PSY331 - 3. Structure and Function of Emotions Flashcards Preview

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1
Q

Structural Account of Emotions A. Basic Emotions

A
Structure = basic elements of emotional life
# of irreducible experiences that count as emotions
2
Q

Structural Account of Emotions A. Basic Emotions

A

Darwin: saw basic emotions in animals
most through facial expression research
in the paradigm - taken as truth

3
Q

Structural Account of Emotions A. Basic Emotions

A

now field is going toward dimensional models
similar to factor analysis - core elements
species, wavelengths of colour

4
Q

Basic Emotions‐ Criteria

A
Universal among humans
Physiologically distinct (including specific brain patterns)
5
Q

Basic Emotions‐ Criteria

A

Distinct/universal built‐in ways of expressing them: tone of voice, facial expression
Evident early in life: good/bad, fear from distress in 6 months, anger takes longer because it’s complex

6
Q

Basic Emotions‐ Criteria

A

born, quick onset, brief duration, universal, evolutionary
expression, appraisals
if basic covers all of Eikman’s 12 criteria*
we should all be able to experience them unless damage
set patterns of responses

7
Q

Experiential and Linguistic

Evidence for Basic Emotions

A

Participants put cards with emotion words into piles
representing similar meanings (Shaver et al., 1987)
Love, anger, hate, depression, fear, jealousy

8
Q

Experiential and Linguistic

Evidence for Basic Emotions

A

self report of feelings: description of each feeling
component process: physiological, voice, facial expression
sort them how you like

9
Q

Shaver et al. (1987) Results

A

superordinate: positive/negative
basic: fear
subordinate: panic, terror, horror

10
Q

Shaver et al. (1987) Results

A

Basic Category: short, quick to learn
representation of fundamental categories
finer distinctions is adding details but not new categories to one’s knowledge

11
Q

Shaver et al. (1987) Results

A
difference in cultures: 
hindu: heroism, peace, wonder
North America: contempt, shame
short list: other emotions added
contempt: anger + disgust
disappointment: sadness + surprise
Ekman: rollercoaster of emotions
12
Q

Experiential and Linguistic

Evidence for Basic Emotions

A

6‐ 12 independent monopolar factors: (anger, anxiety, sadness, elation…)
Independent ‐ no consistent relationship between
discrete emotions
we don’t know if they’re feeling 2 diff emotions

13
Q

Experiential and Linguistic

Evidence for Basic Emotions

A

not perfectly correlated
diff phenomenological experiences
Monopolar: scale of 0 —10 are you feeling fear
no fear to all fear - no feeling to strong feeling

14
Q

Component Process Data –

Facial Expression - Etcoff and Magee (1992)

A

Drawings of morphed emotional faces

Ps categorized them into discrete categories

15
Q

Component Process Data –

Facial Expression - Etcoff and Magee (1992)

A

from little emotion to intense emotion

using basic level emotions to decide shift in continuum even if it shows continuum

16
Q

Component Process Data –

Vocal Affect - Scherer, Banse, Wallbott, and Goldbeck (1991)

A

Recorded 2 M & 2 F actors speaking in nonsense sentences conveying different emotions
Acoustic parameters – frequency, intensity, & pitch

17
Q

Component Process Data –

Vocal Affect - Scherer, Banse, Wallbott, and Goldbeck (1991)

A

can hear emotion in vocalization
evolutionary purpose for acoustic parameters: across species can hear emotion
distinct vocal affect patterns for distinct emotions

18
Q

Component Process Data –

Physiological Arousal

A

ANS activity
James & Lange - distinct patterns of autonomic arousal
linked to discrete emotions

19
Q

Component Process Data –

Physiological Arousal - Stemmler et al. (2001)

A

Fear - increases in heart rate; contraction in heart
muscle and respiration‐rate
Anger - rise in blood pressure

20
Q

Component Process Data –

Physiological Arousal

A

components hang in obvious consistent recognizable ways
all are important - facial, physiological
Critiques: way we study these: can be biased
cultural differences

21
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

combinations of core dimensions lead to structure of
specific emotions
instead of component approach, focus on idea of core affect - experience of emotion

22
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

multidimensional scaling - find dimensions
Method: Rate similarities between emotion words +
strength of each at various moments

23
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

Pleasant vs. unpleasant: good‐bad, pleasure‐pain, approach‐avoid, rewarding‐punishing, positive‐negative
Activated vs. deactivated: arousal, tension, activity, energy…

24
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

blend of activation and valence
find all emotions when plotting
same network
how much arousal, valence determines emotions

25
Q

Circumplex Structure

A

Intercorrelated items distributed around dimensions because dependent on the axes
no longer independent - unlike discrete
disagreements among the axes

