Chapter 13 pt. 2: Physiology of
Emotion, Detecting Lies, and
Experiencing Emotion
The Physical Arousal of
Emotion is Controlled by The
Autonomic Nervous System
 It
is very difficult to differentiate the
physical arousal associated with many
emotions (hurts James-Lange Theory)
even though they definitely feel different.
 The arousal associated with emotions are
controlled by the autonomic nervous
system’s divisions the sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems.
Autonomic Nervous System’s
Division
Autonomic nervous system controls
physiological arousal
Sympathetic
division (arousing)
Parasympathetic
division (calming)
Pupils dilate
EYES
Pupils contract
Decreases
SALIVATION
Increases
Perspires
SKIN
Dries
Increases
RESPIRATION
Decreases
Accelerates
HEART
Slows
Inhibits
DIGESTION
Activates
Secrete stress
hormones
ADRENAL
GLANDS
Decreases
secretion of
stress
hormones
Arousal’s Impact on
Performance
 Review:

What types of tasks are performed best with
high amounts of arousal?

What types of tasks are performed bets with
low amounts of arousal?
Arousal and Performance
Performance
level
Low
Arousal
High
Can Measuring Arousal Detect
Lies?
 Polygraph:
machine commonly used to
in attempts to detect lies.
 Measures Physiological Responses to
Emotion Including:
perspiration
heart rate
blood pressure
breathing changes
Questioning Process With The
“Lie Detector”
 1.
Ask Control Question which you are
most likely guilty of (Probable lie).
– Have you ever stolen anything?
 2.
Ask Relevant Question that you are
interested in.
– Were you at the scene of the crime the day
of the murder?
 If
there is a bigger physiological reaction
to the relevant question than the control
question you are lying.
What Arguments Do Critics
Make Against the “Lie
Detector?”
Accuracy of the Polygraph Is
Between 70 & 90%
Is this a good level of accuracy?
 With 70% Accuracy:
– Assume 5% of 1000 employees actually
guilty
 test all employees
 285 will be wrongly accused
 With 95% Accuracy:
– Assume 1 in 1000 employees actually guilty
 test all employees (including 999
innocents)
 50 wrongly declared guilty

Polygraph Accuracy Study
Percentage
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Innocent
people
Judged innocent by polygraph
Judged guilty by polygraph
Guilty
people
Detecting Emotion/Lies With
Facial Expressions
Paul Ekman developed a
system for classifying deception
within emotional expression.
 With experience and training it is
possible to detect
microexpressions which indicate
guilt, despair, and fear.
 Must play close attention to facial
muscles which are nearly
impossible to control.

Expressing Emotion: Gender
Differences
 Studies
have found that women are better
readers of emotional cues and have more
emotional reactivity than men in all
measures except for anger.
Number
of
expressions
Men
Sad
Happy
Film Type
Women
Scary
The Emotion of Fear
 Fear
is an adaptive emotion which
helps prepare us for dangerous
situations but which can also
negatively impact us.
 Some fears are more innate than
others but there have been
experiments which have shown fears
can be learned.
–Ex: Monkeys and snakes and
Certain phobias
Biology of Fear
 The
body’s control
center for
learning/enacting
fear is the
amygdala.
 Loss or damage to
one’s amygdala has
lead to fearlessness
in some patients.
The Emotion of Anger: Is the
Catharsis Theory True?
 Catharsis:
refers to an emotional
release. The hypothesis argues that
by releasing aggressive energy on
can relieve their aggressive urges.
The Concept of Happiness
 Feel-Good,
Do-Good Phenomenon:
you will be helpful more often if you are
in a good mood.
 Subjective Well Being: most common
measurement of happiness, satisfaction,
and quality of life. Looks at physical as
well as economic indicators.
Does Money Buy Happiness?
Average
per-person
after-tax income
in 1995 dollars
$20,000
$19,000
$18,000
$17,000
$16,000
$15,000
$14,000
$13,000
$12,000
$11,000
$10,000
$9,000
$8,000
$7,000
$6,000
$5,000
$4,000
100% Percentage
90% describing
80% themselves as
70% very happy
60%
Personal income
50%
40%
Percentage very happy 30%
20%
10%
0%
1930 1940 1950 1960 1970
Year
1980 1990 2000
Does Focusing On the
Benjamins Bring Happiness?
0.6
Importance
scores
0.4
Money
Love
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Life satisfaction
6.00
7.00
What Affects Happiness?

Adaptation Level Phenomenon: our
tendency to form judgments about our
happiness relative to our prior
experience.
What Affects Happiness?
 Relative
Deprivation: the tendency to
be disappointed with a situation when
you perceive you are worse off than
others.
 Ex: Grade Distributions; Pro Athletes’
salaries.
 Works opposite way too; feeling satisfied
when comparing yourself to the less
fortunate.
Predicting Happiness
Researchers Have Found That
Happy People Tend to
However, Happiness Seems Not Much
Related to Other Factors, Such as
Have high self-esteem
(in individualistic countries)
Age
Be optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable
Gender (women are more often
depressed, but also more often joyful)
Have close friendships or a satisfying
marriage
Education levels
Have work and leisure that engage
their skills
Parenthood (having children or not)
Have a meaningful religious faith
Physical attractiveness
Sleep well and exercise
Short Term Adaptation Level
Theory
Opponent Process Theory of
Emotion: is the idea that
every emotion triggers an
opposing emotion.
Ex: Pain of childbirth--->Euphoria