Lecture 19Lecture 19

•• Eyes and Emotional States Eyes and Emotional States

•• The emotions you perceive in others The emotions you perceive in others

•• Eye gaze affects intensity of perceived emotion Eye gaze affects intensity of perceived emotion

•• Threats signaled by eyes and emotional states Threats signaled by eyes and emotional states

•• Envy and Schadenfreude Envy and Schadenfreude

•• Comparative emotions you feel about others Comparative emotions you feel about others

•• The pain of envy, the pleasure of The pain of envy, the pleasure of schadenfreudeschadenfreude

Social EmotionsSocial Emotions

Review from Psych 100Review from Psych 100

The six “classic” emotions

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

From Finding Nemo

The eyes are a key source of information

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

Eye gaze affects perceived intensity

Adams (2002)

Approach-orientedApproach-orientedemotionsemotions

Intensity greaterIntensity greaterwith direct gazewith direct gaze

Avoidance-orientedAvoidance-orientedemotionsemotions

Intensity greaterIntensity greaterwith averted gazewith averted gaze

Plotted is thedifference in

emotional intensityrating for direct-gazeminus averted-gaze

condition.A positive value

indicates the direct-gaze face had ahigher intensity

rating, a negativescore indicates the

averted-gaze face hada higher intensity.

Adams (2002)

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

Eye gaze affects perceived intensity

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

Adams (2003)

The amygdala is thought to be part of a neural systemresponsive to potential threat. Consistent with this is theamygdala’s well-documented sensitivity to fear faces. Whatis puzzling, however, is the paucity of evidence for a similarinvolvement of the amygdala in the processing of angerdisplays. To address this apparent anomaly, researchers havespeculated that the amygdala is involved not only indetecting threat but also in deciphering the source of threat,particularly when it is ambiguous. Here the issue of gazebecomes pertinent because anger faces signal impendingaggression on the part of the expressor, whereas fear facesindicate potential environmental threat perceived by theexpressor.

Emotions and Eye Gaze Can Signal Threats

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

Adams (2003)

He’s scared ofsomething, and it

appears to be overthere.

He’s angry and he’scoming at me.

He’s scared ofsomething, butwhat? Me? His

mother?! Death?!

He’s angry andfacing me, butlooking over

there?! What theheck?!

Low threat ambiguity High threat ambiguity

Emotions, Eye Gaze and Threats

Eyes and Emotional StatesEyes and Emotional States

Adams (2003)

Intensity of activityin the left

amygdala, as afunction of emotion

(anger vs. fear)and direction of

eye gaze ofemotive face

(direct vs.averted).

Emotions and Eye Gaze Can Signal Threats

Low threatLow threatambiguityambiguityconditionsconditions

High threatHigh threatambiguityambiguityconditionsconditions

From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

An Introduction

Takahashi (2009)

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

When misfortune occurs to others, emotions can manifestthemselves in several ways. We can sympathize and havefeelings of concern and sorrow for the other person, but wecan also experience gloating or schadenfreude, a rewardingfeeling derived from another’s misfortune. Schadenfreude isclosely related to envy, and it is more likely to arise whenmisfortune happens to a person whom we personally knowand envy.

The Pleasure of Schadenfreude

Takahashi (2009)

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

Envy is a “painful emotion” characterized by feelings ofinferiority and resentment produced by an awareness ofanother’s superior quality, achievement, or possessions.When envy is evoked, we often have a desire to possess thesame advantage or may wish that the other lacks it.

The Pain of Envy

Takahashi (2009)

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

Read a scenario involving you and 3 other people

Someone to envySomeone to envywho has high who has high ““selfselfrelevancerelevance”” to you to you

Someone to envySomeone to envywho has low who has low ““selfselfrelevancerelevance”” to you to you

Someone youSomeone youwouldnwouldn’’t envyt envy

Takahashi (2009)

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

Shown on the left is the dorsal portion of the anterior cingulatecortex, where cognitive conflicts and social pain are processed.Activity in this region increased when thinking about both enviedpeople in the story, relative to the person not envied, and increasedmost for the “self relevant” person.

Takahashi (2009)

Comparative Social EmotionsComparative Social Emotions

Shown is the ventral striatum, a central node of reward processing.Activity in this region showed a positive correlation with the amountof schadenfreude reported for an envied “self-relevant” person.

SchadenfreudeFor: