Cognition, Motivation, and Emotion

Question 1

Limitations of self-report questionnaires

Answer 1

1. Social desirability: favourable answers
2. Personality differences: personality aspects influence answers
3. Response styles
4. Self-reflection
5. Points of reference: people compare themselves with other people

Question 2

Response styles

Answer 2

1. Extreme response style: decisive people and dislike ambiguity give extreme answers
2. Moderacy bias/compressed scale: middle options
3. Acquiescence: agree when asked a question

Question 3

The trilogy of mind

Answer 3

Emotion does not occur in the absence of meaning: cognition, emotion, motivation

Question 4

Terminology (Forgas)

Answer 4

Affect: general term, which encompasses both emotions and moods
Emotion: a reaction or intense response to a stimulus
Mood: a less specific, subtle, longer lasting experience

Question 5

The Wundt Curve

Answer 5

Medium arousal is the optimal level of activation. See mindmap for picture

Question 6

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Answer 6

Medium arousal is optimal level of activation. See mindmap for picture

Question 7

Basic Emotion Theory

Answer 7

Emotions are discrete: can be distinguished fundamentally from one another and imply the assumption that emotions have evolved through adaption to our surroundings.
According to Ekman basic emotions are universally sharedwithin our species.

Question 8

7 basic emotions

Answer 8

1. Anger: response to anything wanting to harm
2. Contempt (minachting): feeling morally superior to another person
3. Disgust: repulsion by sight, smell or taste of something or offensive actions and ideas
4. Enjoyment/happiness: excitement, amusement, relief, wonder, or sensory pleasures
5. Fear: often activates impulses to freeze or flee, threat of harm
6. Sadness: response to loss
7. Surprise: brief response to sudden unexpected event

Question 9

Theory of Constructed Emotion (Lisa F. Barrett)

Answer 9

Questions the assumption of basic emotions being biologically hardwired. Suggests that emotions arise when we become aware of our sensations in the present moment, and this awareness gives those sensations significance.
Brain is prewired to create simple feelings: calmness, agitation, comfort, discomfort, but these feelings are not emotions.

Question 10

Valence-arousal models

Answer 10

Map emotions on two dimensions.
Valence: how positive or negative the emotional experience is.
**Arousal: **describes the level of activation that is experienced.

Question 11

Two-Factor Theory of Emotion (Schachter-Singer Theory)

Answer 11

The assumption that there are two key elements to every emotion: physical arousal & a cognitive label. (injecting participants with adrenaline, angry or happy)

Question 12

Cognitive Appraisal Theory

Answer 12

Cognitive appraisal suggests that the way we interpret the eliciting event determines our emotions. Both emotion and reaction depend on this appraisal (waardering)

Question 13

Attribution and appraisal

Answer 13

Attribution: what we think we know about the world and how it works
Appraisals: the implications of this knowlede for one’s personal well-being. (what does it mean for me personally?)
1. Primary appraisal: motivational relevance of what is happening (is it relevant to my well-being)
2. Secondary appraisal: evaluative judgements whether any actions can be taken to improve the person-environment relationship

See example in mindmap

Question 14

Mood-Congruent Memory

Answer 14

Selective encoding and retrieval of material that is (affectively) congruent with the current mood state of an individual. People are likely to memorize and recall happy words when they are in a good mood (and the other way around)

Question 15

Mood-Dependent Memory

Answer 15

Unlike with mood-congruence, this link is not between
the content of what is learned but between mood
states when learning and recalling

Question 16

Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

Answer 16

Positive emotions such as joy, interest, contentment, and love broaden our thought-action reportoire
Negative emotions narrow our mindsets

Question 17

The motivational dimensional model of affect

Answer 17

Approach motivation: when a person is motivated by the wish to achieve a positive outcome; actively seeking out positive emotions
Avoidance motivation: when a person is motivated by the wish to avoid a negative outcome; trying to minimize negative emotions

Question 18

Arousal

Answer 18

Level of activiation or stimulation.

Question 19

Affect-Infusion Model

Answer 19

Affect infusion is the process whereby affectively loaded information exerts an influence on and becomes incorporated into the judgemental process (our affect can influence our decisions)