Emotion

Emotions are our body’s adaptive response. They help energize,

they communicate, they give us and others warnings.
Sometimes, they override our cognitions and behaviors.

Emotion
Chapter 12
Psy12000.003

1 2

The Expression and Suppression

Terms Related to Emotion
of Emotions
• Mood
– May not be expressed
– May last longer
– May not be tied to a discernable triggering event
(emotion has clear cause; mood doesn’t)
– Less extreme
• Affect
– Experience of feeling or emotion
• Mood disorders (bipolar; depression)
John Boehner (left; expressing) and Nancy Pelosi (right; suppressing)
3 4

Theories of Emotion Controversies and Big Questions

Are emotions 1) physiological activation, 2) 1) Does physiological arousal precede or follow your
emotional experience?
expressive behaviors, or 3) conscious experience.
2) Does cognition (thinking) precede emotion (feeling)?
Or, some combination of them all?
3) Are emotional expressions learned or are they instinctual?
4) Are emotions functional? Or are they undesirable
remnants from ancestral past?
5) Are emotions primarily for communication (signals to
others) or for self-knowledge/direction (signal to self)?

5 6

1
 Commonsense View James-Lange Theory
When you become happy, your heart starts beating William James and Carl
faster. First comes conscious awareness, then comes Lange proposed an idea
physiological activity. that was diametrically
opposed to the common-
sense view. The James-
Lange Theory proposes
that physiological activity
precedes the emotional
experience.
Bob Sacha

7 8

Cannon-Bard Theory Two-Factor Theory

Walter Cannon and Stanley Schachter and
Phillip Bard questioned Jerome Singer proposed
the James-Lange Theory yet another theory that
and proposed that an suggests our physiology
emotion-triggering and cognitions create
stimulus and the body's emotions. Emotions have
arousal take place two factors–physical
simultaneously. arousal and cognitive
label.

9 10

Embodied Emotion
Video on Cognition and Emotion
We know that emotions involve bodily responses.
Some of these responses are very noticeable
(butterflies in our stomach when fear arises), but
others are more difficult to discern (neurons activated
in the brain).

Hot/Cold cup of coffee influences our emotions and

perceptions of others (Williams & Bargh, 2008).
Emotional experiences influence our perceptions of
temperature. (Zhong & Leonardelli, 2008) and of
actual bodily temperature (Ijzerman et al, 2011).
11 12

2
 Emotions and Autonomic Nervous
Describe How Your Body Feels System
When You Are… During an emotional experience, our autonomic
nervous system mobilizes energy in the body that
• Fearful arouses us.
• Angry
• Head over heels in love (or lust)
• Anxious
• Jealous
• Bored
• Sad
13 14

Physiological Similarities
Misattribution of Arousal
Physiological responses related to the emotions of
fear, anger, love, and boredom are very similar. • Suspension bridge
study (Aron et al)
– IV: low vs. high
bridge
– DV: sexual
M. Grecco/ Stock Boston

attraction

Excitement and fear involve a similar

physiological arousal. 15 16

Arousal and Performance

Physiological Differences
Yerkes-Dodson Curve
Physical responses, like finger temperature and movement of Arousal in short spurts is adaptive. We perform
facial muscles, change during fear, rage, and joy.
better under moderate arousal, but optimal
performance varies with task difficulty.

The amygdala shows differences in activation during the

emotions of anger and rage. Activity of the left hemisphere is
different from the right for emotions. 17 18

3
 Cognition and Emotion Emotion Can Modify Cognition
What is the connection between how we think An arousal response to one event spills over into our
(cognition) and how we feel (emotion)? response to the next event.

Can we change our emotions by changing our

thinking?

AP Photo/ Nati Harnik

Reuters/ Corbis
Arousal from a soccer match can fuel anger, which may
lead to rioting. “Transference of arousal”
19 20

Cognition Does Not Always Precede

Emotion
Cognitions Can Modify Emotions
A subliminally presented happy face can encourage
subjects to drink more than when presented with an angry
• Emotions overwhelm
face (Berridge & Winkeilman, 2003).
rationality
• Road rage →home
rage
• Change cognitions for
triggering events

Emotions are felt directly through the amygdala (a) then

21 through the cortex (b) for analysis. 22

Cognition Does Not Always Precede

Emotion
Two Routes to Emotion
When fearful eyes were subliminally presented to
subjects, fMRI scans revealed higher levels of activity
in the amygdala (Whalen et al. 2004).
Courtesy of Paul J. Whalen, PhD, Dartmouth
College, [Link]

Zajonc and LeDoux (1984) emphasize that some emotions are

immediate, without conscious appraisal. Lazarus, Schachter,
and Singer (1998) emphasize that appraisal determines
23 emotions. 24

4
 Ekman’s Research on the Universality
Expressed Emotion
of Emotional Expression
Emotions are expressed on the face, by the body, and
by the intonation of voice. Is this non-verbal language
of emotion universal?

25 26

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal

Nonverbal Communication Behavior
Most of us are good at deciphering emotions through Women are much better at discerning nonverbal
non-verbal communication. In a crowd of faces a emotions than men. When shown sad, happy, and scary
single angry face will “pop out” faster than a single film clips women expressed more emotions than men.
happy face (Fox et al. 2000).

