Unit 8 Flashcards
What are the five eternal questions about emotions?
- What is an emotion?
- What causes an emotion?
- How many emotions are there?
- What is good about emotions?
- What is the difference between emotion and mood?
What are the four dimensions of emotions?
- Subjective – Emotions are experienced as feelings.
- Biological – They involve physiological responses.
- Social – They are expressed through facial and vocal signals.
- Intentional – They serve a functional purpose, guiding behavior
What is the difference between emotions and moods?
- Emotions are short-lived, arise from significant events, and influence behavior.
- Moods last longer, arise from unknown causes, and influence cognition.
How do emotions act as motivators?
- Emotions drive behavior, similar to needs and cognitions.
- Example: Anger energizes and directs action to overcome obstacles.
What are the two main theories about what causes emotions?
- Cognitive perspective – Emotions require cognitive appraisal of an event.
- Biological perspective – Emotions can arise without conscious thought.
What is Robert Plutchik’s Emotion Feedback Loop?
- Emotions are a feedback system involving cognition, arousal, feelings, preparation for action, expressive displays, and overt behavior.
- Each element is both a cause and an effect of emotions.
What are the two main reasons emotions end?
- The significant life event that caused the emotion is removed.
- Coping behaviors are used to manage or change the situation.
What is the debate about how many emotions exist?
- Biological perspective: A small number of basic emotions (2-10).
- Cognitive perspective: Emotions are shaped by personal and cultural experiences.
What are the six universally recognized emotions?
- Fear
- Anger
- Sadness
- Disgust
- Joy
- Surprise
What is the purpose of fear?
- Fear helps individuals recognize and respond to threats.
- It mobilizes the body to protect itself.
What is the function of anger?
- Anger arises from perceived injustice or restriction.
- It increases energy and leads to corrective action.
What is the role of disgust?
- Disgust functions to reject and avoid contaminated or offensive stimuli.
- It evolves culturally and can include moral disgust.
Why is joy important?
- Joy strengthens relationships and fosters optimism.
- It encourages social interaction.
What are the social functions of emotions?
- Communicate feelings to others.
- Influence how others interact with us.
- Invite and facilitate social interactions.
- Create, maintain, and dissolve relationships.
What did Charles Darwin say about emotions?
- Emotions evolved to help animals survive and adapt.
- Each emotion is linked to behaviors that facilitate survival.
What is the difference between the coping and social functions of emotions?
- Coping function: Helps manage environmental challenges (e.g., fear → protection).
- Social function: Facilitates interaction and relationship-building.
What is Lorenz’s Hydraulic Model?
- Emotions build up like water in a reservoir and must be released.
- When the pressure is too high, a behavior (like aggression) is triggered.
How does the Threshold of Response relate to behavior?
- Some stimuli require higher intensity before they trigger an emotional response.
- Example: A minor insult might not make someone angry, but repeated insults will.
What is a behavior release mechanism?
- A specific stimulus that triggers an automatic emotional or behavioral response.
- Example: A baby’s cry triggering a caregiver’s response.
What are impulse theories of emotion?
- These suggest that emotions arise from internal drives or instincts.
- Example: Hunger leads to the motivation to seek food.
How does neurobiology explain emotions?
- The amygdala processes fear and threat-related emotions.
- The prefrontal cortex regulates emotional responses and decision-making.
How does the brain process emotions?
- Emotional stimuli activate the limbic system, including the amygdala and hippocampus.
- The prefrontal cortex helps regulate and interpret emotions.
What is the role of creationism in the study of emotions?
- Some perspectives argue that emotions were designed for survival and social function.
- Darwin’s theory contradicts this, stating emotions evolved through natural selection.
