UNIT 9 Emotions Flashcards
Describe and contrast the following theories of emotion. Be prepared to apply to examples!
a. James-Lange theory
b. Cannon-Bard theory
c. Schachter-Singer two-factory theory
a) James-Langes
–> Emotions are the result of perceiving bodily changes in response to some stimulus in the environment
–> Different emotions are associated with different patterns of bodily responses
1) Stimulus leads to 2) physiological response/behaviour which leads to and 3) emotional experience
Bear –> increased heart rate –> scared
b) Cannon-bard
–> Bodily response and emotional experience occur at the same time following a stimulus
1) Stimulus leads to 2) a physiological response AND an emotional experience
Bear –> increased heart rate and scared
c) Schachter-Singer –> cognitive label
–> Emotional response is the result of an interpretative label applied to a bodily response
–> Emotion involves cognitive appraisal about the source of the bodily response
Bear or love –> physiological response –> appraisal –> scared and happy, respectively
i.e. Bridge study, viewed pinups as more attractive when their heart was racing
Describe the emotions as basic/discrete categories approach to emotion. What are the core principles of this view?
–> Basic emotions are thought to be evolved,
biologically hardwired responses adapted to solve specific survival problems
–> each emotion has an adaptive function
–> Emotions coordinate cognition, physiological responses, subjective experiences, and behaviour –> coordinated response that gives us the best chance of survival
What features should emotion have to be considered “basic”?
Universality –> should appear across cultures (even species)
Distinct and recognizable
Early emergence –> if it is in fact innate
Physiological distinctiveness –> every emotion should have its own profile
Describe the 7 emotional systems proposed by Panksepp and their associated function
Evolutionary brain areas that give rise to these primary emptions
SEEKING–> foundation for goal-directed behaviour (dopamine)
RAGE–> for defense purposes
FEAR –> behavioural inhibitor
LUST–> for mating purposes (testosterone, estrogen, oxytocin)
CARE –> for bonding/ prosocial behaviors and parental care
PLAY–> for positive social engagement and development
What is the dimensional approach to emotion?
a. On what two key dimensions are emotions usually thought to vary?
Dimensional models suggest emotions exist on continuous scales rather than in discrete categories
a)
–>Valence (positive/negative)
–> Arousal (high vs low energy)
What is emotional granularity?
The ability to finely differentiate emotional experiences when they happen to us
What is the key principle behind psychological construction theories?
Psychological construction theories argue that emotions aren’t biologically hardwired categories but are constructed
using concepts we learn from those around us –> It is shaped by culture and the context we find ourselves in to make sense of the world
Similar to Schachter-Singer theory, constructionists argue that people rely on situational cues and learned concepts to interpret and label feelings –> But, unlike S-S theory, do not believe that bodily arousal is necessary
What is fear? How does it differ from anxiety and social anxiety?
Fear is a response to a specific, immediate threat
–> subsides when the threat is gone
–> threat is clear/present
Anxiety is more diffuse, non-specific
Social anxiety is specific to social situations (especially meeting new people or public speaking), driven by fears of judgment, rejection, or negative evaluation
What is the function of fear?
Fear has an adaptive value
–> heightens our attention to threat and prepares our body for action
What is the function and proposed adaptive value of sadness?
Sadness is most often triggered by losses that threaten social bonds or valued goals
–> Sadness signals need for support (crying, body language, nonverbal cues)
–> Sadness promotes more careful, systematic thinking (Less reliance on stereotypes and heuristics, more realism)
–> When goals are no longer attainable, sadness may help break through rigid goal persistence (goal shielding) & lead to realistic reassessment and openness to shifting goals, especially with help from others
What are the two different physiological profiles associated with sadness? When are they most likely to arise? How do they relate to Bowlby’s model of protest and despair responses to attachment loss?
Increased arousal (higher heart rate, blood pressure)
* Seen when crying
* More likely when loss is impending
* May reflect active coping, call for social support
–>related to the protest phase (active distress)
Decreased arousal (lower heart rate, skin conductance)
* More likely when loss is final
* May reflect energy conservation
–> related to the despair phase (emotional shutdown and withdrawal to conserve energy)
What are the self-conscious emotions?
Heightened awareness and negative appraisals of the self
–> serves a relatedness function to repair bonds
Embarrassment
—>often triggered by social mishaps or unwanted attention, but doesn’t necessarily mean we did something morally wrong
–> i.e. opening gifts, forgetting someone’s name
Shame
–> typically follows moral or personal failures (hurting someone, lying, disappointing others) and leads to negative, global self-judgments like “I’m a bad person.” –> the negative events reflects who you are
Guilt (leads to restorative action)
—> arises from specific actions (breaking a promise, neglecting someone, cheating) and is tied to feeling bad about what we did, not who we are
–> Motivates you to take action to repair harm done
What is the function of shame? What are its physiological correlates? In what ways is it similar to depression?
Shame displays resemble submission signals in animals, which function to de-escalate conflict & prevent harm
▪ May have evolved as an appeasement strategy—helping reduce aggression, elicit cooperation or pity, & maintain social cohesion
Shame triggers emotional and physical withdrawal — similar to depressive states and sickness behaviour —both of which are linked to increased inflammation
Inflammation heightens social sensitivity (for both positive and negative stimuli) –> adaptive purpose to protect oneself when vulnerable (pull back from unsupportive other, and to reach out when possible)
When does anger arise? What is its function?
