Unit 9: The emotional process Flashcards
Which biological systems are involved in the generation of emotions?
ANS
Endocrine system
Neural circuits
Neural discharge rate
Facial feedback
Which cognitive aspects are involved in generating emotions?
appraisal
knowledge
attributions
socialization background
cultural identities
What is the common theory as to how we experience emotions?
Stimulus -> emotion -> bodily reaction
How does the James-Lange hypothesis describe the emotional process?
Stimulus -> bodily reaction -> emotion
What does the James-Lange theory state?
emotional reactions occur before we realize what is happening
-> physiological adjustments are not a direct consequence of emotional experience
How did Cannon & Bard criticize the James-Lange theory?
physiological changes barely influence emotional experience
-> type of bodily reactions part of fight/flight response
-> emotional experience occurs faster than bodily changes
physiological activation intensifies emotional experience
Do some emotions show physiological specificity?
yes
In how far are physiology and emotions related?
physiological activation influences emotional regulation
emotions have physiological support to facilitate adaptive behaviors
-> physiological activation accompanies, regulates and prepares the framework for emotions, but doesn’t directly cause it
What does the subjective aspect of emotions arise from? (context: face)
Movements of facial muscles
Alterations in facial temperature
Modifications in glandular activity of facial skin
Do emotions involve the perception of proprioceptive feedback from facial expressions?
yes
What do the strong and weak version of the HRF propose about the influence of facial feedback in the generation of emotions?
strong: manipulating facial muscles triggers emotional experience
weak: facial feedback influences intensity of emotion
What is the current position on the facial feedback hypothesis?
emotions go two ways:
- emotions we feel
- emotions we express
-> emotions activate facial expressions, which exaggerate/ suppress emotions we feel
-> critics: contribution of facial feedback small
Are emotions innate or learned?
innate aspect and learned aspect
Are we responsible for feeling certain emotions?
no, they just happen to us in consequence to a triggering event
however, they can be voluntarily controlled to an extent (em. process involves cognition)
What does the two-factor theory (schachter-singer) state?
Emotional state made up of:
- arousal/ physiological activation
- cognitive aspects
-> after experiencing physiological arousal, people seek for causal attribution
What did Richard Lazarus propose?
Valuation theory
-> expands notion of overall evaluation beyond “good vs bad”
What is analyzed in Lazarus’ valuation theory?
personal relevance
alignment with personal goals
involvement of one’s self
perception of coping skills
What can the 4 steps of analysis of Lazarus be divided into?
primary and secondary analysis
primary: personal relevance, alignment with pers. goals, involvement of self
secondary: coping skills
What did Weiner suggest?
Attributional theory of emotions
What is attribution and when does the attributional process occurr?
attribution: explanation a person gives for an important event in their life
occurs before emotion
-> change of explanation leads to change of emotion
Steps of the emotional process
Stimulus
Perception
Evaluation-assessment
Feeling
Desire for action
Expression
Physiological response
Stimulus
needs to be able to trigger emotional response
innate or acquired
crucial, but impact depends on perception
perception
no perception -> no emotional response
conscious (fully aware, actively processes stimulus) or unconscious (stimulus doesnt capture full attention)
What is conscious perception influenced by?
cognitive, biological and affective variables
Evaluation and assessment
influenced by cognitive, biological and affective factors
conscious (analysis of different factors, like relevance, response options, etc.) and unconscious (automatic reaction to threatening stimuli)
Emotional experience (feeling)
awareness of emotions essential
concept of emotion not limited to subjective experience (can occur without awareness)
physiological response
defense system activation after conscious or unconscious evaluation (hard to distinguish between them, as both prepare for response)
Which are the two steps sufficient to trigger the emotional process?
physiological response and evaluation
