 Course
 How
Reserves
to read the articles
 Open
Yale Courses – Emotion Topics
 “Episodic,
relatively short-term, biologicallybased patterns of perception, experience,
physiology, action, and communication that
occur in response to specific physical and
social challenges and opportunities.”
 What
are the 5 components of an emotion?
(Keltner & Gross, 1999, p.468)
 How
does an emotion differ from other
constructs (i.e., moods, sentiments)?

Readings: Ekman (1994); Frijda (1994)
 Classic
Theories of Emotion – According to
each theory, which of the components of
emotion are important?

Reading: Schirmer (2014, pp. 11-18)
 Drives
(e.g., hunger)
 Moods
(e.g., cranky)
 Affective
Disorders (e.g., depression)
 Sentiments
(“I hate Ohio State”)
 Personality
Traits (e.g., Extraversion)
[Ekman, P. (1994). Moods, emotions, and traits. In P. Ekman, & R.J. Davidson (Eds.), The
nature of emotion (pp. 56-58). New York: Oxford.]
[Frijda, N. (1994). Varieties of affect: Emotions and episodes, moods, and sentiments.]
 Duration

EMOTION INTENSITY

Emotion vs. Mood vs. Affective Disorder
Recurring Emotion Episodes
HIGH
LOW
TIME
[Ekman, P. (1994). Moods, emotions, and traits. In P. Ekman, & R.J. Davidson (Eds.), The
nature of emotion (pp. 56-58). New York: Oxford.]
[Frijda, N. (1994). Varieties of affect: Emotions and episodes, moods, and sentiments.]

Duration


Emotion vs. Mood vs. Affective Disorder
Recurring Emotion Episodes

Moods may cause emotions, and emotions may
cause moods

Moods make it harder to control emotions

Unique facial expressions and vocal signals

Eliciting Event
[Ekman, P. (1994). Moods, emotions, and traits. In P. Ekman, & R.J.
Davidson (Eds.),The nature of emotion (pp. 56-58). New York: Oxford.]
 James-Lange
 Cannon-Bard
 Schachter-Singer
Emotions are labels we give to the way
the body reacts to certain situations.
[Schirmer, A. (2014). (R)evolutionary ideas of the 19th century. Emotion
(Chapter 1, pp.11-18). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.]
Eliciting Event
Brain
Eliciting Event
Brain
Bodily
Changes
Behavior Change
Eliciting Event
Brain
Bodily
Changes
Behavior Change
Emotion Label
Eliciting Event
Brain
“I feel
afraid!”
Bodily
Changes
Subjective Feelings
Behavior Change
Emotion Label
BIG BEAR
Quick Cognitive
Appraisal
Quick Cognitive
Appraisal
Brain quickly interprets
event, physiological, and
behavior changes
Stomach
Tightens
I feel my stomach
tightening and see
myself running away!
Turn to run!
Fear!!!
 Bodily
changes occur slower than the feeling
experience of an emotion

Cannon and Bard
 Interpretation/perception
of the eliciting
event may be a stronger determinant of the
emotion label than bodily changes
 Specific
bodily changes do not match specific
emotions

Cannon and Bard
Cognitive appraisal, physiological
change, behavior, and feelings are
Separate, but Simultaneous
Eliciting Event
Physiological
Change
Behavior
Change
Subjective
Feelings
Cognitive
Appraisal
BEAR
HR ↑
Run!
Feels like fear!
This is fear!
 Large
amount of evidence contradicts
 Sudden
events can quickly (in seconds) evoke
physiological changes and an emotion

Gun shot → HR increases → Fear!
 Importance:
First to suggest that cognitive
appraisal determines emotion label
Physiological arousal determines strength of emotion;
Cognitive appraisal identifies the emotion.
Strength of
Emotion
Physiological
Change
Eliciting Event
Cognitive
Appraisal
Behavior
Change
Label Emotion
Subjective
Feelings
This is a very strong change
in arousal!
HR ↑
Bear
Why is my heart pounding? I
see a bear – this explains the
heart pounding!
Cognitive
Appraisal
Run!
Feels like fear!
This is a very strong change
in arousal!
HR ↑
My Significant Other
Why is my heart pounding? I
see my significant other– this
explains the heart pounding!
Cognitive
Appraisal
Run!
Feels like love!
Unexplained
physiological
arousal
Look for an
explanation
for arousal
(cognitive
appraisal)
Label
Emotion!
 IV
#1: Type of Injection (Epinephrine, Placebo)
 IV
#2: Manipulated expectations of side effects
(only epinephrine cond.)


