DO ANIMALS HAVE EMOTIONS?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

Clues From Primate Studies on Emotions as Inherited

Jane Goodall’s Chimp Observations

Chimp society based on aggression and sex

Aggression relates to social hierarchies

Aggression in chimps linked to serotonin levels. Same for humans

Chimps appear to be emotional—and to share same basic emotions as humans.

Jane Goodall: “Emotional states of chimps are so obviously

similar to ours that even an inexperienced observer can

interpret the behavior”.

From Reflexes to Emotion

a. Reflexes

b. Patterns of action

c. Innate releaser/sign stimulus/cue

d. Emotions

Emotions and Action Patterns

Cue

Emotion

Pattern

Purpose

Intruder

Anger, alarm

Aggression, warning

Defend territory

Potential Mate

Excitement, arousal

Flirtation, displays, approach

Mating, affiliation

Emotions and Problem Solving

Emotions draw attention to problems

Emotions keep attention on problems, until problems are solved.

Different emotions are keyed to different kinds of problems

EMOTION “PROBLEM” “SOLUTION”

Guilt Betrayal of

another Restore bonds

Fear Threat to self Self Protection

Culture and Emotions

Class 3

Universality of Emotions

Emotional expression evident among blind, deaf

Emotion expression common across literate cultures

Ekman study

Izard study

Emotional expression common between pre-literate cultures and literate culture (USA).

Ekman: South Fore of New Guinea

Heiders: Dani’

Researching Culture and Emotion

1. Cross time within a society

2. Between regions within larger society

3. Between separate societies

Emotional Differences Between Cultures Represent Adaptations

Constraints favor some emotions, some emotional expressions, and disfavor others.

Cultures differ in constraints (i.e., challenges, and opportunities) that they face.

Emotions are adapted to the problems people face in different places and different times.

Emotions During the Enlightenment

1. Reason and rationality great equalizers

2. Darwin: emotions associated with more primitive animals.

3. Spinoza: Spiritual freedom gained by controlling the “passive” emotions

4. Emotions associated with the irrational, the untamed, the feminine, the weak, the insane.

5. Embracing of science industrial revolution, command

over nature

Romanticism and Emotions

1. Reaction to the hyper-rationality of the Enlightenment

2. Philosophical spokesman: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1755)

“The heart has its reasons the reason cannot know”

3. Themes of Romanticism

a. Nature is basically benign

b. Good life lived in harmony with nature—inner and outer

c. Notion of “noble savage”

d. Dangers of ignoring nature: warped wonks

Frankenstein: Science run amok

Emotion vs. Reason in American Identity Pro-Reason:

Balance of power

Dedication to science, public education

Pro-Emotion:

People are “endowed with inalienable rights,

that among these are life, liberty, and the

pursuit of happiness.”

American Ambivalence Towards Emotions Anti Emotionality

1. 1960’s time of hedonistic chaos

2. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

3. Political ruin of Ed Muskie and Thomas Eagleton

4. Clint Eastwood, John Wayne as icons

Pro Emotionality

1. 1950’s time of stultifying emotional repression

2. Go with your feelings

3. Bill Clinton: “I feel your pain”

4. Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman as icons

Different Constraints Within a Culture

North vs. South United States and the

“Culture of Honor”

Dov Cohen and Richard Nisbett

Cultural Differences: North vs. South

North

South

Settled by farmers, urbanites

Settled by herders, aristocrats

Livelihood not easily stolen

Livelihood easily stolen

Cooperation, community are adaptive

Independence, toughness are adaptive

Honor is not paramount value

Honor is paramount value

Insult says something about insulter

Insult says something about one’s self

Differences in Violence, North vs. South

Homicide in Cumberland Mtns: 10 times national rate, twice as high as inner cities during 1980s

Violent past-times:

Purring, no holds bar fights, toss-rock-at-head game

Laws lenient re. honor-related violence

Killing unfaithful wife and lover justified in Texas

Jury acquits man who shoots name-callers

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Non-South South

Percent Who Approve of Punching a Drunk Who Bumps into One's Wife, Non-South vs. South

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5

10

15

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25

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Mid-West South

FightInsult

Percent Who Would Be Angry with Friend for a Month Following a Fist-Fight or an Insult,

Mid-West vs. South

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

Non-South South

Felony Murders

Argument Murders

Homicide Rates Related to Insults

in Cities of Less than 200,000

North vs. South

Cohen and Nisbett Motorcycle Shop Study

1. Employment request letters sent to cycle shops in North and in South

2. “Applicant” is highly qualified motorcycle mechanic

3. BUT, applicant has a criminal past

a. Applicant stole money, went to prison

b. Applicant caught another man with his wife, thrashed the man, went to prison.

