Psychology of
Emotions
Professor Kent Harber
PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTION
21 830 405
Instructor:
Prof. Kent Harber
Meeting times:
Tu, Thrs; 11:30-12:50
Location:
Boyden Hall, Rm 413
Office Hours:
Tu., 2:00-4:00
Harber's Research Program
Emotions, Resources, and Perception
The Function of Emotional Disclosure
Interracial Feedback
Class Rules
 Cell phones off
 No texting.
Ever.
 Drinks are OK, food not OK
 Repeated late arrivals a problem, except
– Medical Issues
– Employment Issues
Scope of Class
Section I:
General Background
Classes 1-10
Section II:
Functions and Processes
Classes 11-16
Section III:
Specific Emotions and
Classes 17-24
Emotion Management
Section I: General Background and
Basic Principles
1. Approaches to understanding emotions
2. Evolution of emotions
3. Culture and emotions
4. Defining emotion
5. Development and emotion
6. Physiology of emotion
Section II:
Functions and Processes of Emotions
1. Emotions and health
2. Emotions and learning and memory
3. Emotions and reasoning
4. Emotions and social judgment
5. Emotions and Moral Reasoning
6. Empathy
Section III
Specific Emotions and
Emotion Management
1. Positive emotions
6. Traumatic events
2. Anger and hostility
7. Emotions and perception
3. Fear and anxiety
8. Resources and Perception
4. Disgust
9. Conation (motivation) and morale
5. Managing emotions
Class Structure
Challenging class!
* Covers a lot of ground
* Principles a pre-requisite
* Intensive reading load, about 60 pp. per week
* Readings from scientific journals
* Some material ONLY in lecture
* I’m a tough but fair grader
Readings and Lectures
Readings
* Understanding Emotions, Oately & Jenkins, 2004
At: New Jersey Books, 167 University Ave.
* Class Reader: At Affordable Copies, 55 Halsey
St. (973) 802-1007.
Lectures
* Follow class reading
* Sometimes go beyond class reading
Overheads:
http://psychology.rutgers.edu/Users/kharber/index.html
Grading
Grade calculation
Class Project = 15% Quizzes 10% each (20% total)
Midterm= 30%, Final = 35%
Tests are multiple choice
Tests are challenging. Not impossible, but not cake.
Do not arrive more than 15 minutes late to class,
exams
Number of Students
Grading: Previous Class Taught
NOTE: No credit for attendance now--so grading will be even tougher.
Tips on Reading, Studying, and Class Notes
1. Take notes during class.
2. Read with your pen. Make margin notes, don't just highlight.
3. Empirical (research) articles
Read Intro and Discussion carefully, skim methods and
results. I will cover methods and results in class.
4. PowerPoint Slides: Download and study these!!!
Reading With Your Pen
Guest Lectures
March 26: Christian Williams: Emotions and Morals
April 23: Jessica Benson: Emotions as Information
April 30: Ross Ellenhorn: Motives, Morale, and Mental Health
No Class on Feb. 26!!!
Neglect of Emotions in Psychology
30 yrs ago, experimental psychology silent on emotions
Emotions addressed in early days, but then disappears
Psych wants to be a science, emotions too flakey
Mesmerism
Freud – cigars, sex, bad mommies
Emotions make people nervous:
Taboo impulses: sex, anger, desire
Reminds people of animal natures
How do you even study emotion?
Rediscovery of Emotions
Dominance of Behaviorism (1950-1975-ish):
BF Skinner: Humans do no have minds
Cognitive revolution (1970-1990) –
R. Sheppard: Humans have minds!
Minds affect behavior.
Emotional revolution (1990 – and ongoing)
R. Zajonc: Humans have emotions! Emotions affect
thinking and behavior.
Darwin’s Taxonomy of Emotions
Expression
Blushing
Body contact
Clenching fists
Crying
Frowning
Laughing
Perspiration
Hair on end
Screaming
Shrugging
Sneering
Trembling
Motor
Apparatus
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Blood vessels
=
Somatic muscles =
Somatic muscles =
Tear ducts
=
Facial muscles =
Breathing apparat.=
Sweat glands
=
Dermal apparatus =
Vocal apparatus =
Somatic muscles =
Facial muscles =
Somatic muscles =
Emotion
Shame, modesty
Affection
Anger
Sadness
Anger, frustration
Pleasure
Pain
Fear, anger
Pain
Resignation
Contempt
Fear, anxiety
Darwin’s Approach to Emotions
1. Not interested in Emotions, per se. Uses Emotions to
show humans evolved from more primitive critters.
2. Human emotions are VESTIGIAL
3. Human emotions reflect animal signals
Sneering – revealing teeth – bite threat
Eye raise – forehead pulled back
– flat ears on dogs
4. Uselessness of emotions … phone call hand gestures
5. Darwin a Victorian.
James / Lange
Theory of Emotion
Exciting event  bodily response  emotion
“I see a bear, I run, I feel fear.”
Ties emotions to bodily states
Our bodies “know” meaning of events, automatically
Greater intensity of bodily arousal more intense emotion.
Emotions give color, warmth to experience
But, emotions still passive
Freud and the
Case of Katherina
Kath. 18 year old daughter of inn keeper,
suffers panic attacks
Freud: Looks to see when/where fear started
Asks: Seen anything embarrassing?
Kath: Sees father having sex with cousin. Vomiting fits for 3 days
After telling story, Kath. Improves
She was like someone transformed. The sulky unhappy face
had grown lively, here eyes were bright and exalted.
Sigmund Freud and Emotions
1. Emotions are tied to bodily states
2. Emotions reveal underlying, unconscious thoughts and
perceptions.
3. Emotions tied to the self
4. Emotions can precede conscious awareness of important facts
5. Humans defend themselves against emotionally-disturbing facts.
6. Emotional conflicts lead to psychological and physical ailments
7. Putting emotions into language advances coping.
New Directions In Emotions Science:
Big Brother “Feels You”
http://www.affectiva.com/technology/
Sensors in phones, TVs, cars, public spaces.
Clients: Verizon, Anheiser Busch (responsive beer bottles!),
ATMs, AOL, eBay, Sony, X Box, Intel, Google, Comcast, etc.)
Program will know your emotions better than you will.
Program can read your inner states, better than you can hide
them.
Welcome to the Brave New World of Emotional Scanning!