Emotion

Chapter 11

Emotion

Defining Emotion
Elements of Emotion 1: The Body
Elements of Emotion 2: The Mind
Elements of Emotion 3: The Culture
Putting the Elements together: Emotion
and Gender

Emotion

A state of arousal involving facial and body

changes, brain activation, cognitive
appraisals, subjective feelings, and
tendencies toward action, all shaped by
cultural rules.

Elements of Emotion 1: The Body

Primary and secondary emotions

The face of emotion
The brain and emotion
Hormones and emotion
Detecting emotions: Does the body lie?

Elements of Emotion 1: The Body

Primary emotions

Secondary emotion

Emotions considered to be universal and biologically

based. They generally include fear, anger, sadness, joy,
surprise, disgust, and contempt.
Emotions that develop with cognitive maturity and vary
across individuals and cultures.

Three biological areas of emotion are

facial expressions,
brain regions and circuits, and
autonomic nervous system.

Universal Expressions of Emotion

Facial expressions for primary emotions are universal.

Even members of remote cultures can recognize facial
expressions in people who are foreign to them.
Facial feedback

Process by which the facial muscles send messages to the

brain about the basic emotion being expressed.

Infants are able to read parental expressions.

Facial expression can generate same expressions in
others, creating mood contagion.

The Face of Anger

Anger is universally
recognized by
geometric patterns on
the face.
In each pair, the left
form seems angrier
than the right form.

Facial Expressions in Social Context

Across and within cultures, agreement often

varies on which emotion a particular facial
expression is revealing.
People dont usually express their emotion in
facial expressions unless others are around.
Facial expressions convey different meanings
depending on their circumstances.
People often use facial expressions to lie about
their feelings as well as to express them.

The Brain and Emotion

The amygdala

Left prefrontal cortex

Responsible for assessing threat.

Damage to the amygdala results in abnormality to
process fear.
Involved in motivation to approach others.
Damage to this area results in loss of joy.

Right prefrontal cortex

Involved in withdrawal and escape.

Damage to the area results in excessive mania and
euphoria.

Hormones and Emotion

When experiencing an intense emotion, 2

hormones are released.

Epinephrine
Norepinephrine

Results in increased alertness and arousal.

At high levels, it can create the sensation of
being out of control emotionally.

The Autonomic Nervous System

Detecting Emotions: Does the Body Lie?

Polygraph testing
relies on autonomic
nervous system arousal.
Typical measures:

Galvanic Skin Response

Pulse, blood pressure
Breathing
Fidgeting

Polygraph Tests

Empirical support is weak

and conflicting.
Test is inadmissible in most
courts.
It is illegal to use for most
job screening.
Many government agencies
continue to use for
screening.

Elements of Emotion 2: The Mind

How thoughts create emotions

The two factor theory of emotion.

Attributions and emotions.

Cognitions and emotional complexity

Two-factor Theory of Emotion

Physiological arousal

Cognitive Label

Sweaty palms
Increased heart rate
rapid breathing
Attribute source of
arousal to a cause

To have an emotion,
both factors are
required

Attributions and Emotions

Perceptions and attributions are involved in

emotions.
How one reacts to an event depends on how
he or she explains it.

For example, how one reacts to being ignored

or winning the silver instead of the gold
medal.

Philosophy of life is also influential.

Cognitions and Emotional

Complexity

Cognitions, and therefore, emotions, become

more complex as a childs cerebral cortex
matures.

Self-conscious emotions, such as shame and guilt,

do not occur until after infancy, due to the
emergence of a sense of self and others.

People can learn how their thinking affects their

emotions and can change their thinking
accordingly.

Elements of Emotion 3: The

Culture

Culture and emotional variation

The rules of emotional regulation

Display rules
Body language
Emotion work

Culture and Emotional Variation

Culture determines what people feel angry, sad,

lonely, happy, ashamed or disgusted about.
Some cultures have words for specific emotions
unknown to other cultures.

Some cultures dont have words for emotions that

seem universal to others.

Ex. Schadenfreude

Tahitian and sadness

Differences in secondary emotions appear to be

reflected in differences in languages.

The Rules of Emotional Regulation

Display Rules

Body Language

When, where, and how emotions are to be expressed

or when they should be squelched.
The nonverbal signals of body movement, posture
and gaze that people constantly express.

Emotion Work

Acting out an emotion we do not feel or trying to

create the right emotion for the occasion.

Putting it all together: Emotion

and Gender

Physiology and intensity

Sensitivity to other peoples emotions
Cognitions
Expressiveness

Factors which affect expressiveness

Emotion work

Putting
the Elements Together:
Physiology and intensity
Emotion
Womenand
recallGender
emotional events more

intensely and vividly than do men.

Men experience emotional events more
intensely than do women.
Conflict is physiologically more upsetting
for men than women.

Possible reasons for differences

in physiology and intensity.

Males autonomic nervous system is more reactive

than females.
Men are more likely to rehearse angry thoughts
which maintains anger.
Women are more likely to ruminate which
maintains depression.

Sensitivity to Other Peoples Emotions

Factors which influence ones ability to

read emotional signals:

The sex of the sender and receiver.

How well the sender and receiver know each
other.
How expressive the sender is.
Who has the power.
Stereotypes and expectations.

Cognitions

Men and women appear to differ in the

types of every day events that provoke
their anger.
Women become angry over issues related
to their partners disregard.
Men become angry over damage to
property or problems with strangers.

Expressiveness

In North America women:

Smile more than men.

Gaze at listeners more.
Have more emotionally expressive faces.
Use more expressive body movements.
Touch others more.
Acknowledge weakness and emotions more.

Compared to women, men only express

anger to strangers more.

Factors Influencing Emotional

Expressiveness

Gender roles
Cultural norms
The specific situation

Emotion Work and Gender

Women work hard at appearing warm,

happy and making sure others are happy.
Men work hard at persuading others they
are stern, aggressive and unemotional.
Why?

Gender roles and status.