LESSON 8 – EMOTION
INTRODUCTION:
As we move through our daily lives, we experience a variety of emotions (which we often
call “feelings”). Emotions are subjective states of being that, physiologically speaking, involve
physiological arousal, psychological appraisal and cognitive processes, subjective experiences,
and expressive behavior. Emotions are often the driving force behind motivation (whether
positive or negative) and are expressed and communicated through a wide range of behaviors,
such as tone of voice and body language.
Our psychological appraisal of a situation is informed by our experiences, background,
and culture. Therefore, different people may have different emotional experiences of similar
situations. However, the ability to produce and recognize emotional facial expressions seems to
be universal. That said, cultures differ in how often and under what circumstances it is “okay” to
express various emotions, as well as how various expressions of emotions are interpreted.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Define emotion.
2. Describe the types of emotion.
3. Explain the theories of emotion.
COURSE CONTENTS:
Emotion - A four-part process consisting of physiological arousal, cognitive interpretation,
subjective feelings, and behavioral expression.
Emotions have evolved to help us respond to important situations and to convey our
intentions to others.
Emotions have survival value and have been shaped by natural selection.
Individuals vary tremendously in emotional responsiveness.
Emotions are not entirely programmed by genetics.
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 1
Mrs. B. and the 7 Basic Emotions!
Cultural Universals in Emotional Expression
Display Rules - Permissible ways of displaying emotions in a particular society
Where do our emotions come from?
The discovery of two distinct brain pathways for emotional arousal has clarified the connections
among the many biological structures involved in emotion and has offered solutions to many of
the long-standing issues in the psychology of emotion
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF EMOTION
The biological mechanisms at work behind our emotions include:
• The limbic system
• The reticular formation
• The cerebral cortex
• The autonomic nervous system
• Hormones
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 2
PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY OF EMOTION
James- Stimulus: Physiological arousal
Emotion
Lange Big Bad trembling
fear
theory Wolf increased heart rate
Physiological arousal
Cannon- trembling
Stimulus: increased heart rate
Bard Big Bad
theory Wolf Emotion
fear
Physiological arousal
Two- trembling
increased heart rate Emotion
factor Stimulus:
Big Bad Cognitive interpretation fear
theory
Wolf “Wolves scare me!”
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF EMOTION
COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY - Theory that individuals decide on an appropriate emotion
following the event
OPPONENT PROCESS THEORY - Theory that emotions have pairs; when one is triggered the
other is suppressed
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 3
Arousal, Performance, and the Inverted “U”
Describes the relationship
The Inverted “U” Functionbetween arousal and
– Describes the
performance; both low and high levels of arousal
relationship between arousal and performance.
produce lower performance than does a moderate
level of arousal
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007
SENSATION SEEKERS - Individuals who have a biological need for higher levels of stimulation
than do other people
How much control do we have over our emotions?
Although emotional responses are not always consciously regulated, we can learn to control
them
DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional Intelligence - Ability to understand and control emotional responses. Emotional
control can be achieved by learning.
Detecting Deception
People can also control their emotions to deceive; Do “lie detectors” really work?
Polygraph - Device that records the graphs of many measures of physical arousal; often called
a “lie detector” really an arousal detector
WATCH:
Feeling all the Feels
[Link]
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 4
Emotion, Stress and Health
[Link]
READ:
Chapter 12 – Emotions, Stress and Health
Introduction to Psychology 9th ed. by James Kalat
Emotions and Types of Emotional Responses by Kendra Cherry, updated on July 17, 2019.
Retrieved from [Link]
ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT:
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Can you control your emotions well? Discuss the strategies you use to manage your
emotions.
2. What makes you feel good? Elaborate your answer/s.
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 5