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Chapter 13
Emotion and Personality
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Part II. The Cognitive/Experiential
Domain


Cognitive Experiences:

Perceptions

Interpretations

Goals and strategies to reach goals

Mental Ability/Intelligence
Emotions


Emotion content, triggers and tendencies
Self:

How people define the self

Evaluation of the self

Social roles
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Outline

Emotional States Versus Emotional Traits

3 Approaches to Emotions

Trait Emotions (your book calls “emotional content”)


What types of emotions do people experience?
Emotional Intensity

How do people experience their emotions?
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Emotions: Four Components

Feelings

Physiological Changes

Behaviors: Facial Expressions, approach/avoid, etc.

Cognitive Appraisals
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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State vs. Trait Emotions

State and trait emotions both provide a measure of emotional
experience

State emotions:


In response to a specific event

Dissipate quickly

People tend to exhibit the same emotion in reaction to the same
event (e.g., guilt after lying)
Trait Emotions:

Individual differences in emotions.

Tendency to experience a specific emotion over time and across
situations

For each emotion, people may be more or less likely to
experience the emotion.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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What is your emotion?

Emotion #2
A.
Sadness
B.
Disgust
C.
Panicked
D.
Bored
E.
Interested
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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State or trait emotion?

Alexa often feels queasy. She feels queasy when she sees
roadkill, blood, a needle, and even a cut on her finger.

Michael was the next person in line at Starbucks (he was up
all night studying and needed the caffeine!!). While looking
down at his phone, some jerk butted in front of him. Michael
was furious!

Patrick is a nervous person. As a child, he would always feel
nervous before his soccer game and before going to school.
As an adult, Patrick is nervous before receiving his work
evaluation and even when he is running a few minutes late
for a doctor’s appointment.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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3 Approaches to Emotions



Categorical Perspective:

Looking for universal emotions

Also called “Basic” Emotions

Use evolutionary theory as support
Cognitive Appraisal Theory

Universal emotions do not exist.

People’s interpretations determine the emotion they feel

Culture constructs our emotional experience
Dimensional Perspective:

Goal is to group subjective feelings into overall
factors/dimensions of emotions
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Categorical Approach to Emotions

Universal Emotions: all people in all cultures experience
the same emotions in the same way

Focus on identifying a small number of primary and distinct
emotions

Emotions are adaptive (Darwin)

Lack of consensus about regarding which emotions are
primary

Lack of consensus is attributable to different criteria used for
defining an emotion as primary (facial expressions,
physiology, etc.)

Inside Out
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
1 2 3
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Anger
Contempt
4
Disgust Surprise
Any problems
with this
methodology?
5
6
7
Sadness Happiness Fear
Which face did you
identify first? Last?
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Appraisal Theory

Cognitive Appraisal Theorists noticed that different people
experience different emotions in response to the same event

Our cognitive appraisal determines the discrete emotion we
experience

We can misinterpret our arousal!


Chris and Fort Worth – wine.
Types of cognitive appraisals

Pleasantness

Goal Significance

Coping Potential

Novelty/Familiarity
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Dimensional Approach to
Emotions

People rate themselves on a variety of emotions, then factor
analysis identifies dimensions

Factor Analysis resulted in two dimensions of emotion:

(1) Valence = Pleasantness vs. Unpleasantness


(2) Activation = High vs. Low Arousal


subjective feeling of how well one is doing
subjective feeling of sense of mobilization or energy
Circumplex Models – arrange emotions around circle
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
Joy-Pink
Disgust-Green
Sadness-Dark Blue
Anger-White
Fearful-Purple
Lethargic – Blue/Green
UNPLEASANT
ACTIVATION
PLEASANT
DEACTIVATION
+
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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(Russell & Barrett, 1999)
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Summary: 3 Perspectives of
Emotion

Categorical approach – emotions are universal!

These distinctions could be facial expressions, behaviors, etc.

