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit in April, but wearing a coat when the same temperature occurs in September.
relative deprivation:
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with
whom one compares oneself.
stress:
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called
stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.
general adaptation syndrome (GAS):
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive
response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
tend and befriend:
under stress, people (especially women) often provide
support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).
mindfulness meditation:
a reflective practice in which people attend to current
experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner.
aerobic exercise:
sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness;
also helps alleviate depression and anxiety.
self-control:
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for
greater long-term rewards.
external locus:
of control the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate.
internal locus:
of control the perception that we control our own fate.
personal control:
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling
helpless.
learned helplessness:
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
problem-focused coping:
attempting to alleviate stress directly—by changing
the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
