Chapter 2 - Reading

Question 1

Acting and personality

Answer 1

Acting on stage and in real life is about conveying emotion
Goffman (1959) described life as a series of performances (in the presentation of self in everyday life)
Actors enact a routine; pre established pattern of action which unfolds during a performance and which may be performed on other occasions (eg lunch with mom)
Each routine has room for improvisation, actors personalize their performances
Each brings a style of acting like a personal font: clothes, accent, facial expressions, hair etc
Includes aspects with which people recognize their character
We all do this

Font=personality
The art of personality is the unique style of emotional performance

Question 2

Mothers and babies as social actors

Answer 2

There is NO PERIOD where we are not social actors
Babies are social actors before they realize they are
Because we, the social audience perceive them as so
Mothers say 1 month olds show interest, surprise, anger and fear

Question 3

Labs and babies socially acting

Answer 3

In labs we see - general distress, contentment, interest and disgust with one month olds
Between 2-7 months: joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear are notable

The first scripts for acting are facial
All born with this
Autists struggle to do this and have difficulty socially as they avoid eye contact

Question 4

Expressions of emotions are…

Answer 4

Adaptive: Disgust might be cos food is bas

Question 5

The main organ for emotional display

Child patterns of face

Answer 5

face

Cross culturally, people know the pattern for fear, sadness, joy, interest anger and disgust (Eckman, 2003)

Care givers respond to this with emotional displays of their own and children react to this

In lab studies, still, emotionless displays distress kids

Depressed moms have blunted reactions and their babies eventually stop trying to engage them leading to developmental issues

Question 6

Attachement

Answer 6

2 moths old, social smiling
6-7 months - biggest smiles for primary caregiver
Fear face with strangers: Stranger anxiety
Will be scared and angry on separation - separation anxiety
Protects infants and keeps them close to caregivers
1 year old understands that caregivers are safe bases to explore the world from and safe havens in emotional distress

Question 7

Internalized working model

Answer 7

in the second year, kids have memories of significant attachment events
Internalized working model of attachment
This reflects infants emotional history of attachment and sets expecations going forward (for love and trust)
Kids under 2 gather this information without thinking and have a lot of XP with socioemotional stuff

Question 8

Self-Awareness

Answer 8

Kids recognize themselves after 18 months old in mirrors
Start using words like me and mine
Pride and embarrassment too therefore must experience self as an actor whos performances are evaluated by others

Question 9

I am, I exist

Jennifer stickerhead

Answer 9

William James said happens near the end of the 2nd year
Child takes note of their social actions and the reactions to those actions
Over time, learns a lot about themselves by observing how they act and how others respond to them based on their observations of my performances

Starts inconsistently
Jennifer sees video of herself with a sticker on her head"its Jennifer” Why is she wearing my shirt?
At 3 will take the sticker off of her head if it is live
Not until 4 do they use I not Jennifer\Only after 4, we are consistently us over time

Question 10

Performing positive emotion

Answer 10

Some babies are naturally happy/some less so
Differences called TEMPERAMENT
Most noticeable is the performance of emotion, how kids express and regulate their feelings
Same babies feel good all the time, others do not\Observers can detect positive emotionality temperamental disposition. People with this are cheerful and show high RESPONSE TO REWARD
Expression of positive emotion reflects their eagerness to approach potentially rewarding situations

STUDY
Babies at 4 months old that show positive emotion to pictures and sounds in the lab were more likely to show +ve approach behaviour months later, in response to a novel situation

Kids with positive emotionality seek out and enjoy social interaction more than low scorers. People say they are enthusiastic and others, lethargic
These kids seek out social rewards and when there are none, express anger. The children who express the most anger when frustrated are seen as more outgoing and sociable at grade school.

The same brain processes involved with positive emotion are also involved with sociality so there may be a connection between feeling good and being social

Question 11

Anger across lifespan

Answer 11

Plays a role, makes people energized to fix something and get social rewards

Question 12

Behavioral Approach System (BAS)

Answer 12

Distributed across brain
Motivates people to approach potentially rewarding situations (often social)
Also allows the experience of positive emotions associated with the pursuit or attainment of rewards
Usually via dopamine
Don’t have to achieve, the anticipation is enough
Drugs with increase dopamine, like coke, increase reward seeking behaviour but not spikes in pleasure on achievement of the goal
Might work with the opioid systems this releases neuropeptides like beta-endorphin when rewards are received
BAS = wanting rewards and so seeking them. Opioid = liking the reward when you have it
BAS = wanting a socially rewarding thing and being frustrated when it isn’t possible. Opioid when you get it.

Question 13

BAS vs Opioid

Answer 13

BAS = wanting rewards and so seeking them. Opioid = liking the reward when you have it
BAS = wanting a socially rewarding thing and being frustrated when it isn't possible. Opioid when you get it.

Question 14

Consequences of high BAS system and Opioids in children?

Answer 14

Kids with high BAS/Opioid might become high E

Not clear, not a 1-1 link between temperament and personality but it definitely nudges it

Question 15

Extraversion -Introversion spectrum (E)

Answer 15

Move vs less social
In some lives, early temperament might expand into the super trait E
E is normally distributed

Question 16

Measure E

Revised neo ( 6 things)

Answer 16

Self questionnaires
Revised NEO peronality inventory
1 excitement seeking
2 activity
3 assertiveness
4 gregariousness
5 positive emotions
6 warmth

Together measure E and account for the tings which appear on other measures for E

1-3 are approach to reward
4-6 is enjoyment of your rewards

Question 17

High E people experience

Answer 17

More positive emotions when presented with scenarios that detailed the pursuit of reward
Emotionally pleasant scenarios don’t do the same thing (Though in some studies they do)

Lucas & Denver, 2001
How much +ve emotion do yo experience with a range of pleasant and unpleasant scenarios?
High E people showed higher +ve emotion for pleasant social & non-social things vs low E people

Question 18

High E people have important differences in (4 things)

Answer 18

(1) social
(2) emotional regulation
(3) learning and memory
(4) vocational interests

Question 19

Overall is it better to be high or low E?

