Notes About Emotions

Front 1

The basic components of emotional arousal are:
1)
2)
3)

Back 1

1) physiological arousal
2) expressive behaviors
3) conscious experience

Remember the short parable:

1)when a man and a woman love each other very, very much...(arousal)
2) they EXPRESS certain BEHAVIORS in hopes of...
3) C.EX! (Conscious EXperience)

Hint 1

1)when a man and a woman love each other very, very much...
2) they express certain behaviors in hopes of...
3) C.EX!

Front 2

Explain the James-Lange theory of emotion.

Back 2

The theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli

As J comes before L in the alphabet, physiological arousal comes before the conscience experience

Hint 2

J comes before L

Front 3

Explain Schacter-Singer's two-factor theory.

Back 3

The theory that states in order to experience emotion, one must:
1) be physically aroused and
2) cognitively label the arousal

Remember those posters in elementary school of labeled emotions?

Hint 3

(picture)

Front 4

Explain the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

Back 4

The theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers:
1) physiological responses and
2) the subjective experience of emotion

Like when a cannon bursts, you physically and emotionally react at the same time

Hint 4

Simultaneous CANNON BURST!

Front 5

Explain the opponent-process theory of emotion

Back 5

The theory that states:
following a strong emotion, an opposing emotion counters the first emotion, lessening the experience according to our cognitive explanation for the arousal

So remember the common phrase "opposites attract;" for every strong emotion, an opposing one can counteract it

Hint 5

"opposites attract"

Front 6

Explain the cognitive-appraisal theory

Back 6

The theory that our emotional appearance depends and changes on our interpretation of the situation we are in

Like the cat who wants to eat baby food, he changes his mood as his interpretation of the situation changes

Hint 6

The cat reacts to an unexpected event

Front 7

At what level of arousal do we perform best with:
1) difficult tasks?
2) moderate tasks?
3) simple tasks?

Back 7

1) low levels of arousal
2) medium levels of arousal
3) high levels of arousal

Like saying a tongue twister:
Ideally, difficult sayings should be said with ease, simply rolling the tongue

Ideally, easy sayings should be said with speed and require a bit more concentration to get it out successfully

Hint 7

Negative correlation

Front 8

People experience negative emotions show more activity in what region of the brain?
And what about positive moods?

Back 8

Negative emotions- right prefrontal cortex (Phineas Gage was punctured in this region, and he because a very bitter and negative person)

positive moods- left frontal lobe (essentially the opposite region of negative emotions)

Hint 8

Where was Phineas Gage hit? How did this affect him?

Front 9

How is the "nucleus accumbens" involved with emotions?

Back 9

There is a neural pathway that increases dopamine levels running from the frontal lobes to the nucleus accumbens. This small region lights up when people experience natural or drug-induces pleasures. Electronic stimulation of the nucleus accumbens has triggered smiling, laughter, and giddy euphoria.

The "ee" sound in "nucleus" makes you smile, one of the functions of the nucleus accumbens

Hint 9

Say "nucleus." Does it make you smile? :)

Front 10

Give an example supporting the James-Lange theory.

Back 10

Patients with severed spinal cords report little change in their emotions, hence emotions are generated solely by cognitive means.

Though the girl may be suffering from spinal injuries, she still maintains a happy disposition

Hint 10

How does the girl feel?

(Remember, J comes before L like the P____ response comes before the E____ response)

Front 11

Describe the spillover effect.

Back 11

The spillover effect was the discovery that a stirred-up state can be experienced as one emotion or another very different one, depending on how we interpret and label it

The placebo effect (which uses pills) is one variant of the spillover effect

Hint 11

sPILLover -->pills---> placebo effect

Front 12

Describe the "low-road" pathway that sensory stimuli may travel when triggering an emotional response

Back 12

Sensory information runs to the thalamus and then straight the amygdala to acting accordingly, bypassing the cortex and moving very swiftly

Thalamus--> Amygdala

("thal"-"amy"?)

Hint 12

"Thal" is the main pathway to Amy's Fear House... in the lower part of the brain.

