Emotion and Motivation Chapter 8
Motivation & Emotion in Historical Perspective Motivation and emotion are relatively new concepts: Motivation was a collection of other concepts, such as pleasure, lust, power, reason, etc. Emotions evolved from passions ; rose to prominence after Darwin and his work on emotion and facial expressions. The general notion that people have inner pushes and external pulls and are passionate (not always rational) is ancient.
Emotional Experience: The Feeling Machine Emotion: a positive or negative experience that is associated with a particular pattern of physiological activity Measured through multidimensional scaling Two dimensions of arousal and valence James-Lange theory: stimuli trigger activity in the ANS, which in turn produces an emotional experience in the brain Cannon-Bard theory: a stimulus simultaneously triggers activity in the ANS and emotional experience in the brain Two-factor theory: emotions are inferences about the causes of physiological arousal
Figure 8.1 From Distances to Maps
Figure 8.2 Two Dimensions of Emotion
Critical Thinking Question In what ways does you text suggest emotions are like points on a map? In what ways are they not? Metaphor and the language of psychology: Maps represent concrete, specific places anyone can visit, is anger such a place? Mapping the emotions vs. heuristics for understanding emotions. Example of reification error?
Figure 8.3 Classic Theories of Emotion
Figure 8.4 The Physiology of Emotion
The Emotional Brain The amygdala plays an important role in emotion; threat detector Appraisal: an evaluation of the emotionrelevant aspects of a stimulus Fast (thalamus amygdala) and slow (thalamus cortex amygdala) pathways of fear in the brain
Figure 8.6 The Fast and Slow Pathways of Fear
The Regulation of Emotion Emotion regulation: the use of cognitive and behavioral strategies to influence one s emotional experience Reappraisal: changing one s emotional experience by changing the meaning of the emotion-eliciting stimulus
Emotional Communication: MSGS w/o Wrds Emotional expression: an observable sign of an emotional state Observers can read our emotions; especially in our face (46 unique action units) Universality hypothesis: emotional expressions have the same meaning for everyone; originally proposed by Darwin People (even those who have never seen a human face) are generally good at judging and creating the same facial expressions. There are six universal emotions expressed: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Facial feedback hypothesis: emotional expressions can cause the emotional experiences they signify
Figure 8.7 Six Basic Emotions
Figure 8.8 The Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Questions Why are we walking, talking advertisements of our inner states? Why are some facial expressions universal? Why do emotional expressions cause emotional experience?
Deceptive Expression We can control (at least to some degree) our expression of emotion. Display rules: norms for the control of emotional expression Intensification, deintensification, masking, neutralizing Different cultures have different display rules. Sincere and insincere expressions may leak out. Morphology (reliable muscles), symmetry, duration, temporal patterning People are generally poor lie-detectors Polygraph machines are somewhat better detectors
Figure 8.9 Neutralizing
Figure 8.10 Crinkle Eyes
Figure 8.11 Lie Detection Machines
Questions How does emotional expression differ across cultures? What is the problem with lie detecting machines?
Motivation: Getting Moved Hedonism: the notion that all people are motivated to experience pleasure and avoid pain. Pleasure vs. Power which is stronger? Capgras Syndrome sufferers have sustained damage to the connections between the temporal lobe and the limbic system. Believe family members/friends are imposters due to lack of emotional connection
The Conceptualization of Motivation James called the natural tendency (innate) to seek a particular goal an instinct. Drive: an internal state generated by departures from physiological optimality Homeostasis: the tendency for a system to take action to keep itself in a particular state
Questions In what ways is the human body like a thermostat?
Basic Motivations and Hunger We are motivated to eat to convert food to energy. Hunger signals (orexigenic, anorexigenic) are sent to and from the brain. The hypothalamus (lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus) is specifically involved in hunger However, hunger is much more complicated than brain mechanisms.
Figure 8.14 Hunger, Satiety, and the Hypothalamus
Self-Actualization Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) stated that people are motivated to fulfill a hierarchy of needs. Must satisfy the basic needs before social needs, which must be satisfied before selfactualizing can begin. Maslow estimated only around 1% of people reach self-actualization.
Figure 8.13 Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs
Eating Disorders Bulimia nervosa: an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging Anorexia nervosa: an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of being fat and severe restriction of food intake Gender and cultural differences Obesity (BMI of 30) is also a problem in our country Causes include biochemical abnormalities, eating when we aren t hungry, and nature having designed us to overeat The human body resists weight loss because of added fat cells (which don t decrease in number) and dieting decreases metabolism.
Figure 8.15 The Geography of Obesity
Table 8.1 Body Mass Index Table
Questions What causes anorexia? Why do people overeat? Why is dieting so difficult and ineffective? What are some (other) factors to consider when calculating the BMI?
Psychological Motivations Humans alone can conceptualize death, and are motivated to avoid death-related anxiety. Terror management theory claims that we cope with our existential terror by developing a cultural worldview (meaningful immortality through our legacies). Consider religion in the context of war-torn countries (are their beliefs more conservative or liberal?)
Questions Morality-salience hypothesis: the prediction that people who are reminded of their own mortality will work to reinforce their cultural worldviews. How do people deal with knowledge of death? leap of faith or the annihilation of a rational universe?
Kinds of Motivation Intrinsic motivation: motivation to take actions that are themselves rewarding. Tend to be more satisfying Extrinsic motivation: motivation to take actions that are not themselves rewarding but that lead to a reward May undermine intrinsic rewards Delaying gratification is something our species does well. Threats or punishments can make the prohibited behavior more appealing.
Kinds of Motivation continued Conscious motivation: a motivation of which one is aware We are aware of our general motivations. Unconscious motivation: a motivation of which one is not aware Need for achievement: the motivation to solve worthwhile problems Approach motivation: a motivation to experience positive outcomes Promotion focus Avoidance motivation: a motivation not to experience negative outcomes Tend to be more powerful People take more risks to avoid loss. Prevention focus
Table 8.3 BIS/BAS