Emotions

TANU SHUKLA
BITS Pilani Tanu Shukla
Pilani Campus
 What and Why of Emotions
• A subjective sensation experienced as a type of
psycho-physiological arousal
• Result from the interaction of
– perception of environmental stimuli
– neural & hormonal responses to perceptions
(feelings)
– a cognitive appraisal of the situation arousing
the state
– an outward expression of the state
 Concept of Emotion
• A class of subjective feelings created by
stimuli that have high significance to an
individual
– stimuli that produce high arousal generally
produce strong feelings
– are rapid and automatic
– emerged through natural selection to benefit
survival and reproduction
 Functions of Emotion
• Emotions can move us to act, triggering motivated
behavior
• Emotions help us to set goals, but emotional states can also
be goals in themselves.
• Emotions are important in many different areas, including
rational decision making and purposeful behavior.
• Emotional intelligence is the capacity to understand and
manage your own emotional experiences and to perceive,
comprehend, and respond appropriately to the emotional
responses of others.
 Basic Emotions
• Fear, surprise, anger, disgust, happiness,
sadness
• Basic emotions are innate (inborn) and
“hard-wired”
• Complex emotions are a blend of many
aspects of emotions
• Classified along two dimensions
1. Pleasant or unpleasant
2. Level of activation or arousal associated with
the emotion
Whole-organism responses to a stimulus,
involving:
• The Physiological Component
• The Expressive Component
• The Cognitive Component

Human Emotion: Putting the Pieces Together

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Emotion
Three Components of Emotion

Emotion
rA feeling state
characterized by
r
rphysiological
arousal, expressive
behaviors &
cognitive
interpretation
 The Physiological Component
A Historical Perspective
James-Lange Theory of Emotion

• Emotion arises from

physiological arousal
– Happiness comes from
smiling

– Sadness comes from

crying
Theories of Emotions
 The Physiological Component
A Historical Perspective
Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

• Emotion originates in
the thalamus
• “Body” (physiological
systems) and “Mind”
(emotional
experience) are
independently
activated at the same
time
Theories of Emotions
• When an event occurs, the thalamus transmits a
signal to the amygdala.
• The amygdala is a small, oval-shaped structure in
the brain that plays an important role in
emotional processing, including emotions such as
fear and anger.
• The thalamus also sends signals to the autonomic
nervous system, resulting in physical reactions
such as muscle tension, shaking, and sweating.
 The Physiological Component
Brain Centers of Emotion
• Limbic System
– The Amygdala is
highly involved in
fear responses
• Cerebral Cortex
– Left hemisphere
associated with
positive emotions;
right with negative
emotions
 The Expressive Component
Sensory Feedback

• Facial-Feedback Hypothesis
– The hypothesis that changes in facial expression
can produce corresponding changes in emotion
– Zajonc, et al. had subjects repeat vowel sounds.
– Making some sounds - “ah” and “e” - caused
smiling and elevated mood.
– Making other sounds - “u” and “ü” - caused
frowning and lowered mood.
 The Cognitive Component
Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion
The theory suggests that the
physiological reactions must be
cognitively labeled and interpreted
as a particular emotion.
• Physiological arousal
– Sweaty palms
– Increased heart rate
– Rapid breathing
• Cognitive Label
– Attribute source of arousal
to a cause.
• To have an emotion, both
factors are required.
 The Cognitive Component
Dimensions of Appraisal

• Cognitive dimensions closely linked to emotion:

– Pleasantness: Is event enjoyable?

– Attention: Is one focused on event?

– Agency: Does one believe he/she is in control?

– Certainty: How clear is situation and is outcome

predictable?
 Outward signs of inner feelings

• Nonverbal cues
Face is the image of the soul – Cicero

Six basic emotions are represented on human face:

Anger, fear, sadness, disgust, happiness & surprize (Ekman, 1992)

Facial expressions may not be universal in order of

providing clear signals about underlying signals
 Emotion & Cognition:
How feelings shape thoughts and thought shapes feelings

• Body Languages: Non verbal cues involving body

postures or movement of body parts

• Gestures: movement of body parts that convey

specific meanings in a given culture

• Subjective well beings :

Some thoughts on personal happiness:
Global judgments of their own life satisfaction
 Human Emotion:
Putting the Pieces Together
Dynamics of Emotion
Opponent-Process Theory of Emotion

• Every primary emotional state triggers its opposite, opponent

state.
• A positive emotional state is followed by a negative state, and
vice versa.
• Emotional experience is balanced over time.

• An emotional reaction to a stimulus is followed automatically

by an opposite reaction
• Repeated exposure to a stimulus causes initial reaction to
weaken opposite reaction, to strengthen
 Human Emotion:
Putting the Pieces Together
Are There Cultural Differences in Emotion?

• Some aspects of emotion seem universal.

• However, cultures affect the categorization of
emotions and the display rules that govern
when and where emotions can be expressed.