Emotion and Motivation

1. Emotion and Motivation Samuel R. Mathews, Ph.D. The Department of Psychology The University of West Florida

2. Elements of Emotion • Physiological arousal (heart rate, blushing, sweating, etc) • Subjective experiences/feelings (rage, elation, sadness, etc)

3. Elements of Emotion • Cognitive interpretations (blaming another, recognizing the object of desire) • Behavioral expressions (crying, smiling, gazing longingly

4. Emotion and the Species • Emotions have survival value and have evolved to support organism in its environment: • Recognition of threats, attraction, etc • Signals to presence of problems and opportunities

5. Emotion and the Species • Wide range of individual differences within the species: • emotional responsiveness, • interpretation, and • expression (e.g. grieving patterns and responses differ by tradition and culture)

6. Sadness Fear Anger Disgust Contempt Happiness Surprise Basic emotions recognizable across many different cultures

12. Processes of Emotions • Fast-response cycle • Largely unconscious • Relies largely on the limbic system of the brain (largely “reflex” response) • Tends to be linked to survival reactions grounded in evolution but learning does impact reaction (habituation)

13. Processes of Emotions • Conscious response cycle • Largely conscious and slower to respond • Relies on cerebral cortex (learned associations and decision-making processes)

14. Processes of Emotions • Arousal and performance • Inverted “U” in arousal and performance relationship • Easy tasks are performed better with higher arousal • Moderately challenging tasks performed better with moderate level of arousal • More challenging tasks performed better with lower levels of arousal.

15. Theories of Emotion • Major theories have several elements: • Emotionally salient stimulus • Physiological reaction (arousal) • Cognitive appraisal • Emotional response

16. Theories of Emotion • James-Lange Theory: • StimulusPhysiological ArousalBehavioral ResponseEmotional response • “I see a bear, I am running away from the bear, therefore I am afraid.”

17. Theories of Emotion • Cannon-Bard Theory • StimulusEmotional Response Physiological ArousalBehavioral Response • “I see the bear, I am afraid of the bear therefore I will run.”

18. Theories of Emotion • Schachter & Singer introduced the concept of appraisal • Cognitive Appraisal Theory • Stimulus Cognitive Appraisal (how does it affect us?)Decide how to cope • “I see a bear. Is the bear posing a threat? If yes, run. If not, get the camera.”

19. Theories of Emotion • Debate is still active: • Are emotion and cognition separate systems? • Izard (1993) & Zajonc (1984) argue that they are • Lazarus (1991) argues they are linked • Emotional functions that are largely inaccessible to consciousness—Izard & Zajonc • Emotional functions that emerge from more controlled processes—Lazarus

20. Motivation • Mental processes that • select, • initiate, • direct, and • sustain our behaviors • Links behaviors with inferred internal states (e.g. someone who is drinking water must be thirsty and want water);

21. Motivation • Motivation is related to biologically based “drives” • Fight • Flight • Food • Reproduction

22. Intrinsic—Extrinsic motivation • Intrinsic Motivation • motive for some behavior originates in preferences of the individual; • the action is its own reward; • Extrinsic Motivation • Motive for some behavior is based on external reinforcement • Reinforcement is contingent on some behavior • Typically some combination of both are present

23. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy—Motivation • Maslow’s Need Hierarchy • Physiological (food, water, air, shelter) • Safety (protection from threats) • Love (nurturing caregivers) • Esteem (sense of satisfaction with one’s self) • Self Actualization (peak performance, realizing one’s highest level of existence)