LP 8C Emotions and DM 1
02/28/16
Emotions and Decision Making
We tend to think of emotions interfering with our decisionmaking processes. They do. However, emotions can help
us make decisions in ambiguous situations.
As described in your textbook (page 421-422), Elliot had a
brain tumor (left picture for a similar patient) removed, but
he was no longer able to experience emotions. Unlike the
Vulcan Spock, emotions can help us avoid bad decisions.
Elliot appeared did not express sadness, impatience or
frustration, nor any emotional expression from disturbing
images injured bodies. He made many bad decisions
because he couldn’t feel any negative emotions that made
him avoid bad situations (bad gambling decisions, bad
business decisions, the effect his behavior had on others,
etc.)
LP 8C Emotions and DM 2
02/28/16
Emotions in Decision Making
If you mention the name George W. Bush or Bill Clinton,
you will get different emotional reactions from different
people.
• How can people manipulate your emotions, and thus
your motivation without your awareness?
• Where else do you see the same process?
• Why is this important?
What influences our emotional response and attitudes?
• Expectations
• Conditioned responses
• Prior experiences
• Reinforced and punished emotional responses
• Culture
• Social environment
• Evolutionary history
LP 8C Emotions and DM 3
02/28/16
Classical Conditioning of Emotions (Chapter 7)
LP 8C Emotions and DM 4
02/28/16
Emotional Response and Voluntary Behavior
Classical conditioning generally involves involuntary
behavior. Operant conditioning involves voluntary
behavior. Often, we observe the voluntary behavior.
Involuntary Response
• Fear of snakes
• Prejudicial attitudes
• Inappropriate sexual
arousal that harms others
(paraphilias)
• Disgust at eating
spaghetti that has gone
bad (taste aversions)
• Isn’t that so cute!
• Withdrawal symptoms in
response to drug taking
cues
• Reduced immune
response
Voluntary behavior
• Avoid zoos
• Discriminate against
others
• exhibitionism
• Choose not to eat at
Authentic Tony’s Italian
Meal Deal
• Buying GEICO insurance
• Using drugs
• Avoid hospitals
LP 8C Emotions and DM 5
02/28/16
Classical Conditioning, Emotions, Motivation and
Behavior
Many of the social issues that many of you wrote down
involved voluntary behaviors. Classical conditioning
involves involuntary behaviors that can occur without our
knowledge and tend to be automatic. These involuntary
behaviors can include our emotions.
LP 8C Emotions and DM 6
02/28/16
The Appeal to Emotions: Fear
LP 8C Emotions and DM 7
02/28/16
Feelings May Override Thinking
Emotions Can Affect Our Ability to Think Critically and
Evaluate Information.
LP 8C Emotions and DM 8
02/28/16
Emotions and Decision Making
“Media often fails to distinguish between facts and
opinions” by Drew Weston, Nov 23, 2004
Question:
Should Donald Rumsfeld testify before
Congress about his involvement in the Abu
Ghraib prison torture scandal?
What predicts people’s response?
Westen gave two groups different quantities of evidence
and surveyed their feelings on several topics
• Quantity of evidence
• Feelings toward the military
• Feelings toward Human Rights Groups
• Feelings toward Republicans
Very Little Evidence
• Feelings toward the
military
• Feelings toward Human
Rights Groups
• Feelings toward
Republicans
Lots of Evidence
• Feelings toward the
military
• Feelings toward Human
Rights Groups
• Feelings toward
Republicans
.84 versus .85
LP 8C Emotions and DM 9
02/28/16
LP 8C Emotions and DM 10
02/28/16
LP 8C Emotions and DM 11
02/28/16
Intuitive Moralist
Our decisions on what is moral and immoral might not be
based on any abstract notion of right or wrong, but how we
feel about an event.
There is a runaway train that is going to hit 5 people.
Participants find it acceptable that to pull a lever and
redirect the train to another track where it will kill another
person (picture a). However, participants also find it
unacceptable to push a person into the train, saving the
lives of the 5 people (picture b).
People essentially responded that the first situation
(picture a) “feels right” where the second situation (picture
b) “feels wrong”.