EMOTION
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CHAPTER 11.4
LEARNING GOALS
Discuss the Function of Emotions
Differentiate Attitudes, Mood, and Emotion
Examine the evidence for and against basic emotions
•  Discuss the cross-cultural research concerning facial
expressions and emotion
•  Explain the facial-feedback hypothesis
Differentiate among the various theories on how emotions
occur
•  Explain the components of each theory
2
•  Critique each theory
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OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
2
WHY HAVE
EMOTIONS?
Would we be better off if we
just relied on our reasoning
capabilities?
WHY HAVE
EMOTIONS?
Communication
Survival value
Enhancing memory
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OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
Gender, Culture, and Emotion
WHAT IS EMOTION?
Emotion is a type of affect
Affect includes:
Attitudes
Mood
Emotion
Evaluation of
something’s
“goodness” or
“badness”
General
Long-lasting
Not regarding a
specific
stimulus
Short-lived
In response to a
particular
stimulus
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OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
Gender, Culture, and Emotion
HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
BASIC EMOTIONS
Amusement
Anger
Contempt
Contentment
Disgust
Embarrassment
Excitement
Fear
Guilt
Pride in achievement
Relief
Sadness/distress
Satisfaction
Sensory pleasure
Shame
Families of emotions:
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HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
BASIC EMOTIONS
Emotion:
•  Physiology
•  Behavior
•  Cognition
•  Expression
•  Subjective experience
According to the
basic emotions view,
each of these
characteristics of
each basic emotion
is universal and
unlearned
HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
BASIC EMOTIONS
Emotion:
•  Physiology
•  Behavior
•  Cognition
•  Expression*
•  Subjective experience
According to the
basic emotions view,
each of these
characteristics of
each basic emotion
is universal and
unlearned
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HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
BASIC EMOTIONS
Happy face:
95-100% of
Americans,
Brazilians, Chileans,
Argentineans and
Japanese agree
Paul Ekman and colleagues
HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
BASIC EMOTIONS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YgOZ3AYRds
Paul Ekman and colleagues
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FACIAL-FEEDBACK
HYPOTHESIS
ž
Laird/Ekman:
Facial contortions
(expressions) yield
emotions that fit
ž
Expression can
influence emotional
experience
HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
Intuitive (?) view:
Stimulus
Emotion
Physiologic
al and
behavioral
changes
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HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
James-Lange theory
•  emotional feelings result
•  AFTER aware of a physiological
response to an emotion-provoking
stimulus
Proposed simultaneously by William
James and Carl Lange in 1884
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES:
SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
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JAMES-LANGE
THEORY
Stimulus
Physiologic
al and
behavioral
changes
Emotion
CANNON-BARD
THEORY
Cannon Bard theory
•  emotion-provoking stimulus is
transmitted simultaneously to the
cerebral cortex
•  which is responsible for conscious
experience of the emotion, and to
the sympathetic nervous system,
which causes physiological arousal
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CANNON-BARD THEORY
Stimulus
Physiologic
al and
behavioral
changes
Emotion
HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
Critiques of theories so far:
• Commonalities in brain activations for different
emotions
• Similar physiological and cognitive
characteristics
•  Shortness of breath
•  Racing heart
•  Thoughts are consumed by a stimulus
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HOW DOES EMOTION
OCCUR?
• Similar physiological and cognitive
characteristics
•  Shortness of breath
•  Racing heart
•  Thoughts are consumed by a stimulus
Context and cognition matter!
SCHACHTER-SINGER
THEORY
The Schachter-Singer two-factor theory
suggests that two things must happen
for a person to feel an emotion
•
•
There must be physiological arousal
There must be a cognitive interpretation of the
arousal, so the person can label it as a specific
emotion
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TWO-FACTOR THEORY OF
EMOTION: SCHACTER & SINGER
Physiological arousal
•  Sweaty palms
•  Increased heart rate
•  rapid breathing
Cognitive Label
•  Attribute source of arousal to
a cause
To have an emotion, both
factors are required
SCHACHTER-SINGER THEORY
Physiological arousal
•  Sweaty palms
•  Increased heart rate
•  rapid breathing
Cognitive Label
•  Attribute source of arousal to
a cause
To have an emotion, both
factors are required
Bears are
dangerous!
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SCHACHTER-SINGER
THEORY
High Bridge study (Dutton & Aron)
• Bridge induces feelings of
physiological arousal
• Attractive female
experimenter approached
males either on or off the
bridge to complete a survey
• How many males from each
group later called the
experimenter to ask her for a
Men approached ON the bridge were more likely
date?
to call the experimenter back.
SCHACHTER-SINGER
THEORY
High Bridge study (Dutton & Aron)
Men on the bridge attributed their physiological arousal
(being “lovestruck”) to the female experimenter, rather than
the height of the bridge
•  Demonstrates that cognitive interpretation coupled with
physiological response leads to emotional response
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LAZARUS THEORY
Lazarus theory
•  cognitive appraisal is the first step
in an emotional response
•  all other aspects of an emotion,
including physiological arousal,
depend on it
LAZARUS THEORY
Physiologic
al and
behavioral
changes
Stimulus
Cognitive
Appraisal
Emotion
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LAZARUS THEORY
You think
the bear
could be
dangerous
and
possibly
attack you.
OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
16
EMOTION
REGULATION
Can we change our emotional responses?
Emotion regulation refers to the processes by which we
change the emotions we have and when we have them
(Gross, 1998)
At least two forms:
•  Reappraisal
•  Suppression
EMOTION REGULATION:
REAPPRAISAL
Changing the way that you think about an emotional stimulus
Changing your reaction toward an emotional stimulus
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REAPPRAISAL
You think
the bear
could be
dangerou
s and
possibly
attack
you.
Appraisal
You think
that the
bear is
far
enough
away that
it won’t
get to
you.
Re-appraisal
REAPPRAISAL
Leads to a reduction in physiological responses and
subjective emotional experience
•  Ex: reduced heart rate
Chronic use of reappraisal is associated with higher levels
of subjective well-being
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SUPPRESSION
Changing the behavioral outcome of an emotional response
•  Ex:
•  Hiding facial expression
SUPPRESSION
You think
the bear
could be
dangerou
s and
possibly
attack
you.
Appraisal
Suppression
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SUPPRESSION
Unlike reappraisal, suppression does not lead to a
reduction in either physiology or subjective
emotional experience
Chronic use of suppression is associated with
lower levels of subjective well-being
OUTLINE
Functions of emotion
Defining emotion
How does emotion occur?
•  Basic emotions
•  James-Lange theory
•  Cannon-Bard theory
•  Schachter-Singer theory
•  Lazarus theory
Emotion regulation
Emotion and the Brain
20
EMOTION AND THE BRAIN
amygdala
EMOTION AND THE
BRAIN
Amygdala:
•  Responds to emotional information
•  Most often associated with fear
•  More recently, evidence points to the amygdala’s
role in responding to any emotionally arousing
information
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EMOTION AND THE
BRAIN
The amygdala is stimulated when
fearful eyes are flashed too briefly
for conscious recognition
A fast route to emotional recognition?
Whalen et al., 2004
EMOTION AND THE
BRAIN
Prefrontal Cortex
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EMOTION AND THE
BRAIN
Prefrontal Cortex:
•  Important for appraisals and regulation of emotional
information
•  Shares reciprocal connections with the amygdala
•  Can dampen the response of the amygdala (for
example, when overcoming a fear response)
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