Appraisal approach – emotions are not universal!

Dimensional approach - emotions be classified into valence and
activation!
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Pleasant and Unpleasant
Trait Emotions

Typical emotions a person is likely to experience over time
and across situations.

Pleasant emotions: Happiness and Well-Being

Unpleasant emotions: Neuroticism and Anger

Relationship between pleasant/unpleasant emotions and Big
Five
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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2 Questions…
What
makes you happy?
What
would make you happier?
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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A

Friends and Family

My boyfriend/girlfriend

A feeling of
success/accomplishment

Relaxing

Playing sports/being active

Enjoying nature

Music and humor

Religion

Making Others Happy
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
B

More money or possessions

A good job and a secure future

A new boyfriend or girlfriend
or a better relationship with
the current one

Better grades in school

More time with family and
friends

More sleep!
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Two Happiness Perspectives


(1) Eudaimonia: judgment about one’s life purpose and
meaning

Cognitive component (think goals!)

Also called “Life Satisfaction” or “Subjective Well-being”
(2) Hedonic: ratio of a person’s positive emotions to negative
emotions, averaged over time.


Affective component
Eudaimonic and hedonic happiness are positively
correlated
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Eudaimonic Perspective –
Healthy, Happy, & Prosperous!

Happiness based on lifelong pursuit of meaningful,
developmental goals

We are happy because we reached our goals!


Maslow, Adler
We are happy when we engage in interesting, challenging
tasks on a daily basis

Flow - Csikszentmihalyi

Well-being = happiness + meaning

Happiness and well-being not synonymous
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Meaning in Life

One way to measure meaning aspect of well-being

Presence of Meaning – report high meaning in life


I understand my life’s meaning; I have discovered a satisfying life
purpose; My life has no clear purpose (R).

Positively correlated with love, joy, Extraversion
Search for Meaning – currently seeking meaning to life

I am always looking to find my life’s purpose; I am searching for my
meaning in life.

Positively correlated with fear, shame, sadness, depression, Neuroticism

Typically, presence and search negative correlated.

But, could be positively correlated.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Hedonic Perspective
During the next two minutes……..
 Recall
happy events that you have experienced
in your life.
 Recall
negative events that you have
experienced in your life.
 Calculate
the proportion:
Happy Events : Negative Events
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Hedonic Perspective
 Experience
of pleasure and appreciation of life’s
rewards
 Well-being
 Happiness
= Positive affect + general life satisfaction
 Well-being
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
= happiness
= Positive affect + general life satisfaction
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Satisfaction with Life (SWLS) Score
 In
most ways, my life is close to my ideal.
 The
I
conditions of my life are excellent
am satisfied with my life.
 So
far, I have gotten the important things I
want in life.
 If
I could live my life over, I would change
almost nothing.
 Your
hedonic happiness = SWLS + PA: NA.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Summary: Eudaimonic and
Hedonic Perspectives
 Eudaimonic
Happiness: Well-being = happiness
+ meaning
 Happiness and well-being are different
constructs.
 Hedonic
Happiness: Well-being = Positive affect
+ general life satisfaction
 Happiness and well-being are the same
constructs.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Who is the happiest?

No sex difference in overall happiness, global well-being,
meaning in life, life satisfaction

No age difference in overall happiness



Relationship Status

People who are married report more happiness and presence of
meaning

Single individuals report greater search for meaning.
People in collectivist cultures (vs. individualistic) place less value
on the experience of positive emotions.


Circumstances that make people happy change with age
More likely to experience mixed emotions
***Answers may depend on the definition of happiness!
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Who is the happiest?

