Emotions

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Emotions

• Topic Introduction a Paradigmatic approach to
  the study of emotions
• Theme The role of Cognition in the experience of
  emotion

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Step 1 The beginning James-Lange (1880s)

• A sequential theory
• First group to explore emotions scientifically
• Stimulus--gt physiological change---gt awareness of
  change...
• that awareness is the emotion

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James-Lange Theory
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James-Lange Theory

• Perception of event See a bear

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James-Lange Theory

• Perception of Event See a Bear
• Bodily Expression Run

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James-Lange Theory

• Perception of Event See a Bear
• Bodily Expression Run
• Subjective Experience Become Afraid

Oh-oooooh!
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James-Lange Theory

• Sensory Input Cortex
• 1
• 2
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• Bodily Expression Muscles Viscera
• Subjective Experience - Feedback to Cortex -
  emphasis on unique patterns of physiological
  feedback
• Emotions - Perceptions of Bodily Changes

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• Criticism Emotions are experienced too quickly
  for sequence to work

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• See Dragon...
• Experience arousal
• RUN (too late)

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Step 2 A Modification Cannon-Bard (1920s)

• A simultaneous theory
• 
  physiological reaction
• Stimulus
• cognitive
  awareness
• Physiological reaction?
• activation of sympathetic nervous system
• symptoms (what are they?)

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Cannon-Bard Thalamic Theory

• Perception of Event
• See a Bear
• Become afraid Run
• Subjective Experience Bodily Expression
• Physiological changes in the body are
• correlates of the emotional state

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Step 3 Cognitive Involvement Schachter Singer
(1960s)

• A 2-factor theory
• physiological arousal the label (cognition)
  emotion
• label result of experience and environmental
  cues
• their experiment Arousing stimulus placebo
  false information social cue (from
  actor)---gtincorrect label of emotion

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Step 3a Valins (1966)

• Is physiological arousal necessary?
• Experiment False feedback on arousal
  attractive stimuli
• DV evaluation of 10 slides of nude women (male
  Ss)
• Cognition ---gt emotion (without arousal )

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Step 4 Excitation Transfer Zillman (1970s
1980s)

• Response to multiple arousing stimuli?
• Cognitive Awareness of stimulus one (S1) arousal
  dissipates (diminishes) faster than physiological
  arousal actually caused by it
• Timing of arousing stimulus two (S2) relative to
  S1 important (why?)
• Transfer (summation) overreaction to S2 due to
  residual arousal from S1

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Step 5 Motivational Biases? Gibbons Wright
(1980s)

• Can people decide to/not to experience an
  emotion?
• Cognitive choice between arousing stimuli
• One stimulus is unacceptable the other is OK

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• Experiment disposition sexual attitudes
  (conservatism), plus placebo (drug)
• 2 potential sources of arousal (ambiguity) ---gt
  causal attribution (what caused my arousal?)
• choice affects emotional state
• choice also protects ego