Physiology of Emotion

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Physiology of Emotion
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Emotions are a mix of

• physiological activation
• expressive behaviors
• conscious experience.

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Theories of Emotion

• James-Lange Theory
• Cannon-Bard Theory
• Cognitive Appraisal Theory (Schacter)

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James-Lange Theory

• Emotion follows your bodys response
• Discredited by Walter Cannon

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Cannon-Bard Theory

• physiological arousal and our emotional
  experience occur simultaneously.
• George Hohmann (1966)

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Cognitive appraisal Theory Stanley Schacter

• emotions have two components physical arousal
  and a cognitive label.
• Spill over effect (Schacter Singer 1962)

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Must Cognition Precede Emotion?

• Robert Zajonce (1984)
• Murphy and others (1995)
• Le Doux and Armony (1999)
• Lazarus (1991,1998)
• Larson and Others (1987)
• Weiner, (1985)

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Two Dimensions of Emotion

• Negative -? Positive
• High arousal ? low arousal

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Physiology of Emotion

• General Arousal
• Prolonged arousal produced by sustained stress
  taxes the body
• Usually perform best when our arousal is moderate

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Physiological State Accompanying Specific
Emotions

• Fear and anger feel different
• Other smaller physiological responses such as
  finger temp or hormonal secretions differ
• Right Brain/Left Brain