Theories of Emotion



Theories of Emotion

|James-Lange Theory: |

|Central & Peripheral Nervous Systems cause, or trigger, an emotion. You are running from an attacker and therefore, you feel afraid. Brain interprets |

|information and immediately directs a particular set of peripheral physiological changes – palpitating heart, sinking stomach, facial grimace, perspiration &|

|increased blood flow. |

| |

|We are NOT conscious that this is happening, but as soon as we recognize the physiological change, we feel the emotion – it happens quickly without much |

|thought. |

| |

|Some accuracy to this theory, however, it does not explain subtle differences in emotions that have similar physiological responses – i.e. “butterflies” in |

|the stomach could be anxiety or excitement; trembling body could be anger, but also a response to cold temperature; blood flow to the hands & feet increases |

|in association with anger and fear. |

|*This is related to the facial feedback theory which proposes that changes in the muscles of the face (physiological) influence emotion. If we smile, we |

|feel happier. If we frown or mimic a sad face, we feel slightly sad (this contributes to empathy). |

|Cannon-Bard Theory: |

|You feel fear at the sight of an attacker even before you start to run. Emotional experiences starts in the CNS, specifically in the thalamus, and sends |

|signals to the autonomic nervous system & cerebral cortex simultaneously. So when you see an attacker, the brains receives sensory information about it, |

|perceives it as an attacker, and directly creates the experience of fear while at the same time sending messages to the heart, lungs, and muscles to do what |

|it takes to run away. The connections from the thalamus to the amygdala are integral to this theory. |

|This theory is accepted to some degree too. There is not, however, one “emotion center” or one path of communication that all emotions follow. Emotion & |

|physiology occur simultaneously. |

|Two-factor Theory (Schachter): |

|Physiological arousal & cognitive labeling result in emotion. There is a thinking component involved. Memories, understanding of one’s environment, |

|previous experiences and physiology contribute to the emotion. Sometimes there is a spillover effect where physiological arousal carries over into another |

|event – i.e. – when we are very upset, we may overreact or turn that arousal into another intense feeling. |

|Robert Zajonc & Mere Exposure Effect: |

|Mere exposure effect – people tend to develop a preference for things simply b/c they are familiar with them – more often we see a person, the more we tend |

|to like that person. |

|Social facilitation (working with other people) tends to influence our performance on a task ( social loafing (we make less of an effort when we are involved|

|in groups) & groupthink (harmonious group thinking as a result of conformity – can lead to bad decisions as a result of a lack of options & thoughtful |

|discussion) |

|(Humans often know how they feel long before they know what they think about a situation – cognition is not a necessary element all the time (partially b/c |

|some areas of the brain bypass thinking areas – eye/ear goes to thalamus which goes to amygdala which is the most emotionally sensitive area of the brain). |

|Richard Lazarus: |

|(Relationship between emotion, stress & thought (cognition). Before emotion occurs, he says, people make an automatic, often unconscious, assessment of what|

|is happening and what it may mean for them or those they care about. From that perspective, emotion becomes not just rational but a necessary component of |

|survival. |

|(Primary appraisal deals with the potential consequence of what is about to happen. Later, secondary appraisal deals with a decision based on the primary |

|appraisal & reappraisal deals with the need to reevaluate a stiuation as events change & develop. Our responses and emotions can and do change during the |

|event. |

|Catharsis Hypothesis: |

|Catharsis = emotional relief. Aggressive or sexual urges are relieved by “releasing” aggressive, sexual, or stressful energy, usually through action or |

|fantasy / daydream. To release this energy, one may choose to engage in physical activity, sports, by screaming or counting, or any other alternative |

|activity that is stimulating to some degree. |

|Adaptation Level Phenomenon: |

|Whatever might be going on in our lives, we eventually adapt to the situation and it becomes neutral to some degree. Those who have become handicapped and |

|those who have won the lottery report similar levels of happiness as compared to their previous situation. |

|Relative Deprivation Principle: |

|Happiness is related to our comparisons with others. It most often refers to the sense that we are worse off than those with whom we compare ourselves, |

|often resulting in envy. “Counting our blessings,” however, can increases our satisfaction and can result in contentment. |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download