National differences in subjective well-being

People in poorer countries are less happy

People in countries that provide citizens fewer civil and political rights
are less happy

Differences in economic development

For low SES: money DOES make people happier

For mid-high SES: money DOES NOT make people happier
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Link between happiness and
income

Economic prosperity predicted global life evaluation


GDP, High income, high standard of living, possession of luxury
goods
Psychosocial prosperity predicted experience of positive
feelings

Learning, autonomy, using one’s skills, respect, ability to count on
others in emergency
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
(Diener et al., 2010)
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Country
GDP/capita
Psychosocial
Prosperity
High
Global Life
Evaluation
United States
1
19
16
Denmark
5
13
1
The Netherlands
7
36
4
Japan
14
50
24
Italy
18
33
20
Israel
20
56
11
New Zealand
22
12
9
South Korea
24
83
38
South Africa
35
42
53
Russia
36
72
56
Mexico
39
22
23
Costa Rica
41
6
18
Indonesia
59
63
57
India
61
85
46
Ghana
68
51
70
Nepal
76
88
69
Sierra Leone
87
80
87
Tanzania
89
58
86
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Country
GDP/capita
Psychosocial
Prosperity
High Positive
Feelings
Low Negative
Feelings
United States
1
19
26
49
Denmark
5
13
7
1
The Netherlands
7
36
3
26
Japan
14
50
44
6
Italy
18
33
67
63
Israel
20
56
61
64
New Zealand
22
12
1
21
South Korea
24
83
58
77
South Africa
35
42
29
44
Russia
36
72
79
42
Mexico
39
22
17
28
Costa Rica
41
6
4
38
Indonesia
59
63
24
43
India
61
85
63
22
Ghana
68
51
68
20
Nepal
76
88
50
10
Sierra Leone
87
80
87
86
Tanzania
89
58
52
32
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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+ Is happiness a basic or trait
emotion?

In Ekman’s primary emotions, happiness is one of the universal,
basic emotions

Happiness researchers (e.g., Fredrickson) claim that happiness is
not a basic emotion

Experiencing 10 positive basic emotions on frequent, daily basis is
associated with happiness

Joy, interest, contentment, gratitude, awe, amusement, inspiration, pride,
hope, love

Fredrickson’s 3:1 Ratio

Fredrickson’s 3:1 ratio recently debunked (by a graduate student!)
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Trait Emotions

Pleasant emotions: Happiness and Well-Being

Unpleasant emotions: Anger

Relationship between pleasant/unpleasant emotions and Big
Five

Introductory Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVxfcE4F9Xo
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Anger-Proneness:
Type A / Type D Personality Traits


Type A (“angry”) personality:

High on: Ambitiousness, aggressiveness, competitiveness, impatience,
muscle tenseness, alertness, irritation, cynicism, hostility, and
increased potential for anger.

Increased risk of heart disease

Hostility component of Type A most strongly related to heart disease
Type D (“distressed”) personality:

High Negative Affect PLUS Emotional Suppression PLUS Social
Inhibition

Poor quality of life; greater risk of dying; at risk for heart disease;
poorer response to heart disease treatments

Compared to Type A, fewer social ties and greater discomfort around
strangers
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Multidimensional Anger Inventory
AngerArousal
• Frequency, duration, magnitude of
anger
AngerEliciting
Situations
• High = many situations elicit anger
Hostile
Outlook
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
• Tendency to respond to everyday
frustrations with anger and aggression,
to become easily irritated
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“I get angry when I am
delayed, embarrassed,
etc.”
Multidimensional Anger Inventory
Multidimensional Anger Inventory
5
“People can bother me
just by being around.”
“Something makes me
angry almost everyday.”
4
3.13
3
2.60
2.82
2
1
Anger-Arousal
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
Range of AngerEliciting Situations
Hostile Outlook
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Type D Scale
(DS14; Denollet, 2005)
Negative
Affectivity
• Tendency to experience
dysphoria, anxiety, irritability
Social
Inhibition
• Discomfort of social
interactions, lack of social poise,
• Tendency to avoid confrontation
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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25% coronary heart disease patients
and 50% hypertension patients had
Type D personality.
Type D Scale
(DS14; Denollet, 2005)
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Type D Personality should be
positively correlated with
_________ HEXACO dimension.
A.
Honesty-Humility
B.
Emotionality
C.
Extraversion
D.
Openness to Experience
E.
Conscientiousness
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Trait Emotions

