Class 11: Emotions and Cognition I
IKEA "Make A Mind" Kit
COGNITION/LABELING
PERCEPTION
BEHAVIOR
MOTIVATIONAL STATE
SENSORY
STIMULATION
SCHEMAS/BELIEFS
AROUSAL
EMOTION
What Comes First:
Cognition (Thought) or Emotion (Feeling)?
Event
Event
Sensory Stim
Sensory Stim
Recognition
Emotion
Emotion
Recognition
Behavior
Rene Des Carte, 15961650
"I think therefore I am"
Blaise Pascal, 1623-1663
"The heart has its reasons
the reason cannot know"
Behavior
A Comic Contemplation of the
Emotion vs. Cognition Conundrum
Thomas Jefferson: My Head and My Heart
Vita
1743- July 4, 1826
Drafted Declaration of Independence
Secty. of State (1789-1794)
Vice President (1797-1801)
John F. Kennedy Welcoming Nobel Prize Winners at
the White House:
President (1801-1809)
This is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of
human knowledge, that has ever been gathered
together at the White House, with the possible
exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.
Hobbies: Inventor, architect, farmer
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Jefferson "My Head and My Heart"
Background: Jefferson had affair with Maria Cosway. Artist,
composer, musician, founded girls' school.
Letter is "love letter" upon their separation. Maintained
correspondence for remainder of Jefferson's life.
Letter written as internal dialogue between Jefferson's head
"reason" and heart "emotions" about the pain of separation.
Jefferson had recently broken wrist, wrote letter with left hand,
thus references to "hurt wrist."
Jefferson never married.
Heart
Head
Head: "I never found that the moment of triumph for with you was NOT the moment of attention
to [reason]. While suffering under your follies, you may perhaps be made sensible of them"
Heart: [Hears list of all the problems and bad judgment that came from associating with
Maria, and deceptions heart creates with others to spend more time with Maria].
"Oh my dear friend how you have revived me by recalling to my mind the transactions of
that day!"
Head: "I told you, you were impudently engaging your affections", "I warned you about
separation pain, that there was NO FUTURE, and what chance is there she'll come to
America? Nearly none. Be Realistic. Focus on objective facts.
"You must learn to look forward before you take a step which may interest our peace."
Heart
Head
Head: "I never found that the moment of triumph for with you was NOT the moment of attention
to [reason]. While suffering under your follies, you may perhaps be made sensible of them"
Heart: [Hears list of all the problems and bad judgment that came from associating with
Maria, and deceptions heart creates with others to spend more time with Maria].
"Oh my dear friend how you have revived me by recalling to my mind the transactions of
that day!"
Head: "I told you, you were impudently engaging your affections", "I warned you about
separation pain, that there was NO FUTURE, and what chance is there she'll come to
America? Nearly none. Be Realistic. Focus on objective facts.
"You must learn to look forward before you take a step which may interest our peace."
"Everything in this world is a matter of calculation. "Do not bite the bait of pleasure..."
"The art of life is the art of avoiding pain."
Th. Jefferson: My Head and My Heart
Heart replies:
Let the sublimated philosopher grasp visionary happiness while pursuing
phantoms dressed in the garb of truth! Their supreme wisdom is supreme
folly: they mistake for happiness the mere absence of pain.
Respect for myself now obliges me to recall you into the proper limits of your
office. ...To you [nature] allotted the field of science, to me that of morals.
Morals were too essential to the happiness of man to be risked on the
uncertain combinations of the head.
EXAMPLES: Wounded soldier asking for ride, poor woman asking for
charity. America's bid for independence from Britain:
I do not know that I ever did a good thing on your (head's) suggestion, or a
dirty one without it.
Jefferson Questions
1. Is “Head” Secure, Anx. Insecure, Avoidant Insecur?
2. Is “Heart” right that morals not the business of reason?
3. How would Maria feel about this letter?
Schachter & Singer: Cognitive, Social, and
Physiological Determinants of Emotional State
Two Factor Model: Emotion requires bodily arousal PLUS
cognitive appraisal. Emotion is the motor, cognition is the
driver.
Maranon studies: Adrenalin + introspection
71% Arousal, no emotion
Stanley Schachter
29% "As if" emotions
Real emotion when asked to imagine emotionally-charged scene.
S&S: What would happen if Ss given stimulant, were physically aroused,
BUT NOT INFORMED?
S&S Happy Stooge/Angry Stooge Experiment
1. THE social psych emotion theory for 25 years.
2. Model of high-drama social psych deception expt.
Schachter & Singer Experiment
Stage I: Arousal Induction
A. Cover story: Testing "Suproxin"
B. Inject with adrenalin
1. Informed: this is a stimulant
2. Uninformed: No info on side effects
3. Misinformed: Side effects, but non-stimulating
C. Or inject with placebo, with no info re. side effects
Schachter & Singer Experiment, cont.
Stage II: Emotion-inducing cognition
A. S in room with stooge (expt'l confederate), who
displays either extreme happiness or
extreme anger.
B. Design and prediction:
Stooge
Happy
Angry
Informed
Uninformed
Misinformed
Placebo
(misinformed
No Emotion
No
Emotion
Happy
Happy
No Emotion
Angry
XXX
No Emotion
Schachter & Singer Results
1. Manipulation check: Epi --> more arousal than placebo
2. Behavior
A. Happy Stooge
1. Informed < misinformed
2. Placebo = ignorant = misinformed
B. Angry Stooge
1. Informed < ignorant
2. Placebo < ignorant
3. No "misinformed" condition
Schachter & Singer Results, cont.
3. Self Report
A. Happy Stooge
1. Informed < ignorant
2. Informed < misinformed
3. No diff for placebo
B. Angry Stooge
1. Informed < ignorant
2. No effect for placebo
Insomnia and the Attribution Process
Storms and Nisbett, 1970
Richard Nisbett
Idea: Would shifting explanation for night-time nervousness from anxious thoughts to a pill lead
reduce insomnia?
Why would this happen? How is this related to Schachter & Singer?
Study Design
Misattribution / lowered arousal: Subs. take placebo, told it will heighten arousal
What is predicted effect of this information on sleep? Why?
Misattribution / increased arousal: Subs. take placebo, told it will help relax.
What is predicted effect of this information on sleep? Why?
Subjects: 42 insomniacs at Yale
"Arrousal Cond" "This drug....will increase your heart rate and...body temp.,
You may feel like your mind is racing. ..."
"Relax cond" "This drug...will lower your heart rate...body tem. And it will calm
your mind ... "
Study Results
Minutes to Falling Asleep
Note: Arousal pre-drug due to 2 outliers
Storms and Nisbett Questions
1. Why would emotions keep you awake? Do they explain this?
2. S & M say that "if arousal subjects attribute less arousal to their cognitions...[they will
sleep better]. What does this suggest about emotions and cognitions? What is keeping
Subs awake? What keeps anyone awake, emotions or thoughts?
3. Does misattribution lead to:
a. More potent target emotion (I was feeling somewhat worried about test, now
I am very worried)?
OR
b. Greater anxiety about the emotion, (Oh no, here comes my anxiety!! I'll
never sleep now because of my anxiety. I am worried about my worrying!)