week 8 - emotional understanding Flashcards
How do emotions develop according to Darwin’s theory?
Human emotions are based on a limited set of basic emotions that are universal across human cultures. Emotions are innate and found in infants, appearing right after birth. There is a direct link between inner emotional states (feelings) and facial expressions.
What evidence supports the idea that basic emotions are innate?
Cross-cultural studies and observations of blind vs. sighted athletes’ facial expressions after winning competitions support the idea that basic emotions are innate.
What are facial expressions and why are they important in emotion research?
Facial expressions indicate internal feelings and help others predict our behavior. They are expressed through consistent facial postures and specific muscle movements that are believed to be universal.
What are the proposed universal emotions?
Happy, sad, scared, disgust, and angry.
What is the Facial Action Coding System (FACS)?
A coding system developed to classify the meaning of various facial expressions by corresponding each emotion to specific muscle combinations.
How do infants’ facial expressions develop?
Infants start with undifferentiated emotions. Coding systems classify major muscle groups in infants’ facial expressions because they do not have full control over most facial movements.
How do positive emotions develop in infants?
- 1st month: limited smiling
- 6 weeks: social smiles
- 2 months: smile when controlling an event
- 7th month: smile more at familiar people
How do negative emotions develop in infants?
- Newborns: present but difficult to differentiate
- 2 months: distinct expressions for anger and sadness separate from distress/pain
What are self-conscious emotions, and when do they develop?
Self-conscious emotions require a sense of self and develop around 1-2 years. These include guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment.
How is a sense of self tested in infants?
By using the mirror task, where a red dot is placed on the child’s forehead and they are put in front of a mirror to see if they touch the dot on their forehead, indicating self-recognition.
What distinguishes guilt from shame?
Guilt is associated with empathy for others and a desire to make up for wrongdoing. Shame focuses on the self and may make one feel like hiding.
What was the outcome of the doll experiment regarding guilt and shame?
Two-year-olds showed either shame (avoided adult/didn’t tell) or guilt (told adult immediately and tried to repair the doll) after a doll’s leg “accidentally” fell off.
What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Sympathy is acknowledging others’ feelings and expressing compassion, while empathy is understanding and feeling another’s emotions.
What is emotional cognition?
The tendency to catch and feel emotions that are similar to and associated with those of others.
How do infants and children show emotional cognition?
Infants show contagious crying, and children exhibit contagious yawning by age 4.
