Week 2 - Emotion, Motivation & Acculturation Stress Flashcards
Darwin
“emotions & emotional expressions are universal”
Ekman & Friesen
6 basic emotions: universal
- happy
- sad
- surprised
- scared
- disgust
- anger
evidence for cultural universality: which 1 emotion?
Pride
- erect pose, head tilted back, slight smile, arms extending away/held akimbo
controversy about universality of some emotions: which 3 emotions?
- Contempt
- Shame
- Interest
“what is an emotion?”
- response to situation
- physiology (e.g., heart-rate, sweating, blood-pressure etc…)
2 specific perspectives on emotions:
- James-Lange Theory
- Two-Factor Theory
James-Lange Theory of Emotions
emotions = physiological response
- stimulus/situation
(e.g., bear attack) - response
(e.g., pounding heart) - subjective emotion
(e.g., fear)
James-Lange Theory of Emotions: problem with theory
No physiological response = no emotion?
–> racing heart isn´t always a response of fear
(can also be excitement, love, medication or physical activity)
Two-Factor Theory of Emotions
- stimulus/situation
(e.g., bear attack/competitor in a race) - response
(e.g., pounding heart) - INTERPRETATION!
- subjective emotion
(e.g., fear/excitement)
same physiological response…
…different emotions (fear/excitement)
Universality vs Cultural variability: focus on?
- James-Lange Theory: ?
- Two-Factor Theory: ?
James-Lange Theory: physiology
Two-Factor Theory: interpretation
Display rules:
across cultures different intensity of emotions are desirable.
E.g., collectivistic cultures prefer “smoother” more “subtle” expressions of emotions
Ritualized displays:
culturally, somewhat unusual, facial expressions that are not recognized universally
(e.g., embarrassment)
Display rules: Anger
Individualistic vs Collectivistic, displaying anger
> individualistic: okey, can help you forward
> collectivistic: not appreciated, more about the harmony of the group
collectivistic anger: benefits?
- blood-pressure return quicker to baseline
- less negative physiological effects
Facial feedback hypothesis
we use our facial expression to infer our emotional state, suggesting that by making a particular emotional expression we can think that we´re experiencing the corresponding emotion.
> experiment: pencil in mouth
Life satisfaction & happiness
- wealth
- human rights & equality (society)
> individualistic countries: amount of positive emotions
> collectivistic countries: fitting in / living up to norms
- Thoughts on one owns happiness –> more or less happy
Western culture: happiness
= central value
Western culture: eighteenth century (enlightenment) + happiness
= world became more predictable & rational –> leading to people being more happy
Before, happiness was seen as a result of good luck.
Cultures which define happiness as good luck = less happy
Culture & Happiness: game
- European-Canadians, preferred fun game
- Asian-Americans, preferred useful game
Personal theories about a satisfying life: “how happy one should feel”
East-asians: more balanced emotional state
> believe in experiencing more balanced emotions.
Americans: reported being happier then in actual real life (over-reported)
> believed they should be happy in general.