4. Who hires Applicant?

Offer Job to Convict, Convicted of Stealing or Honor-Motivated Manslaughter, North Vs. South

NORTH SOUTH

THIEF Low Low

REVENGING Low High

HUSBAND

Sequence in Cohen and Nisbett Insult Studies

1. Subjects: white males, non-Hispanic and non-Jewish

2. Subjects are from the North or the South

3. Subject told to walk down narrow corridor, drop off form and return

4. S encounters/doesn’t encounter guy working a file cabinet.

5. Filer first grumpily makes way for S

6. When S returns filer bumps him and calls him “asshole”

Results of Insult Experiments1. Insult Study 1: Emotions expressed after insult

* South: Anger

* North: Amusement2. Insult Study 2: Stress and aggression hormone activation

* Cortisol: Higher among insulted Southerners

* Testosterone: Higher among insulted Southerners

3. Insult Study 3: Behavioral measures

a. Handshake

b. Dominance vs. Submission posture

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20

40

60

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100

120

Non-South South

No Insult

Insult

Distance (in feet) Before Avoiding Fred the Bouncer in “Chicken Game”, After No Insult or After Insult

North vs. South

Conclusions from Culture of Honor Studies

1. Culture shapes meaning of events, and therefore emotional reactions.

2. Culture shapes how people act on emotions

3. Implications for policy: change social conditions that support need to project toughness.

Cross-Cultural Analysis of Emotion

Different societies face different environments, histories, and current challenges

The factors influence emotional emphases

Hypercognized: Emphasized, have special names, objects of discussion

Hypocognized: Underemphasized, not conceptualized.

Example: Anger vs contentment

Cultures Factors US vs. Japan

U.S.A. Japan

Environ. Wide open continent Small Island

History Settled by rebels, 1000 yrs, little immigration

people willing to break ties

Values Distrust authority Respect authority

Independence Collectiveness

“I” self “We” self

Innovation Tradition

Emotions, US vs. Japan

Amae: Japanese positive emotion

Comfort in another’s complete acceptance

No US equivalent

Anger: Japan – OK between groups, not within group

US – OK to show anger to close others

Infant toy study: Baby approaches toy when mom shows

joy, fear, or anger, Japan vs. US

Saying “No” in US and Japan

USA Japan

I don’t think this will work

No, we cannot do that

Are you out of your %$##%

mind???

That is interesting

We would like to think about that

We may have a problem

Moral Emotions: Shame vs. Guilt

Asian vs. Western CulturesYoung-Hoon Kim & Dov Cohen, under review

Individualistic Cultures (USA/W. European)

Self is audience to own actions

Motive is personal dignity

Constraining emotions = Guilt

Collectivist Cultures (Asia)

Others are audience to own actions

Motive is saving face

Constraining emotion = Shame

Kim & Cohen Experimental Method

(Abridged)

Participants: 205 non-Hispanic Euro-Americans, 181 Asian Americans

Moral Transgression Survey:

Number of times that you:

____ Lied to parents

____ Talked about friend behind his/her back

Complete Survey from perspective of own self, OR significant others

Outcome measure: Thanks for being in this study. You get a free gift.

___ Handiwipes

___ Pencil

Moral Emotions: Shame vs. Guilt

Asian vs. Western Cultures

Young-Hoon Kim & Dov Cohen, under review

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Own Perspective Others'Perspective

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Circumstances of US and Ifaluk

US

Ifaluk

Unlimited land space Island size of 1/5th Central Park

People stress self-reliance

People stress interdependence

“Go West young man” No where to go.

Society generally free of natural disaster

Typhoons can wipe out entire structures

Emotions of the Ifaluk

1. Ker = self-centered happiness, draw attn. to self, rowdiness

2. Maluwelu: gentle, quiet, calm pleasantness

3. Song: Dissatisfaction with another’s break of social decorum

4. Fago: Compassionate love/sadness. Most valued emotion