–> Anger arises when something blocks our goals or threatens our wellbeing (e.g., physical or psychological harm, betrayal, unfair criticism)
–> stems from the belief that the restraints are unjustified and unfair
–> Function is to help us remove obstacles or prevent harm
–> Communicates our limits and demands to others
–> Mild, constructive expressions of anger can strengthen relationships by prompting understanding and change
–> Mild anger can increase perceptions of power and boost performance in confrontational situations (e.g., negotiations, competitive tasks)
–> Can increase one’s sense of control by affecting change
–> Strategic use: individuals sometimes boost anger when preparing for conflict or competition because it enhances performance
Effective anger regulation—channeling anger into constructive action—is key to achieving goals without damaging relationships
–> anger is proactive if you are properly able to regulate it
When does boredom arise? What can people do to manage boredom?
–> Boredom occurs when we can’t sustain attention (tasks are too easy or too hard) or when an activity feels meaningless
–> sometimes prefer to feel pain than nothing at all, i.e. any stimulation is better than no stimulation
If attention is the problem because task demands are too high:
–> Can decrease task difficulty to match skill level or break task down into manageable components
–> Build up skill to match challenge
If attention is the problem because task demands are too low:
–> Make task more challenging
–> Increase external stimulation (i.e. music, podcast)
If meaning is the problem:
–> Re-evaluate goal
–> Find value in activity (make it relevant to you, even if you need to reframe it)
What factors predict happiness?
–> Often felt without a cause (often spontaneous and persistent)
–> Duchenne smile signals genuine happiness
–> Across cultures, happiness is strongly tied to strong social connections and societal trust (fulfilled relatedness needs)
–> A history of positive social relationships fosters attachment security –> contributes to greater happiness
–> positive and negative events only have TEMPORARY impact on our happiness levels
–> Prioritization of meaningful goals over wealth goals (absolute wealth does not play a huge role in happiness, relative wealth more important)
–> good life outcomes (marriage, physical health) are correlated bidirectionally with happiness
BASICALLY, goals and activities that are going to fulfill your psychological needs of relatedness, autonomy and competence lead to greater happiness levels
Describe the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. What value do positive emotions serve?
Broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions
–> positive emotions broaden thinking, fostering curiosity, creativity, and engagement in the world
–> promotes exploration, and goal seeking
–> helps us build resilience and helps us cope with stressors
–> i.e. following positive mood induction (feeling happy), people are more likely to recognize global patterns, think creatively, and remain open to new experiences
Explain the distinction between enthusiasm and contentment, including their differing physiological correlates. What are the adaptive functions of these emotions?
Enthusiasm
–> anticipation of the reward
–> motivates actions and effort in the pursuit of the reward (since anticipation is enjoyable)
–> narrows attention, making us focused on the immediate rewarm
–> physiological reaction similar to fear ( increased heart rate and blood pressure)
Contentment
–> liking component after receiving the reward
–> Associated with activation of parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the body down for rest/digest
–> In nonhumans: Shift from dopamine to endogenous opioid activation
–> enhances memory consolidation (helps us remember how we obtained the reward)
What is pride? What is its proposed function?
–> Pride arises when a person attributes a positive event to their own actions
–> Resembles dominance in nonhuman primates = Likely evolved to communicate status and achievement
What is the evidence that pride is universal?
–> Pride poses consistently interpreted across cultures
–> Children as young as 4 can identify pride expressions
–> Congenitally blind individuals exhibit pride expressions in the same way as sighted individuals
Distinguish between authentic and hubristic pride
Authentic pride stems from genuine accomplishment & effort
▪ Boosts motivation, perseverance, and goal-setting
▪ Encourages leadership
* E.g., individuals told they performed well took on leadership roles and were rated by others as more likeable
▪ Promotes cooperation and prosocial behaviour
Hubristic pride is based on a sense of superiority to others rather than achievement
–> exaggerate abilities, no matter the accomplishment
▪ Linked to narcissism and antisocial behaviour
▪ Perceived as boasting, often leading others to view it negatively
Describe the link between shame, hubristic pride, and narcissism
Theory of vulnerable narcissism
–> Narcissists exhibit a structural split in their self-representation system: outwardly grandiose but internally insecure
–> Hubristic pride is a defense mechanism to protect against internal feelings of shame
–> Because their self-worth is fragile, they are prone to lashing out aggressively when they receive negative feedback or criticism
Describe some cross-cultural differences in the manifestation of pride
a. What does the Olympic athlete study discussed in class illustrate about cross-cultural differences in pride?
–> In America, shame may trigger defensive hubristic pride to restore self-esteem
–> In collectivistic cultures, where shame is viewed as a positive moral and social restorative force, this defense is less necessary
–> We all feel pride BUT collectivist individuals feel greater pride for their child’s accomplishments than their own whereas American feels equal pride for both scenarios
Collectivistic cultures: The self is embedded within a social structure, emphasizing interdependence. Expressing personal pride may feel inappropriate –> more likely to suppress expressions of pride, see it as more hubristic/negative
▪ Individualistic cultures: The self is independent, making pride in personal achievements more normative
Olympic athlete study:
–> When competing against outgroup members, Chinese and American gold medalists showed similar pride expressions
–> When outperforming ingroup members, Chinese athletes suppressed their pride more than Americans.
–> This suggests intentional suppression in service of maintaining in-group harmony, rather than a lack of pride
What is emotion regulation?
Managing which emotions we experience, when they occur, and how intensely we feel and express them
–> Can include increasing and decreasing both positive and negative emotions
