Week 2, Day 1

Question 1

Charles Darwin

Answer 1

1. Most famous for his theory of evolution (Origin of the Species, 1859) a) Replaced God with Natural Selection b) Paved the way for a science of psychology

Question 2

The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)

Answer 2

1. Darwin’s other book 2. Both people and animals show emotional expressions Showed that they’re selected for and probably serve some sort of purpose 3. Conclusions: expressions were evolved and adaptive (at least at some point in the past)

Question 3

Basic Emotion Approach (model)

Answer 3

Darwin’s Model

If true:

• Should be different brain regions for different emotions
• Each emotion should have a characteristic physiological pattern and expression

Question 4

Common Sense Model of Emotion

Answer 4

Basic Emotion Approach

Stimulus -> emotional experience -> bodily response/ expression

Stimulus -> emotion -> heart, lungs, joints, muscles, stomach

Question 5

William James

Answer 5

1. American philosopher and psychologist; phenomenologist
2. Phenomenology: your experience; what’s it like to do what you do? How do you understand/ explain it?
3. “constructionist approach” which is the idea that we are constructing emotions based on all the changes happening in our bodies, behaviors and expressions
   
   • to test: can paraplegic patients still feel emotion?

Question 6

James’ Model

Answer 6

If true

• No discrete brain regions or physiology for each emotion
• Emotion is more dependent on each person’s interpretation of incoming signals

Question 7

Paraplegic Study

Answer 7

designed to test james’ model

25 male veterans, median age 36

conducted structred interviews focusing on sexual excitement, fear, &anger

results:

• sexual: sexual feelings reduced for all patients
• fear: feelings reduced for L1-L4
• anger: feelings reduced for L1-L4

conclusion:

-paraplegics feel less emotions overall, those with most damage have less physioloigcally-based emotions

Question 8

Critique of William James’ Model

Answer 8

• done by Walter Cannon
  1. Idea that if you separate internal organs from brain the animals still show emotional behavior- so Cannon thought that physiology won’t lead to emotion

• Don’t know what the animals are feeling….we just know about their behavior

2.We see same changes occur in states that are not emotional

• E.g. with fever you flush
• So how does brain know we are in an emotional state?

3.Viscera relatively not able to feel

• Usually what we feel is the organ pressing up against tissue that is innervated by nerves
• How can you get all your emotions from places you can’t really feel?

4.Also thought that visceral changes were too slow to be source of emotions

•Most of internal organs are made of smooth muscle which operates relatively slowly

5. If you go in and create the visceral changes you can’t necessarily get the same emotions you’re aiming for

•Arousal studies

Question 9

Initial Noradrenal Studies

Answer 9

DESIGNED TO TEST JAMES’ MODEL

• Injected subjects with adrenaline (inc HR/BP) and asked how they were feeling
• 71% reported physical feelings
• 29% responded in “somewhat” emotional fashion
• If researcher primed with sick children/ dead parents before injection would lead to real emotion
• Implication: needed an appropriate cognition.

Question 10

Schacter & Singer Model

Answer 10

Question 11

Schachter & Singer, 1962

Answer 11

• Model: Arousal (Suproxin vs Placebo) + Cognitive Appraisal (Euphoric vs Angry Confederate) -> emotion
• results
  
  • When misinformed, felt more euphoric or angry
    
    • we think this is b/c they discounted that the drug would effect them since they thought it would give them a headache rather than trigger their heart racing