concept 6c Flashcards
emotion
natural instinctive state of mind derived from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others
elements of emotion
physiological response
behavioral response
cognitive response
physiological response
changes in heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature, and blood pressure that occur when a feeling/emotion is experienced
stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system
behavioral response
facial expressions and body language associated with emotion
how you act due to a specific emotion
cognitive response
subjective interpretation of the feeling/emotion that is being experienced
what you think about the situation and the emotion
determination of one’s emotion is based on memories of past experiences and perception of the cause of the emotion
Ekman’s 7 universal emotions
happiness sadness contempt surprise fear disgust anger
facial expression cues of the universal emotions
happiness- smile, wrinkling around eyes, raised cheeks
sadness- frown, inner eyebrows pulled up and together
contempt- one corner of the mouth pulled upwards
surprise- eyes widen, eyebrows pulled up and curved, jaw opens
fear- eyes widen, eyebrows pulled up and together, lips pulled toward ears
disgust- nose wrinkling and/or raising of upper lip
anger- glaring, eyebrows pulled down and together, lips pressed together
James-Lange theory
stimulus results in physiological arousal which leads to a secondary response in which emotion is consciously experienced
stimulus–>physiological arousal/nervous system arousal–> conscious emotion
“I must be angry bc my skin is hot and my blood pressure is high”
Cannon-Bard theory
stimulus is first received and is simultaneously processed physiologically and cognitively
allowing for conscious emotion to be experienced
stimulus–> physiological arousal and conscious emotion–> action
“I am afraid bc I see a snake and my heart is racing… Let me out of here”
Schachter-Singer theory
physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal must occur before emotion is consciously experienced
stimulus–> physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal–> conscious emotion
“I am excited bc my heart is racing and even else is happy”
cognitive appraisal is the understanding of the environment
limbic system
complex set of structures that reside blow the cerebrum on either side of the thalamus
brain structure that helps us experience emotion, one of many parts but it is the most notable
play roles in motivation and emotion
structures in the limbic system
amygdala thalamus hypothalamus hippocampus fornix septal nuclei parts of the cerebral cortex
amygdala
signals the context about stimuli related to attention and emotions
associated w/ fear and role of human emotion through interpretation of facial expression
processes environment, detects cues, learns from surroundings and produces emotion
rats with damaged amygdala cannot be classically conditioned to establish new fears
thalamus
preliminary sensory processing station
routes info to the cortex and other area regions of the brain
hypothalamus
located below the thalamus
synthesizes and releases neurotransmitters
serves homeostatic functions
involved in modulating emotion
controls neurotransmitters that affect mood and arousal
hippocampus
in the temporal lobe
primarily involved in creating long-term memories
storage and retrieval of emotional memories are key in producing an emotional response
aids in creating context for stimuli that lead to emotional experience
emotional memories
this is the storage of the actual feelings of emotion associated with an event
unconscious implicit memory
properly considered memories about emotions than stored emotions
temporal lobe in emotion
ability to distinguish and interpret others’ facial expressions
some input fro the occipital lobe
lateralized-right hemisphere is more active than left
prefrontal cortex
associated with planning intricate cognitive functions, expressing personality, and making decisions
receives arousal input from the brainstem, coordinating arousal and cognitive states
left associated with positive emotion
right associated with negative emotion
dorsal prefrontal cortex
associated with attention and cognition
ventral prefrontal cortex
connects with regions of the brain responsible for experiencing emotion
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
thought to play a substantial role in decision-making and controlling emotional responses from the amygdala
automatic nervous system
specific physiological reactions are associated with specific emotions
skin temp, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure are affected when experiencing emotion
stress
the response to signifiant events, challenges, and decisions
cognitive appraisal
subjective evaluation of a situation that induces stress
consists of 2 stages: primary appraisal and secondary appraisal
primary appraisal
is the initial evaluation of the environment and the associated threat
can be identified as irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful
if stage 1 reveals a threat stage 2 begins
secondary appraisal
directed at evaluating whether the organism can cope with the stress
involves the evaluation of 3 things: harm or damaged caused by the event; threat or potential for future damage caused by event; challenge or the potential to overcome and possibly benefit from the event
stressor
biological element, external condition, or event that leads to a stress response severity can range from minimal to irritating hassles to catastrophic scenarios
common stressors
environmental factors daily events workplace or academic setting social expectations chemical and biological stressors
distress
bad stress
occurs when experiencing unpleasant stressors
eustress
good stress
occurs when experiencing positive conditions
life events like graduating from college
psychological stressors
pressure control predictability frustration conflict
approach-approach conflict
refers to the need to chose b/w 2 desirable options
avoidance-avoidance conflict
conflicts are choices b/w 2 negative options
approach-avoidance conflict
conflicts deal with only once choice, goal, or event
but the outcome could have both positive and negative elements
general adaptation syndrom
sequce of physiological responses to stressors
consists of 3 distinct stages: alarm, resistance, exhaustion
alarm stage
initial reaction to a stressor
activation of the sympathetic nervous system
hypothalamus stimulates secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary –> stimulates release of cortisol to maintain blood sugar in stressful events (stress hormone)
hypothalamus activates adrenal medulla to release epinephrine and norepinephrine for sympathetic NS
resistance stage
continuous release of hormones allows the sympathetic NS to remain engaged to fight the stressor
exhaustion stage
when the body can no longer maintain an elevated response w/ sympathetic NS activity
individuals become more susceptible to illnesses and medical conditions
effects of stress on the brain
acute stress: increased alertness and less perception of pain
chronic stress: impaired memory and increased risk of depression
effects of stress on the thymus gland and immune tissues
acute stress: immune system readies for possible injury
chronic stress: deteriorated immune response
effects of stress on the circulatory system
acute stress: heart beats faster, and blood vessels constrict to bring more oxygen to muscles
chronic stress: elevated blood pressure and higher risk of cardiovascular disease
effects of stress on adrenal glands
acute stress: secrete hormones that mobilize energy supplies
chronic stress: high hormone levels slow recovery from acute stress
effects of stress on reproductive organs
acute stress: reproductive functions are temporarily suppressed
chronic stress: higher risk of infertility and miscarriage
emotional response to stress
elevated stress results in individuals feeling irritable, moody, tense, fearful, and helpless
may have difficulty w/ concentration and memory
behavioral response to stress
negative behavior that occurs include withdrawing from others, difficulties at work or at school, substance use, aggression, and suicide
chronic stress can lead to mental health disorders (anxiety and depression)
coping with stress
strategies fall into 2 groups:
problem-focused strategies
emotionally focused strategies
can be adaptive (good coping, reaching to family and friends) or maladaptive (bad coping, substance abuse)
problem-focused coping strategies
involve working to overcome a stressor
reaching out to family and friends for social support, confronting issues head on, and creating and following a plan of problem-solving actions
emotionally focused coping strategies
center on changing one’s feelings about a stressor
taking responsibility for the issue, engaging in self-control, distancing oneself from issue, engaging in wishful thinking, and using positive reappraisal to focus on positive outcomes instead of stressor
stress management
exercise–> powerful stress management tool, improves health, wellness, and mood. release endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitter
relaxation technique–> meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation
spiritual practice–> religion
