Exam 1

Question 1

How can emotions be induced

Answer 1

Pictures
Movies
Music
Memories
Scripted Social Interactions

Question 2

Examples of different ways of measuring emotion

Answer 2

Self-report, nonverbal expressions, biological measures, behaviour

Question 3

Explain evolutionary theory

Answer 3

• Emotions are caused by activation of prepared system (affect program)
• Basic emotions are biological givens
• Emphasised components: facial expressions, behaviour, physiology, changes to cognition
• Subjective experience is a less central component
• High integration between components

Question 4

What is the sequence to get to an emotion in evolutionary theory?

Answer 4

Stimulus –) Affect program –) Emotion

Question 5

basic emotions

Answer 5

anger, disgust, fear, joy, surprise & sadness

Question 6

In psychological constructionist theories, what is the innate component of emotion? And what are the 2 dimensions?

Answer 6

Core affect

2 dimensions: valence & arousal

Question 7

In constructionist theories, what causes emotion

Answer 7

Emotions caused by valence and arousal in combination with conceptual knowledge –) categorisation

Question 8

What is a biological given in constructionist theory?

Answer 8

Core affect is a biological given

Question 9

two-factor theory of emotion

Answer 9

just the idea that there’s 2 factors leading to emotion: physiological arousal + cognitive interpretation of the situation (label)

Question 10

according to james-lange theory, what is the sequence that leads to emotion?

Answer 10

stimulus –) physiological response –) emotion

so the physiological response comes before emotion.

Question 11

What is the sequence that leads to emotion is constructionist theory?

Answer 11

Stimulus –) core affect –) categorization –) emotion

Question 12

Whereas evolutionary theories link emotions to biological adaptation in the distant past, appraisal theories link emotions to …

Answer 12

people’s immediate evaluation of their circumstances.

Question 13

Explain the general idea of appraisal theory

Answer 13

The claim of these theories, therefore, is that emotions are determined by how an individual appraises his or her circumstances. Appraisal is the mental process that allows you to detect objects and events in your environment and evaluate their significance for your immediate well-being

Question 14

main appraisals

Answer 14

• Goal relevance: does it matter to me? Obstructing your goal of staying alive?
• Valence: is it good/bad for me?
• Novelty: is it new?
• Coping potential: can I deal with it? Depends on coping potentials. Skinning 11 year old facing beefing guy in a dark alley. Vs black belt karaté.
• Agency: who caused it? Flatmates threw computer on the ground? Or it fell alone?

Depending on outcomes of all these appraisals we end up with a specific emotional state.

Question 15

what appraisals are biological givens according to appraisal theories of emotion

Answer 15

novelty and valence (at least)

Question 16

what is the sequence that leads to emotion in appraisal theory

Answer 16

stimulis –) appraisal –) emotion

Question 17

give examples of different components of emotion

Answer 17

• nonverbal expressions
• physiological changes
• appraisals
• subjective experience
• other behaviour

Question 18

mood-congruent memory

Answer 18

you’ll remember something in a way that is congruent with your emotional state.

ex. task “morning” vs “mourning”. if in sad emotional state, will remember “mourning” more than if in happy emotional state.

Question 19

mood-state dependent memory

Answer 19

The match with the emotional state you were in when you learned something and the emotional state you are in when you’re remembering. To help memory you should be in the same mood.

Question 20

according to mood-state dependent memory, what is the best outcome vs worst outcome

Answer 20

best outcome: when people encode in a negative state, and recall in a negative state also.

worst outcome: when people encode in a negative state, and recall in a neutral state

Question 21

mood congruent judgment

Answer 21

People make judgement that are congruent with their own emotional state.

Ex. Make people read text. Then ask to make probability judgements (ex. how often plane likely to crash) what they found was that the people who were in negative emotional state were saying it was much more likely to happen

Question 22

What is the affect as information model. (model that explains mood-congruent judgment)

Answer 22

The affect-as-information model holds that individuals use their affective state (which
includes the information that their affective state activates in memory) as relevant information
when making evaluative judgments

Question 23

explain the study that was done on
the dark side of heuristic happiness

Answer 23

• What names are more likely to be criminals
• In both conditions, participants made the judgement that African American names where more likely to be criminal
• This is accentuated when the participants where feeling happy. Used short-cut to led them to their prejudice

Question 24

potential explanations for the fact that people tend to think in more “shallow” ways when they are happy

Answer 24

1- Hedonic View: avoid engaging in any task that could alter current positive state

2-Information models (affect-as-information model): positive state informs person that the environment is secure and no careful processing is needed.

affective state = relevant information when making evaluative judgements

Question 25

what are the three functions of emotion

Answer 25

• Basic survival
• Communication
• Social coordination

Question 26

What is the facial action coding system

Answer 26

Facial Action Coding System is a technique of part-based methods where facial parts are considered to analyze human emotion