THEORIES OF EMOTIONAP PSYCH

THEORIES

• HOW DO BIOLOGY, COGNITION, AND BEHAVIOR INTERACT TO PRODUCE EMOTION?

• IS ONE THE CAUSE OF THE OTHERS?

• EACH THEORY OFFERS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

JAMES-LANGE THEORY

• 1890 PROPOSED BY WILLIAM JAMES, SIMULTANEOUSLY PROPOSED BY CARL LANGE

• EMOTIONS ARE CAUSED BY HOW OUR BODY REACTS TO A STIMULUS.

• STIMULUS-> PHYSICAL RESPONSE-> EMOTION

Emotion because Physical responce

Sad because we cry

Angry because we strike

Afraid because we tremble

Happy because we smile or laugh

Love because our heart beats quickly

Anxious because we twitch

Angry because we shake

Tired because we yawn

Disgust because we cringe

Suprised because our jaw drops

CANNON-BARD THEORY

• LATE 1920S

• EMOTION AND PHYSICAL RESPONSE ALL OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME.

• YOU FEEL AN EMOTION AND HAVE A REACTION AT THE SAME TIME, BUT ONE IS NOT CAUSING THE OTHER.

EXAMPLES

• WE CRY WHEN WE FEEL SORRY

• SEEING A FRIEND YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS CAUSES YOU TO SMILE AND GET EXCITED/JOYFUL AT THE SAME TIME.

• BEFORE PRESENTING A SPEECH, FEELING NERVOUS AND SWEATING AT THE SAME TIME.

• IF YOU WIN THE LOTTERY, THE REACTIONS OF SMILING REALLY BIG AND FEELING EXCITED HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY.

• IF YOU SEE A SNAKE, YOU THEN BECOME SCARED AND BEGIN TO SHAKE AT THE SAME TIME.

TWO-FACTOR THEORY(SCHACTER-SINGER THEORY)

• 1971

• WE CAN CAUSE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE, BY THINKING

• WE APPRAISE (1) OUR INTERNAL PHYSICAL STATE (2) OUR EXTERNAL SITUATION

EXAMPLES

• WE CRY WHEN WE NOTICE WE FEEL SORRY INSIDE AND ARE INVOLVED IN A SAD SITUATION

• WE ARE SHAKE WHEN WE FEEL AFRAID INSIDE AND ARE IN A SCARY SITUATION

TWO-FACTOR THEORY(SCHACTER-SINGER THEORY) CONTINUED

• HOWEVER…SINCE WE ARE COGNITIVELY INTERPRETING, WE CAN MISINTERPRET OUR EMOTIONS

• DUTTON & ARON, 1974 FEMALE ON A FOOTBRIDGE

• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=OKZAL4PQ20M

EXAMPLES

• BOB WON THE RACE! WHEN HE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, HE INTERPRETS HIS INCREASED HEART RATE AS HAPPINESS, HOWEVER IT IS PROBABLY JUST DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS JUST RUNNING.

• WHEN DRIVING, YOU MAY FEEL LESS OR MORE ANNOYED BY OTHER DRIVERS DEPENDING ON THE MUSIC YOU ARE LISTENING TO BECAUSE IT COULD CHANGE YOUR MOOD. IF YOUR LISTENING TO A SONG YOU LOVE THE GUY WHO CUT YOU OFF MAY NOT BOTHER YOU AS MUCH.

• YOU ARE IN A FIGHT OVER A GIRL, AND YOU START TO CRY BECAUSE OF ANGER. YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE CRYING BECAUSE YOU ARE ANGRY, BUT ITS REALLY BECAUSE YOU JUST GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE.

• YOU SHARE A NICE MEAL WITH A FRIEND. YOU MISINTERPRET YOUR CONTENT FEELINGS FROM THE GOOD FOOD AS HAPPINESS FROM BEING WITH YOUR FRIEND.

COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY

• 1986, 1991, FRIJDA AND LAZARUS

• AFTER AN EVENT OCCURS, WE MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD FEEL

EXAMPLES

• AFTER MY BROTHER PUNCHES ME, I CAN FEEL PAIN ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T REALLY HURT THAT MUCH, BUT I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE MAD FOR BEING PUNCHED SO I BECOME MAD.

• WHEN I FAIL A TEST, I REALIZE THAT FAILING IS TERRIBLE, SO I FEEL DISAPPOINTED.

• AFTER SOMEONE SUFFERS FROM A BREAK UP, THEY USUALLY CONVINCE THEMSELVES WHETHER TO FEEL SAD ABOUT IT OR RELIEVED AFTER HAVING ANALYZED THE SITUATION, AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.

• WHEN I SIT IN A MOVIE THEATER, WATCHING A FUNNY MOVIE, AND I SEE ALL OF THE PEOPLE LAUGHING AT A FUNNY PART, I DECIDE TO LAUGH TOO.

OPPONENT-PROCESS THEORY(OF EMOTION)

• EMOTIONS HAVE PAIRS

• WHEN ONE EMOTION IS TRIGGERED, THE OTHER IS SUPPRESSED

• WHEN I AM HAPPY, SADNESS IS SUPPRESSED

EXAMPLES

• WHEN YOU'RE EMBARRASSED, THE FEELING OF PRIDE IS SUPPRESSED AND WHEN YOUR FEELING PRIDEFUL THE FEELING OF EMBARRASSMENT IS SUPPRESSED.

• WHEN YOU ARE NERVOUS, THE FEELING OF CONFIDENCE IS SUPPRESSED.

• WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY, A FEELING OF TRANQUILITY IS SUPPRESSED.

• WHEN YOU'RE STRESSED, A FEELING OF RELIEF IS SUPPRESSED.