27 28

Detecting and Computing Emotion Hindu Dance

Most people find it difficult to detect deceiving In classical Hindu dance, the body is trained to
emotions. Even trained professionals like police effectively convey 10 different emotions.
officers, psychiatrists, judges, and polygraphists
detected deceiving emotions only 54% of the time.
Dr. Paul Elkman, University of California at San Francisco

Network Photographers/ Alamy

Which of Paul Ekman’s smiles is genuine? 29 30

5
 Culture and Emotional Expression Emotions are Adaptive
When culturally diverse people were shown basic facial Darwin speculated that
expressions, they did fairly well at recognizing them our ancestors
(Ekman & Matsumoto, 1989). communicated with
facial expressions in the
absence of language.
Nonverbal facial
expressions led to our
ancestor’s survival.

Elkman & Matsumoto, Japanese and

Caucasian Facial Expression of Emotion

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

31 32

The Evolution of Disgust Videos and Discussion

• Rage
• Disgust
• Emotion
• Anger
• More on Ekman (microexpression):
– [Link]

33 34

Analyzing Emotion The Effects of Facial Expression

Analysis of emotions are carried on different levels. If facial expressions are manipulated, like furrowing
brows, people feel sad while looking at sad pictures.
The New York Times Pictures
Courtesy of Louis Schake/ Michael Kausman/

Attaching two golf tees to the face and making their tips touch
35 36
causes the brow to furrow.

6
 Experienced Emotion Dimensions of Emotion
Izard (1977) isolated 10 emotions. Most of People generally divide emotions into
them are present in infancy, except for contempt, two dimensions.
Shame, and guilt.

Bob Daemmrich/ The Image Works

Patrick Donehue/ Photo Researchers, Inc.
Tom McCarthy/ Rainbow
Lew Merrim/ Photo Researchers, Inc.

Marc Grimberg/ The Image Bank

Nancy Brown/ The Image Bank

Michael Newman/ PhotoEdit

37 38

Fear Learning Fear

Fear can torment us, rob us of sleep, and We learn fear in two ways, either through conditioning
preoccupy our thinking. However, fear can be adaptive – and/or through observation.
it makes us run away from danger, it brings us closer as
groups, and it protects us from
injury and harm.

Watson (1878-1958)
By Monika Suteski

39 40

The Biology of Fear Anger

Some fears are easier to learn than others. The amygdala Anger “carries the mind away,” (Virgil, 70-19 B.C.),
in the brain associates emotions like fear with certain but “makes any coward brave,” (Cato 234-149 B.C.).
situations.
Annese, and Authur Toga, LONI; spider art by Joon-Hyuck Kim
(LONI) at UCLA. Art and brain modeling by Amanda Hammond, Jacopo
Courtesy of National Geographic Magazine and Laboratory of Neuro Imaging

41 42

7
 Causes of Anger Catharsis Hypothesis
Venting anger through action or fantasy achieves an
1. People generally become angry with friends and
emotional release or “catharsis.”
loved ones who commit wrongdoings, especially
if they are willful, unjustified, and avoidable.

2. People are also angered by foul odors, high

temperatures, traffic jams, and aches and pains.

Research, however, tends to show that expressing anger

breeds more anger, and through reinforcement it is habit-
forming.
43 44

Cultural & Gender Differences Happiness

 Boys respond to anger by moving away from that situation,
while girls talk to their friends or listen to music.
People who are happy
 Anger breeds prejudice. The 9/11 attacks led to an perceive the world as
intolerance towards immigrants and Muslims. being safer. They are able
 The expression of anger is more encouraged in cultures that to make decisions easily,
do not promote group behavior than in cultures that do are more cooperative, rate
promote group behavior.
job applicants more
favorably, and live
healthier, energized, and
more satisfied lives.
Wolfgang Kaehler

45 46

Feel-Good, Do-Good Phenomenon Subjective Well-Being

When we feel happy we are more willing to help Subjective well-being is the self-perceived feeling of
others. happiness or satisfaction with life. Research on new
“positive psychology” is on the rise.
[Link]

47 48

8
 Emotional Ups and Downs Emotional Ups and Downs
Our positive moods rise to a maximum within 6-7 Over the long run, our emotional ups and downs tend to
hours after waking up. Negative moods stay more or balance. Although grave diseases can bring individuals
less the same throughout the day. emotionally down, most people adapt.

Courtesy of Anna Putt

49 50

Wealth and Well-being Wealth and Well-being

Many people in the West believe that if they were  In affluent societies, people with more money are
wealthier, they would be happier. However, data happier than people who struggle for their basic
suggests that they would only be happy temporarily. needs.
 People in rich countries are happier than people in
poor countries.
 A sudden rise in financial conditions makes
people happy.

However, people who live in poverty or in slums are also

satisfied with their life.
51 52

Does Money Buy Happiness? Happiness & Satisfaction

Subjective well-being (happiness + satisfaction)
measured in 82 countries shows Puerto Rico and
Mexico (poorer countries) at the top of the list.
Wealth is like health: Its
utter absence can breed
misery, yet having it is no
guarantee of happiness.

53 54

9
 Values & Life Satisfaction Happiness & Prior Experience
Students who value love more than money report Adaptation-Level Phenomenon: Like the adaptation to
higher life satisfaction. brightness, volume, and touch, people adapt to income
levels. “Satisfaction has a short half-life” (Ryan,
1999).

55 56

Happiness & Others’ Attainments Predictors of Happiness

Happiness is not only relative to our past, but also to Why are some people generally more happy than
our comparisons with others. Relative Deprivation is others?
the perception that we are relatively worse off than
those we compare ourselves with.

57 58

10