Emotion

Presented by
Ms. Sujatha
Assistant lecturer
MSRINER
 Emotion is derived from Latin word
”emovere” which means” to agitate” to
stirr up, and to move out.
 Anybody can become angry-that is easy;
but to be angry with the right person, and
to the right degree, and at the right time,
and for the right purpose, and in right
way, that is not within everybody’s power
and is not easy.
 -Aristotle
 Definition: crow and crow-emotion defined as an
affective experience that accompanies
generalized inner adjustment and mental and
physiological stirred up states in the individual
and that shows itself in his overt behavior.
 Charles G.morris:Emotion is a complex affective
experience that involves diffuse physiological
changes and can be expressed overtly in a
characteristic behavioural pattern.
Emotion
 Emotion
 a response of the whole
organism
 Physiological arousal
 Expressive behaviors
 Conscious experience
Components of Emotion

 The Physiological Component

 The Expressive Component
 The Cognitive Component
 Human Emotion: Putting the Pieces
Together
Three Components of
Emotion

Emotion
A feeling state characterized
by physiological arousal,
expressive behaviors, and a
cognitive interpretation
The Physiological
Component
The Autonomic Nervous System

“Fight Restore
or Calm
Flight”
Emotion and Physiology
The Cognitive Component

Pathway of Fear Without “Thought”

• Sensation of threat can reach the

amygdala via direct path from
thalamus
The fast “low road”
• Sensation of threat also travels from
the thalamus to the cortex
The slow “high road”
• Cortical judgment can override
direct path
Theories of Emotion

 Does your heart pound

because you are afraid...
or are you afraid because you
feel your heart pounding?
James-Lange
Theory of Emotion
 Experience of emotion is awareness of
physiological responses to emotion-
arousing stimuli
Sight of Pounding Fear
oncoming heart (emotion)
car (arousal)
(perception of
stimulus)
 James-Lange Theory of
Emotion
The Physiological Component
A Historical Perspective

Emotion arises from

physiological arousal
•Happiness comes from
smiling
•Sadness comes from crying
Cannon-Bard
Theory of Emotion
Pounding
heart  Emotion-arousing
(arousal)
Sight of stimuli simultaneously
oncoming
car trigger:
(perception of
stimulus)  physiological
responses
Fear  subjective experience
(emotion)
of emotion
Cannon-Bard Theory of
Emotion
The Physiological Component
A Historical Perspective

• Emotion originates in the

thalamus
• “Body” (physiological
systems) and “Mind”
(emotional experience) are
independently activated at
the same time
 Schachter’s Two-Factor
Theory of Emotion
Pounding
heart  To experience
(arousal)
Sight of Fear emotion one
oncoming
car
(emotion)
must:
(perception of
stimulus)
 be physically
aroused
Cognitive  cognitively
label label the
“I’m afraid” arousal
Schachter’s Two-Factor
Theory of Emotion

Physiological arousal
•Sweaty palms
•Increased heart rate
•Rapid breathing
Cognitive Label
•Attribute source of arousal
to a cause.
To have an emotion, both
factors are required.
Lazarus theory of Emotion
Cognition and Emotion
 The brain’s shortcut for emotions
Two Dimensions of
Emotion
Positive
valence

pleasant
relaxation joy
Low High
arousal arousal
fear
sadness
anger

Negative
valence
Arousal and
Performance

 Performance
peaks at
lower levels
of arousal for
difficult tasks,
and at higher
levels for
easy or well-
learned tasks
Emotion-
Lie Detectors

 Polygraph
 machine commonly used in attempts to
detect lies
 measures several of the physiological
responses accompanying emotion
 perspiration
 cardiovascular
 breathing changes
Emotion--A Polygraph
Examination
Emotion--Lie Detectors

 Control Question
 Up to age 18, did you ever physically
harm anyone?
 Relevant Question
 Did [the deceased] threaten to harm
you in any way?
 Relevant > Control --> Lie
Emotion--
Lie Detectors
Respiration

Perspiration

Heart rate

Control Relevant Control Relevant

question question (a) question question (b)
Expressed Emotion
 Culturally universal expressions
Experienced Emotion
 The
ingredients
of emotion
Experienced Emotion
 Infants’ naturally occurring emotions
Experienced Emotion

 The
Amygdala--a
neural key to
fear learning
Experienced Emotion

 Catharsis
 emotional release
 catharsis hypothesis
 “releasing” aggressive energy (through
action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges
 Feel-good, do-good phenomenon
 people’s tendency to be helpful when
already in a good mood
Experienced Emotion
 Adaptation-Level Phenomenon
 tendency to form judgments relative to a
“neutral” level
 brightness of lights
 volume of sound
 level of income
 defined by our prior experience
 Relative Deprivation
 perception that one is worse off relative to
those with whom one compares oneself
 Happiness is...
Researchers Have Found That However, Happiness Seems Not Much
Happy People Tend to Related to Other Factors, Such as

Have high self-esteem Age

(in individualistic countries)

Be optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable Gender (women are more often

depressed, but also more often joyful)

Have close friendships or a satisfying Education levels

marriage

Have work and leisure that engage Parenthood (having children or not)
their skills

Have a meaningful religious faith Physical attractiveness

Sleep well and exercise