½ told: will increase HR, sweating
½ told: NOTHING!
 IV


#3: Manipulated Situation (Euphoria, Anger)
Euphoria: confederate acted happy
Anger: confederate acted angry
 DV:
Ps’ self-reported happiness:anger ratio
Epinephrine
½ told shot
would ↑ HR,
sweat, etc.
Placebo
½ not told
anything
Euphoria
Condition
Euphoria
Condition
Anger
Condition
Anger
Condition
Euphoria
Condition
Anger
Condition
Epinephrine
½ told shot
would ↑ HR,
sweat, etc.
Euphoria
Condition
Anger
Condition
Placebo
½ not told
anything
Euphoria
Condition
Anger
Condition
Euphoria
Condition
Anger
Condition
Same levels of
happiness and anger
Side Effects
Expected
½ told shot
would ↑ HR,
sweat, etc.
Euphoria
Condition
Happy < Anger
Attributed
arousal to shot
Side Effects
Not Expected
Epinephrine
Anger
Condition
Happy > Anger
½ not told
anything
Euphoria
Condition
Happy > Anger
Anger
Condition
Happy = Anger
Misattributed
arousal to happy
confederate
Side Effects
Expected
½ told shot
would ↑ HR,
sweat, etc.
Euphoria
Condition
Happy < Anger
Side Effects
Not Expected
Epinephrine
½ not told
anything
Anger
Condition
Euphoria
Condition
Happy > Anger
Attributed
arousal to shot
Happy > Anger
Anger
Condition
Happy = Anger
Misattributed
arousal to angry
confederate

Emotions are influenced by our interpretation of
the situation


Whether expect or do not expect side effects
We experience unexplained arousal, and then look
to our environment for an explanation
Was it the shot? Was it the confederate’s behavior?
 Sometimes our interpretation is right, sometimes wrong!


When a variable interferes with the cognitive
appraisal process (such as by telling people which
emotion to feel), then the type of emotion people
report changes.
 Calculation
of happy:angry ratio is confusing
 Epinephrine
could affect people’s physiology in
different ways
 Cognitive
appraisal component is slower and
conscious
 Less
focus on quick, automatic appraisals
Video
Condition #1:
Low Bridge
Condition #2:
High Bridge
Assume
experience low
arousal
Assume
experience
high arousal
DV = Attraction
to female
experimenter
DV = Attraction
to female
experimenter
Low Bridge
High Bridge
Assume
experience
low arousal
Assume
experience
high arousal
DV = Attraction
to female
experimenter
DV = Attraction
to female
experimenter
9% Called
39% called
 James-Lange
 Cannon-Bard
 Schachter-Singer
 Subjective
in feelings
change
 Physiological
changes
 Behavior
Change
 Cognitive
 Eliciting
Appraisal
Event
 James-Lange


Theory
Evolutionary Perspective
Cognitive appraisal occurs quickly through
unconscious processes in brain
 Schachter-Singer




Theory
Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Body determines strength, not label
Unexplained arousal leads to cognitive appraisal
Slower cognitive appraisal
 Research
supports both fast and slow
cognitive appraisals
 Modern
Perspectives of Emotion -What are
the differences between the following
modern perspectives: Basic Emotions,
Dimensional Models, Appraisal Theory, and
Component Process Theory?

Readings: Schirmer (2014, pp. 42-69)
 Basic
and Distinct Emotions – What is the
difference? What are the limitations?

Readings: Ekman & Cordaro (2011); Fischer
(2013, Boston Magazine)