Front 13

Describe the "high-road" pathway that sensory stimuli may travel when triggering an emotional response

Back 13

Sensory information runs from the thalamus to the sensory cortex and then to the prefrontal cortex before it is sent to the amygdala, allowing thorough analysis of the information

Thalamus-->Sensory-->Prefrontal-->Amygdala

Makes a sort of loop of a roller coaster, which gives an adrenaline rush/high

Hint 13

What's one LEGAL way people get a "high?" Roller coasters...yeah!

Front 14

How did Zajonc and LeDoux interpret the route to emotional responses?

Back 14

Both emphasize that some emotional responses are immediate, before any conscious appraisal (a la "low-road")

And remember the rhyme:
LeDoux likes it low (as in "low-road")

Hint 14

LeDoux likes it low

Front 15

How did Lazarus, Schacter, and Singer interpret the route to emotional responses?

Back 15

They emphasize that our appraisal and labeling of events determine our emotional response (a la "high-road")

Remember the rhyme:
Lazarus likes the label (along with Schacter and Singer)

Hint 15

Lazarus wants the label

Front 16

Are children's facial expressions universal? How about blind children?

Back 16

Yes, and yes.

Remember the message of It's a Small World:
"a smile means friendship to everyone"

Hint 16

Do you notice the universal expression of the multicultural children?

Front 17

What is catharsis, and when is it effective?

Back 17

Catharsis is emotional release that is only effective if:
1) the counterattack is directed against the provoker
2) if the retaliation seems justifiable
3) if their target is not intimidating

For the picture:
1) the cat is attacking a directed object
2) the cat has been assumedly bothered by the toy due to his pesky owner, hence justification

3)the cat is attacking an object of weaker stature than himself

Hint 17

Look at how the cat is relating to the toy

Front 18

What is the best way to handle anger?

Back 18

1) Wait
2) Deal with anger in a way that involved neither being chronically angry nor passively sulky (both rehearsing your reasons for your anger)

Remember the short ditty and you'll be set to go

Hint 18

Stop your tantrum;
don't be glum.
Count to ten;
Do it again.

Front 19

Describe the feel-good, do-good phenomenon.

Back 19

This is people's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood

Using logic is the best way to remember

Hint 19

Look at the title. Really, it's that simple:
If you___________,
you will_________.

Front 20

Discuss the daily duration of emotions.

Back 20

Negative emotion is highest after we just wake up and before we go to sleep (upward facing parabolic graph).
Positive emotion rises gradually and then falls gradually after about seven hours (downward facing parabolic graph).

Emo people are very "emotional," so think about how they feel in regards to positive and negative emotions:
negative things makes them happy face :)
(concave up parabola)

positive things makes them sad face :(
(concave down parabola)

Hint 20

Emo people:
negative things makes them happy face :)
positive things makes them sad face :(

Front 21

What is the relationship between wealth and happiness?

Back 21

Money helps avoid pain, but only increases happiness in the short term. Long term, affluence does not increase happiness at either the individual or national level

Remember the relationship of stereotypical modern newlyweds:
short-term happiness (honeymoon)
long-term suffering (leading to divorce)

Hint 21

Their relationship is similar to modern newlyweds: starts with the honeymoon phase, but then the dives into a divorce

Front 22

Describe the adaptation-level phenomenon

Back 22

This is our tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience

The interview adapted his expectations of the interviewee with information of his past, fitting the adaption-level phenomenon

Hint 22

How does the interviewer's opinion of the interviewee change with the new information?

Front 23

Describe relative deprivation.

Back 23

This is the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself

Think of the comic:
The dog has everything, and yet he isn't happy in comparison to his dog friend

Hint 23

(quote to go with the comic)
"I've got the bowl, the big yard, I know I should be happy"

Front 24

List some factors that are not related to happiness.

Back 24

-parenthood

-age

-gender

-education levels

(PAGE)

These are the generic facts you must list on usually PAGE 1 of your college application

Hint 24

What do you include in the general information section of college applications?