Emotions Flashcards
EMOTION
an immediate, specific negative or positive response to environmental events or internal thoughts
typically have some king of triggering event, interrupt what’s happening, prompt change in thought/behavior
CATEGORIZATION OF EMOTIONS
Emotions can be categorized by valence (negative to positive) and by level of arousal (low to high)
FEAR & ANGER
bio-chemically identical; differ in the behavioral responses of an individual
Fear = retreat, avoid, freeze, run, implode
Anger = move forward, engage, erupt, fight, explode
THREE COMPONENTS OF EMOTION
1) Physiological arousal
2) Behavioral reactions
3) Cognitive appraisal of the situation
EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO EMOTION
Charles Darwin believed that:
- emotional expressions are universal
- emotional responses are serving some adaptive functions
- emotions are inherited; specialized mental states designed to deal with a certain class of recurring situations
- The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals
6 (OR 7) PRIMARY EMOTIONS:
fear, disgust, happiness, surprise, anger, sadness (and contempt)
UNIVERSALITY OF EMOTIONS
people all over the world, regardless of cultural differences, race, sex, or education, express basic emotions in much the same way
+ able to identify the emotions others are experiencing by reading facial expressions
BIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO EMOTION
the limbic system (a subcortical region) is key to processing of emotions
Amygdala = emotion
Thalamus = sensory gateway
HOW AMYGDALA HIJACKING HAPPENS
the stimuli goes directly to thalamus, then goes right to amygdala before a signal reaches the neocortex to process
this survival mechanism lets us react to things before the rational brain has time to mull things over
DAMAGE TO AMYGDALA
damage to the amygdala resulted in the inability to experience fear (only fear);
but the individual could experience sadness, happiness, disgust, anger
