Emotion

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Emotion Theories
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Emotion
very complex, term has no single,
universally
accepted definition
Affect - synonym for emotion
Feeling in psychology usually refers to
conscious subjective experience of emotion
The Emotions
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The limbic system is often thought of as the
primitive part of the brain as it is present in
lower mammals and parts are even found in
reptiles. Animals need emotions to survive - they
need fear as a trigger to escape predators and
aggression to defend their territory, young and
food. Charles Darwin thought emotions were merely
left over from our animal past. However, you rely
on your emotions to make quick, often complex,
decisions.
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prefrontal area
hypothalamus

• sense of social responsibility
• capacity for concentration
• abstract thought
• reason decision making

• pleasure and rage
• aversion
• displeasure
• uncontrollable loud laughing

• amygdala
• center for identification of danger
• fundamental for self preservation

cingulate gyrus
thalamus

• coordinates smells and sights with pleasant
  memories of previous emotions
• emotional reaction to pain
• regulation of aggression

• routes messages
• governs changes in
• emotional reactivity

• hippocampus
• long term memory center
• we compare conditions of
• present threat with similar
• past experiences

fornix
brainstem

• connects pathways of
• limbic system

• emotional
• physical reactions

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Yerkes-Dodson law
1908
Arousal-performance phenomenon Yerkes-Dodson
law. a certain amount of anxiety can enhance
performance too much can impair it (ie
severe stage fright).
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James-Lange Theory 1885
emotions do not immediately follow perception of
event but rather occur after body has responded
to event.
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Cannon-Bard theory (also called emergency
theory)
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Comparison of James-Lange and Cannon-Bard
theories (red
arrows) (blue arrows)
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1937, Neuroanatomist James Papez demonstrated
emotion is not function of specific brain center
but of circuit that involves four
structures -hypothalamus -anterior thalamic
nucleus -cingulate gyrus -hippocampus.
This circuit (Papez circuit), acting in
harmony, is responsible for emotions (affect), as
well as for peripheral expressions
(face,body,voice,etc)
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Papez believed emotion was determined by
cingulate cortex Emotional expression was
governed by hypothalamus.

Cingulate gyrus

projects to hippocampus,

hippocampus projects to

hypothalamus by way

of bundle of axons called

fornix.



Hypothalamic
impulses
reach
cortex via relay in


anterior thalamic

nuclei.
amygdala, center for identification of danger,
fundamental for self preservation.
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Schachter-Singer Theory
Two-Factor Theory of Emotions
1962
experiencing an emotion requires both
emotional arousal and
cognitive activity
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R. Plutchiks (1980) Classification of Emotions.
Eight primary emotions - joy, acceptance,
surprise, fear, sorrow, disgust, expectancy
and anger other emotions are mixture
Joy
Accepted
Aware
Anger
Sad
Rejected
Surprise
Fear
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Affective states (emotions and moods)
These states called core affect influence
reflexes, perception, cognition, and behavior and
are influenced by many causes internal and
external
(James A. Russell)
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Paul Ekman's finding is now widely accepted.
Expressions he found to be universal included
anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise
2004
Developed Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to
taxonomize every conceivable human facial
expression.
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Richard Lazarus Theory   Lazarus Theory states
thought must come before emotion or physiological
arousal. Must think about your situation before
you can experience emotion.   EXAMPLE  You are
walking down a dark alley late at night.  You
hear footsteps behind you and you think it may be
a mugger so you begin to tremble, your heart
beats faster, and your breathing deepens and
at the same time experience fear.  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                                                  
                
1994
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Cognitive Appraisal Lazaruss research has shown
that peoples experience of emotion depends on
way they appraise or evaluate events around them
Example Person walking with Crocodile Dundee
sees a crocodile lunge, screams. Crocodile
Dundee laughs jumps in to grab the croc!
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