Emotion

Question 1

Emotion

Answer 1

Mental states tied to our evaluation of experiences.

Encompass a range of states such as:
- Happiness
- Sadness
- Fear
- Anger
- Surprise
- Disgust

Each with unique patterns of arousal, appraisal, and expression

Involve:
- Subjective feelings
- Body sensations
- Cognitive processes
- Behavioural expressions.

Shape
- Human experiences
- Behaviours
- Decision-making
- Social interactions
- Well-being.

Provide valuable insights into
- Internal states
- Aid in adapting and responding to the environment effectively.

Question 1

Physiological theories of emotion

Answer 1

Suggests that responses within the body are responsible for emotions.

The James-Lange Theory of Emotion:
- Proposed by William James and Carl Lange
- Emotions occur because of physiological reactions to events.
- External stimulus leads to a physiological reaction. Your emotional reaction depends upon how you interpret those physical reactions.
- Stimulus > Physiological factors > Emotion

The cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion:
- Proposed by Walter Cannon (disagreed with the James-Lange Theory)
- People can experience physiological reactions without feeling emotions.
- Emotions and physiological reactions occur simultaneously, yet independently, external events trigger both emotional experiences and physiological changes.
- Stimulus > Thalamus sends message to brain > Physiological reaction + Emotional experience”.

Question 2

Neurological theories of emotion

Answer 2

Proposes that activity within the brain leads to emotional responses.

Two-factor theory / Schachter-Singer Theory:
- Suggests that a stimulus triggers physiological arousal, which must then be cognitively interpreted to label it as an emotion. The critical aspect is the cognitive appraisal or interpretation of the physiological arousal in the given situation, leading to the experience and labelling of an emotion.
- Stimulus > Physiological arousal > Cognitive interpretation > Emotion labelling.
- Draws on both the James-Lange theory and the Cannon-Bard theory.

Question 3

Cognitive theories of emotion

Answer 3

Argues that thoughts and other mental activities play an essential role in forming emotions.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory (Lazarus theory of emotion)
- Proposed by Richard Lazarus
- Suggests that thinking must occur first before experiencing emotion.
- Stimulus > Cognitive appraisal > physiological response + emotion.
Primary appraisal:
- Evaluating the event’s relevance to goals and its impact on personal well-being.
Secondary appraisal:
- Evaluating one’s ability to cope with the event.

Facial-feedback theory
- Suggests that facial expressions play a significant role in influencing and regulating emotions.
- The act of forming a facial expression can actually trigger the corresponding emotion associated with that expression.

Evolutionary theory
- Suggests that because emotions emerge without learning, they are likely the by-products of innate programming.
- Stimulus > Response > Action > Result

Discrete emotions theory
- Suggests that there are a limited number of distinct, basic emotions (such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise) that are universal across cultures and have distinct physiological and expressive patterns.
- Stimulus > Response > Result