Emotions Defined

1. Emotions Defined Class 4

2. 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

3. Cultures Factors US vs. Japan US 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

4. 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

5. Saying “No” in US and Japan US 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

6. Emotions in Ifaluk 305 × 281 - peacefulsocieties.org

7. Circumstances of US and Ifaluk USA Ifaluk Massive land space Stress self-reliance "Go West young man" Natural disaster rare Island size 1/5th Central Park Stress interdependence Nowhere to go Typhoons can wipe out everything

8. 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

9. Moral Emotions: Shame vs. Guilt Asian vs. Western Cultures Young-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

10. Kim & Cohen Experimental Method 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 ____ Cheated on an exam Complete Survey from perspective of own self, OR significant others Outcome measure: Thanks for being in this study. You select a free gift. ___ Handiwipes ___ Pencil

11. Moral Emotions: Shame vs. Guilt Asian vs. Western Cultures Young-Hoon Kim & Dov Cohen, under review

12. Emotions Defined Class 4

13. Emotional Event You are talking with a friend as you walk. As you start to cross the street there is a screech of brakes. You stop your conversation, jump back onto the sidewalk. You find your heart pounding, thinking you could have been hurt, and you determine to be more careful, not to get so deeply involved in conversations. The event is evaluated as important, priorities are changed, interrupting your previous actions. You are shaken bodily, and you make plans about what to do.

14. Emotion Terms Affect: Covers emotions, feelings, moods, and preferences.  Preferences: Mild subjective reactions of positive/negative directed toward specific objects.  Moods: General positive or negative states without a specific target.  Emotions: Specific states directed toward specific targets.  Feelings: Basically synonymous with emotions, but more direct reference to corresponding bodily sensation. QUESTION: Emotion possible without a "feeling"?

15. Ways of Defining Emotion Descriptive 1. What are types of emotions? 2. What events cause different types of emotions? 3. What do different types of emotion look like? Functional   1. What do emotions do? What’s their purpose? Causal 1. What circumstances give rise to emotions? 2. How are emotions evoked?

16. How Oatley and Jenkins define emotion a. Emotion is caused by a person evaluating an event as relevant to an important goal; emotion is positive if event advances goal, negative if event impedes goal.  b. Core of emotion is readiness to act. Emotions give priority to action.  c. Emotions are experienced as distinctive mental states, sometimes accompanied by bodily changes, expressions, actions.

17. Goals and Appraisal Theory of Emotion Appraisal: recognition of an event as significant. Significant events: Events that advance or impede personal goals.  Goal Relevance: Does event relate to goals?  Goal Congruence/Incongruence: Does event advance or impede goals?  Ego Involvement: How does event affect one’s sense of self?

18. Appraisal vs. Separate Systems Theories of Emotion Controversy: Do emotions always follow thought, or can emotion precede thinking? What comes first, thinking or feeling? Appraisal Theory: Thinking comes first. Richard Lazarus, Phoebe Ellsworth. Separate Systems: Emotions can come first. Robert Zajonc, Joseph LeDoux

19. Examples of Appraisal and Separate Systems Appraisal I find lottery ticket, scratch it, win $10.00, feel ??? Eskimo finds lottery ticket, scratches if, finds $10,000, feels ??? Sep. Systems: You leave school, have jittery, disturbed “something’s wrong” feeling, can’t find reason, get home, realize you missed important meeting.

20. Emotions Per Oatley & Jenkins Readiness to act: I’m from the South, and space stealer sneers and and says “Sorry, Slick”. My body reacts by: Fight mode, testosterone, cortisol, HR, etc. Goal Relevance: I’m looking for parking space and: Space suddenly opens, I feel: Euphorically, insanely happy Someone steals space, I feel: Bloodthirsty rage Distinct mental states: Not only is my body aroused, I am aware of and can label my emotions.

21. Emotion No Emotion Positive Emotion Negative Emotion Fear/Anxiety Sadness Love Happiness Anger, Shame Pride EVENT Goal Relevant? Yes No Goal Congruent? Yes No Ego Involvement? Not Relevant Damages self esteem Boosts self-esteem Threat to self loss to self Mutual Affection

22. Thinking and Emotion Emotions shift direction of thought: Mental radar  Emotions focus attention on emotion-relevant things Emotions focus attention on un-solved problems  Emotions can be changed by changes in thinking

23. Emotions Shape ThoughtFrom Bang the Drum Slowly …We filled up with antifreeze, the kid in the station saying, “this will last you a lifetime”. You would be surprised if you listen to the number of times a day people will tell you something will last a lifetime or tell you something killed them, or tell you they are dead. “I was simply dead” they say, “He killed me, “ I am dying,” which I never noticed before but now begun to notice more and more.

24. Appraisal Habits and Emotion Event: Saw someone from school at market, but they acted like they didn’t know me. Thought: Probably doesn’t like me. Emotion: Hurt, sadness  Alternative appraisal?: The person might not have even seen me. Or maybe she is shy, or maybe she is a stuck-up jerk. New Emotion?: Relief, empathy, disregard

25. Changing Emotions By Changing Cognitions in The Dain Curse  “I—” She sat down on the side of the bed close to me, elbows on knees, tortured white face between hands. “I’ve not ever been able to think clearly, as other people do, even the simplest thoughts. Everything is always so confused in my mind. No matter what I try to think about, there’s a fog that gets between me and it, and other thoughts get between us, so I can barely catch a glimpse of the thought I want before I lose it again, and have to hunt through the fog, and at last find it, only to have the same thing happen again and again and again. Can you understand how horrible that can become: going through life like that—year after year—knowing you’ll always be like that—or worse?”

26. Changing Emotions By Changing Cognitions in The Dain Curse “It sounds normal as hell to me. Nobody thinks clearly, no matter what they pretend. Thinking is a dizzy business, a matter of catching as many of those foggy glimpses as you can and fitting them together as best you can. That’s why people hang on so tight to their beliefs and opinions; because compared to the haphazard way they’re arrived at, even the goofiest opinion seems wonderfully clear, sane, and self-evident. …” She took her face out of her hands and smiled shyly at me saying: “it’s funny, I didn’t like you before.”

27. Emotions Promote Action Readiness Anger Ready to strike, hit, attack: Wanting to flee, escape: Wanting to join, touch, be with: Fear Love, Affection

28. Non Verbal Signals of Emotion Non Verbal Signal Emotion Emblems Thrust fist, extended middle finger, thumbs up IllustratorsAccent/emphasis in voice, hand waving, clenched fist Affect Displays Smiling, frowning Regulators Nods, eyebrow movement Adaptors Self-touching, self grooming

29. “Pregnant” example of vocal expression of emotion. Twee maander zwanger

30. James’s Peripheral Theory of Emotion 1. Every emotion accompanied by corresponding change in bodily sensation.  2. Emotions are the sensation of what is going on in the body, arise from the body.  3. Emotions and spinal-cord injured: Less emotion?  4. Zajonc blood-flow theory  a. Changing bodily state  change in emotion b. Face is primary source of emotional change * Umlaut study * Pencil-in-mouth study

31. Separate Systems Approach to Emotions a. Affective reactions are primary  b. Affect is basic  c. Affect is inescapable  d. Affective reactions tend to be irrevocable, in contrast to cognitive judgments  e. Affect implicates the self: cognitive judgments center on features of objects.  f. Emotions are not verbalizable  g. Affective reactions may not depend on thinking  h. Affective reactions can be separated from the content knowledge