Lecture 4: Emotion and Motivation

Question 1

What is emotion?

Answer 1

Emotion is a subjective psychological state that occurs in response to a stimulus which is both mental and physiological

Question 2

How is emotion experience and measured?

Answer 2

It is experienced subjectively and measures objectively

Question 3

What does emotion provide to our behaviour?

Answer 3

It gives meaning and value to our behaviour

Question 4

What are the subjective characteristics of emotion?

Answer 4

• Short duration (moods are longer lasting)
• Positive and negative properties
• Alters thought processes
• Triggers actions
• Automatically generated

Question 5

What to emotions guide?

Answer 5

They guide behaviour, decision making and judgement… They also affect memory, risk assessments and learning.

Question 6

How do feelings modify judgement?

Answer 6

Emotion influences assessment of risk.. They can induce fear and anger and have opposite effects on control appraisal, certainty appraisal and risk estimates.

Question 7

What are thought action tendencies?

Answer 7

Feelings that influence behaviour via urges that accompany them
Negative emotions narrow to specific and quick responses
Positive emotions associated with broader repertoire of responses.

Question 8

What are emotions and their associated thought-action tendencies?

Answer 8

Anger: Attack
Fear: Escape
Guilt: Milk amends
Interest: Explore

Question 9

What are the two examples of objective experiences of emotion?

Answer 9

Expressive displays

Physiological responses

Question 10

Give examples of expressive displays.

Answer 10

• Show feelings to others

- May be learned or innate

Question 11

Give examples of physiological responses.

Answer 11

Biological adjustments needed to perform the actions generated by emotions

Question 12

Which systems can affect our control of emotional and non-emotional facial expresssions.

Answer 12

• Voluntary control from the pyramidal motor system: Impossible to fake a smile when this system is damaged.
• In voluntary control from the extrapyramidal motor system: He can still smile when he is really happy because his extrapyramidal motor system is intact.

Question 13

Is the activity of the autonomic nervous system voluntary or involuntary?

Answer 13

It is mostly involuntary

Question 14

How is the autonomic nervous system connected to thinking areas?

Answer 14

Connections between thinking ‘areas’ and ANS via subcortical structures

Question 15

Classic theories of emotion differ in components and order of components of emotion processing.. But what do the debates center around?

Answer 15

Sensitivity of physiological arousal

Role of cognition

Question 16

What are the four theories of emotion?

Answer 16

1/ Two-factor theory (Schacter & Singer, 1962
2/ James-Lange theory (James 1890/1950
3/ Cannon-Baird Theory ( Cannon, 1927)
4/ Facial Feedback hypothesis (Tompkins, 1962

Question 17

Explain the stages of Two-factor theory (Schacter & Singer, 1962

Answer 17

1/ Stimulus –>
2/ General physiological arousal –>
3/ Cognitive appraisal –>
4/ Subjective experience of emotion

Question 18

Explain the stages of James-Lange theory (James 1890/1950

Answer 18

1/ Stimulus –>
2/ Specific physiological arousal –>
3/ Subjective experience of emotion

Question 19

Explain the stages of Cannon-Baird Theory ( Cannon, 1927)

Answer 19

1/ Stimulus –>
2/ Activation of brain –>
3/ Subjective experience of emotion

Question 20

Explain the stages of Facial Feedback hypothesis (Tompkins, 1962

Answer 20

1/ Stimulus –>
2/ Facial expression –>
3/ Subjective experience of emotion

Question 21

What does the facial feedback hypothesis suggest?

Answer 21

Facial movements provide enough peripheral information to create an emotional experience

Question 22

What do cognitive theories of emotion suggest?

Answer 22

That cognitive interpretation of events, not bodily responses, is what is important

Question 23

What are the three cognitive theories of emotion?

Answer 23

1/ Schachter-Singer Theory (1962)
2/ Excitation transfer theory (Reisenzein, 1983; Zillmann, 1998)
3/ Lazarus’s cognitive appraisal theory (1966, 1991)

Question 24

Explain Schachter-Singer Theory (1962)

Answer 24

Label physiological responses as specific emotions based on interpretation of causes

Question 25

Explain excitation transfer theory (Reisenzein, 1983; Zillmann, 1998)

Answer 25

Arousal from one experience carries over to affect emotion in an independent situation

Question 26

Explain lazarus’s cognitive appraisal theory (1966, 1991)

Answer 26

• Interpretation of events important in shaping emotional response
• We experience emotions only when we believe events are relevant to our own well-being

Question 27

What are the three types of lie detection?

Answer 27

1/ Control question test
2/ Directed lie test
3/ Guilty knowledge test

Question 28

How do we communicate emotion?

Answer 28

Words or nonverbal cues such as body movement, posture, tone of voice, facial movements and expressions.

Question 29

Supporting factors for innate expressions of emotions?

Answer 29

• Darwins observations
• Expressions of newborns
• Similar facial expressions across cultures

Question 30

What are some social and cultural influences on emotional expression?

Answer 30

• Innate expressions are flexible and modifiable
• Certain degree of cultural variations in recognizing some emotions
• Emotion culture (display rules)
• Operant conditioning
• Social referencing