Pleasant emotions: Happiness and Well-Being

Unpleasant emotions: Anger

Relationship between pleasant/unpleasant emotions and
Big Five
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Which trait do you think is most strongly
correlated with….
negative emotions? positive emotions?
A.
Openness to Experience
B.
Conscientiousness
C.
Extraversion
D.
Agreeableness
E.
Neuroticism
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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N
E
Negative .65** -.21**
Affect
Positive -.35** .54**
Affect
Neuroticism
most strongly
correlated with
Negative Affect
O
A
C
-.12*
-.26*
-.11
.17**
.25**
.49**
Extraversion
most strongly
correlated with
Positive Affect
(Watson & Clark, 1992)
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Summary of Trait Emotions


We can measure a variety of trait emotions

Happiness – Well-being, Meaning In Life

Anger – MAI, Type D
Researchers disagree about whether happiness is an
emotion

Ekman – happiness can be a state and trait emotion

Fredrickson – happiness is not a basic emotion, but is determined
by the experience of basic positive emotions

Extraversion and Neuroticism are associated with the
experience of positive and negative emotions, respectively.

Because Extraverts experience more positive emotions, they
report greater levels of happiness (supports hedonic view of
happiness).
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Emotional Style: Affect Intensity

Individual difference variable that measures how people typically
experience their emotions.

High Affect Intensity:


Tendency to experience extreme emotions (i.e., highly positive or
highly negative)

Tendency to quickly and frequently fluctuate b/w extreme emotions

Tendency to experience emotions far away from baseline mood level

Stronger reactions to good and bad events
Low Affect Intensity:

Tendency to experience mild, not extreme, emotions (i.e., moderately
positive, moderately negative)

Tendency to experience gradual fluctuations b/w mild emotions

Tendency to experience emotions near baseline mood level
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Emotional Style: Affect Intensity
 Individual
difference variable that measures how
people typically experience their emotions.
 Example
Items:
 When I feel happy it is a strong type of exuberance.
 I feel pretty bad when I tell a lie.
 Sad movies deeply touch me.
 Should
not be correlated with hedonic
valence/happiness measures
 SWLS, r = .21, Presence, r = .14, Search, r = .34
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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AROUSAL
(Russell & Barrett, 1999)
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Matching Game!!
Frequent Positive
Affect
Frequent Negative
Affect
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
Low Affect Intensity
High Affect Intensity
?
?
?
?
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Match the personality disorders
and traits to the correct box.
 Depression

Sensation seeking
 Anxiety

Happiness

Type A Personality

An Extraverted Neurotic!

Sadness

Contentment

Any others?
 Bipolar
Disorder
 Borderline
personality
disorder
 Substance
disorder
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
use
+ Interaction of Emotional Content
and Style Produces 4 Trends
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Hedonic Valence and AI:
Reconciling Gender, AI, and NA

Women are higher in Neuroticism and NA than men

But, women and men report equal levels of happiness.

AI explains these paradoxical findings

Women are as happy as men, but they experience happiness
more intensely than men (↑ Intensity of PA)

Thus, women’s higher levels of N, NA, and even depression
are balanced by their more intense experience of PA.
 This more intense PA overcomes the high NA, thus leading
to similar levels of happiness as men.
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
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Summary

Emotions may be viewed from a state or trait perspective.

Trait emotions describe the types of emotions people
experience over time and across situations


Arousal Intensity explains how people experience their
emotions over time and across situations


Pleasant vs. Unpleasant
High or Low Arousal Intensity
Unpleasantness/pleasantness and arousal intensity interact
to produce distinct trends in personality traits
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood