The Emotional Mind

Question 1

What is the difference between Emotion and Motivation?

Answer 1

Emotion

1. A brief combination of physical sensation
2. Spontaneous as an automatic response to ongoing perceptions and thoughts
3. Can be communicated to others through behaviour such as facial expression.

Motivation

1. A process that arouses, maintains and guides us towards a goal
2. Stimulates behaviour more directly and precisely than emotions

Question 2

What is the James-Lange theory of emotion and its assumptions? What is catharsis and how does it contradict James-Lange Theory?

Answer 2

A stimuli produces a physiological response which is interpreted by the individual as a conscious awareness of a subjective feeling. (emotions as a result of physiological changes - you are sad because you are crying)

Assumes that we are capable of correctly labelling distinct physical states related to each type of feeling.

Catharsis views emotions as filling an emotional reservoir which when filled up, would spill over uncontrollably.
In order to avoid this build up, we need to regularly express our emotions (physiologically).
This contradicts James-Lange Theory as it views physiological changes (e.g. crying) as a way to reduce our emotions (e.g. sadness), while James-Lange views the changes as increasing of our feelings.

Question 3

What is the Cannon-Bard Theory?

Answer 3

Both subjective feelings and physical sensation occur simultaneously and independently.
A stimuli would arouse a physiological response as the same time as a conscious awareness of a subjective feeling.

Question 4

What is the Schachter-Signer Two-Factor Theory?

Answer 4

There is an intermediate step between physical sensations and subjective feelings.

A stimuli arouses a physiological response. The individual would then obtain a conscious cognitive appraisal of the circumstances in addition to the response to identify the emotion. (e.g. tears of joy from receiving good results)