Answer 19

High

Being low does not make you sad but better to be high

Question 20

Negative aspects of E

Answer 20

So not take -ve feedback into account therefore, do not learn from xp
Associated with gambling and drinking
When psychopathological = externalizing (aggression, narcissism and substance abuse)

Question 21

Extraverts prime function is to

Ashton

Answer 21

attract and hold the attention of others

Helps people of all ages to be noticed and not ignored

Question 22

George W. Bush

Answer 22

Extravert
Family clown, made people happy by being outrageous
Innocently aggressive (socially dominant plus positive emotionality)
“moves towards conviviality like a heat seeking missile”
Class clown
Always popular, gave nicknames t friends
Went to Andover, many friends. Not good academically or athletically but amazing with groups
Yale (lol)
Very popular, good at remembering names
Abused drink (popular with high E)
Cold turkey at 40
Was a social thing and made it more fun but stopped
As president, amazingly optimistic but reckless and immune to negative feedback
Bob Bullock - kiss me/fuck me story

Question 23

Negative emotionality temperament

Answer 23

As newborns - distress and disgust
6 months on = anger, fear and sadness
2 on = shame, embaressement, guilt
Aome experience this more than others, even to the same stimuli
Negative emotionality = temperament
Higher here = more easily upset and harder to sooth

Question 24

Is negative emotionality the same as the opposite to positive empotionality?

Answer 24

No
Someone with less positive does not have to have more negative
Less negative people are calmer. less fearful/moody and stressed
More resilient

(not the same as having positive emotionality)

Question 25

Negative emotionality divides into two types

(1) Emotional fearfulness & behavioral inhibition

Answer 25

Great timidity in the face of new people and events
By age 2, don’t want to play with an unfamiliar toy
Increased heart rate and pupil dilation in stressful social situations
More morning blood cortisol (everyone has this before waking, these kids have more)

Question 26

Negative emotionality divides into two types

(2) Irritability & strong response to frustration

Answer 26

Express agitation/hostility when their social plans do not work
Operative emotion is anger
In the case of these people, anger is not energizing in a positive way - hostility, fear, anxiety and frustration are hallmarks

Question 27

Negative emotionality in kids id called X in adults

Answer 27

Neuroticism (N)

Question 28

NI is a risk for mental health issues

Answer 28

Low N = stable and calm

Mental issues harm those who experience negative emotion a lot

Question 29

N predicts bad interpersonal experiences in life

Answer 29

High N = high stress = poor QOL

Increase N = more stress = are worse at coping with iut

Question 30

N and negative cascade

Suls & Martin

Answer 30

Highly N authors are (1) more reactive to signs of stress in the modern world and hence (2) exposed to more negative events which, (3) reinforces their tendency to appraise objectively neutral or positive events in negative terms. Heightened reactivity, exposure and negative appraisals tend to precipitate (4) mood spillover, whereby negative feelings about one area of life spill into others and negative moods from one day spill into the next. Hence, high N people often ruminate about things so the negative feelings do not go. Lastly, high N people are associated with (5) the sting of familial issues and conflicts that were never resolved, leading to increased negative feelings, thoughts and actions.

Question 31

High N people experience

Answer 31

High fear and anxiety

Question 32

Adaptive aspects of fear and anxiety

Answer 32

Fear = adaptive response to immediate, real threats
Short term, strong, specific autonomic arousal

Anxiety = potential danger
Uncertainty. Social contexts often do this

Question 33

Fear flight freeze system (FFFS)

Answer 33

When you see a new thing. Usually protective
Might be overreactive in high N people
4 months old that cry when shown things other kids find ok seem to have this and are rated as high negative emotionality

Question 34

Behavioral Inhibition System

Answer 34

Alerts to potential threats associated with uncertainty
Causes people to be careful and cautious
Does not have to be an actual thing
High N People have higher activity

Question 35

FFFS and BIS involve the amygdala

Answer 35

Sensory input +/- imagined threat - Amygdala - Hypothalamus - Increased BP, Cortisol, HR etc

Can also affect the hippocampus and make new memories which last forever

Question 36

Study High N and BIS

Answer 36

Electronic learning task
Learned to associate stimuli and response (stimuli and anxiety for example)
fMRI measured brain activity
Positive correlation between N scores and activation of hippocampus, amygdala when stimuli associated with anxiety were presented
So, high N people were more likely to show anxiety to a stimuli that was previously neutral

Question 37

Anxiety as a learned response

Answer 37

Kids with high negative emotionality find new stimuli anxiety provoking BUT we are not born knowing what dangers lie in social situations
BIS is shaped by learning experiences
As you learn what can go wrong, you become prepared for these via anxiety
This system interacts with other brain parts
Infants experiences with fear via FFFS activation may condense into general anxiety (and so BIS)

Experiences of sadness can also influence BIS and BAS and hence low mood can increase fear of punishing events (BIS) and lower ability to experience reward (BAS)

Question 38

Nature and Nurture

Answer 38

Negative emotion across the lifespan is a product of nature and nurture. We have temperaments but BAS, BIS and FFFS are sensitive to cumulative experience