26
Q
Circumplex Structure‐ Watson
and Tellegen (1985)
A

monopolar

activation now correlated with high and low affect

27
Q
Circumplex Structure‐ Watson
and Tellegen (1985)
A

high positive affect: active, elated
low positive affect: drowsy, dull
low negative affect: at rest, calm
high negative affect: distressed, fearful

28
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

Emotional feelings best described in terms of 2 (+) dimensions
Feeling (core affect) aspect of emotions is primary

29
Q

Dimensional Accounts of the

Structure of Emotion

A

Contradicts theories requiring basic emotions to
have distinct physiological responses
“Basic” emotions psychologically and socially
constructed, not evolved/universal

30
Q

Component Process Theory

A

importance of appraisal
Basic emotions reflect combinations of diff appraisals on 4 dimensions:
Pleasantness, control, arousal + unpredictability

31
Q

Component Process Theory

Lazarus (1991)

A

Anger = a demeaning offense against me + mine
Disgust = taking in/being too close to an indigestible
object/idea
Fear = facing an immediate, concrete + overwhelming
physical danger

32
Q

Component Process Theory

Lazarus (1991)

A
Sadness = having experienced an irrevocable loss
Guilt = having transgressed a moral imperative
Envy = wanting what someone else has
33
Q

Component Process Theory

Lazarus (1991)

A

Happiness = making reasonable progress toward
realization of a goal
Compassion = being moved by another’s suffering +
wanting to help

34
Q

Component Process Theory

Lazarus (1991)

A

appraisals we want to take into consideration

if you know situation, you can guess emotion

35
Q

Component Process Theory: Anger

A

Widened eyes - unexpectedness
Turned down corners of mouth - displeasure
Furrowed brows - desire to change situation
Tightened lips - sense of control

36
Q

Component Process Theory: Anger

A

if all in alignment - confident they are experiencing anger

just because we don’t see these all, doesn’t mean they aren’t angry

37
Q

Component Process Theory: Anger

A

given situation can show all of them (easily recognizable), a subset of them
but if all show up, they happen 1 at a time

38
Q

Functional Accounts of Emotion‐

A. fortheIndividual

A

Adaptive function

Oatley and Johnson‐Laird’s (1987) cognitive theory:

39
Q

Functional Accounts of Emotion‐

A. fortheIndividual

A

Help coordinate mental activity in response to environmental challenges
Specific emotions occur when goal attainment interrupted

40
Q

Functional Accounts of Emotion‐

A. fortheIndividual

A

fear: escape, vigilance
info about our environment
evocative element: make ppl do same thing, feel same way - evokes response

41
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

incentive function: increase bond with others - making ppl laugh
Oatley Laird - more basic emotional approach

42
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

Happiness ‐ Keep doing what you’re doing
Sadness ‐ Stay still/withdraw; search for a new plan
Anxiety ‐ Stop and be vigilant; escape

43
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

Anger ‐ Try harder/aggress
Disgust ‐ Reject substance
signals: tell you am i on track
if not, tells you what to do

44
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

Tooby and Cosmides’s (1990) evolutionary theory:
Brain contains information‐processing programs
Coordinate programs to accomplish major goals
quickly/efficiently

45
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

Emotions = superordinate mental/neural programs; prioritize/activate subroutine mental programs in response to situations related to reproductive success

46
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

tell you can i survive, can i reproduce?
emotions dictate priority
make us act quickly - fear - survive
activate fear program - deactivate other program

47
Q

Function of Emotions for the

Individual

A

basic emotion approach
no one aspect is golden standard
emotion entire package of affects when package is activated

48
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

Communication
Mirror neurons help us feel what others feel
pick up actions as if we are doing it ourselves

49
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad: Dimberg (1982, 1988)

A

Presented Ps with pictures of angry/happy faces for ~ 8 ms
know what they feel to know them + adapt to them and help them
imitated them even if only seen for brief

50
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

Affective contagion
Klinnert (1984): 12‐ + 18‐month old infants confronted with unfamiliar toy
IV: Mothers reacted to toy w/ joy, fear, no emotion

51
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

DV: Compared to the neutral (control) condition:
When the mother showed fear?
When the mother showed joy?

52
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

gain info about our world through other ppl’s reaction
informative function
pick up on emotion + experience it too
learn what is best reaction to emotion - comfort a sad person

53
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

signal state of desire/relationship
love + sexual interest
dominance + submissiveness

54
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheDyad

A

facial expressions signal power differentials
hier position in that pair
works in groups - leader expresses anger

55
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheGroup

A
Groups - social coordination
Ostracize/exclude someone from group
social death - so upsetting
used to keep ppl in line
shame triggers you to act in line
56
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheGroup

A

make behaviour
socially sanctioned
reaccepted
Convey position

57
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheGroup

A

shared positivity creates bonds
negative emotions also bring us together
want to be with others who share emotions

58
Q

Function of Emotions – fortheGroup

A

convey position: power

elicit awe, embarassement