Chapter 12: Emotion Stress and Health

CHAPTER 12: EMOTION STRESS AND HEALTH

THERE ARE TEN BASIC EMOTIONS: There are 10 basic emotions:joy, Interest-excitement, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, fear, shame & guilt

Theories of Emotion:

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

James and Lange hypothesized that we feel emotion because of biological changes caused by stress. If someone jumps out and scares you, your heart begins to race and that bodily change causes you to feel fear.

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

Cannon and Bard disagreed with James-Lange order of events

They stated that if you are really excited or scared, your body reacts with the same changes (elevated heart and respiratory rate etc...).

They theorized that the biological change and the cognitive awareness of the emotional state occurred simultaneously.

They asserted that the thalamus (switchboard in the brain) sent information from the environment simultaneously to the autonomic nervous system (for body changes) and cerebral cortex (emotional state).

Schacter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

Stanley's Schacter's two-factor theory explains emotions in a more complete way that the other two theories.

Two-factor theory demonstrates that emotion depends on the interaction between two factors, biology and cognition.

The idea behind this theory is that you first experience physiological arousal (biology) and then find a label in our mind (cognition) to explain the emotion.

Cognitive-Appraisal Theory (Richard Lazarus)

Our emotional experience depends on our interpretation of the situation we are in

Our first appraisal of the situation, we assess the potential consequences of the situation (this can be done with/without conscious thought)

In the secondary appraisal, we decide what to do.

 This theory suggests that we can change our emotions if we learn to interpret the situation differently.

Cognition May Not Precede Emotions

ZajonicLaDouxboth proposed that we may actually have emotional reactions apart from of even before interpretation of a situation.

LaDoux suggests there are times our emotions take the “low road” , following a neural shortcut that bypasses the cortex, traveling directly to the amygdala for interpretation & response.

Additional Information on Emotion:

Opponent Process Theory:When we experience an emotion, an opposing emotion will counter the first emotion, lessening the experience of the first emotion.

We generally perform better in situations of moderate arousal, however, optimal performance varies with task difficulty.(Yerkes-Dodson Law)

The Spillover Effect:the tendency of one person’s emotion to affect the people around that person.

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The Facial Feedback Hypothesis: expressions amplify our emotions by activating muscles associated with specific states and the body responds as though we are experiencing those states.

The Behavioral Feedback Hypothesis:if we move our body as if we were experiencing some emotion, we are likely to feel that emotion to some degree.

Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman: Scientific study of optimum human functioning. Focuses on three specific areas (pillars):

--positive emotions

--positive character

--positive groups, communities, and cultures

Fear

We are biologically prepared to learn certain fears such as fear of snakes, heights, spiders (help with survival)

We are not predisposed to quickly fear other more imminent dangers from things such as cars, bombs, and electricity

The amygdalaplays a central role in associating certain emotions, including fear, with specific situations.

The amygdala receives information from cortical regions that process emotion, which then sends that information to other areas that produce bodily symptoms of fear.

People differ in their relative fear/fearlessness, which appears to be, in part, genetic.

Anger

Anger is most often triggered when we perceive another’s actions as willful, unjustified and avoidable.

Anger can also arise from annoyances such as traffic jams, foul odors, high temperatures, and aches and pains.

Research does NOT support the Catharsis Hypothesis: the idea that releasing negative energy will calm aggressive tendencies.

• venting may temporarily alleviate the anger but in the long run it does not reduce the anger and may actually amplify it.

Anger is better handled by waiting until the level of physical arousal is diminished, calming one’s self, and expressing grievances in a manner that promotes reconciliation.

Forgiveness can also reduce anger and its physical symptoms.

Feel good, do-good phenomenon: tendency to be helpful when you are already in a good mood

Happiness

Happiness is, in part, genetically influenced, but it is also within our control.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon: tendency to assess stimuli (including material possessions) relative to a neutral level defined by our previous experiences. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction is relative to our recent experience

Relative-Deprivation Principle: our perception that we are less well-off then others we compare ourselves to.

Key point: Happiness is relative to both our past experiences and our comparisons with others.

Stress & Health

Stress & Health

Stress: the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events called STRESSORS, which we appraise as threatening or challenging.

Stressors: heat, cold, pain, restraint, mild shock as well as:

• Catastrophes: unpredictable large-scale events such as war and natural disasters

• Can increase depression, anxiety, interfere with concentration and sleeping

• Life Changes: include changes such as death of a loved one, starting college, marriage, divorce, moving to a new place/home which can leave people vulnerable to disease
• Daily Hassles: continued series of small everyday stressors are the most significant sources of stress for most people.This stress can add up, leading to increases in blood pressure and headaches and lowering one’s immune system.

Our body responds to stress with a Two Track System:

--Sympathetic Nervous System:prompts the release of the epinephrine and norepinephrine from the inner part of the adrenal glands

--Cerebral Cortex:via the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, the outer part of the adrenal glands secrets glucocorticoid stress hormones

--Both systems stimulate the body’s flight or fight response (increasing heart rate, respiration, diverts blood form digestion to skeletal muscles, dulls pain, and releases glucose from the liver)

Hans Selye General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): 3 phases --

--Alarm (reaction): increase in sympathetic nervous system activity, you are ready to fight the

enemy or run away.

--Resistance: temperature, blood pressure, and respiration remain high, while epinephrine,

norepinephrine, and corticosteroid levels increase. If crisis is not resolved at this phase, our

resources become depleted

--Exhaustion: immune system is compromised, more vulnerable to diseases, and in extreme cases,

collapse and death.

Results of Chronic Stres

Personality Types and Stress

Type A personality is a set of characteristics that includes being impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about one's status, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive, and incapable of relaxation.

• Type A individuals are often highly achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about the smallest of delays. The have been described as stress junkies.

Type B personality, in contrast, is patient, relaxed, and easy-going.

Current research: Type A traits of anger, hostility & cynicism are highly correlated with potential risks for cardiac problems.

Coping :alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods

Problem-focused Coping:attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.

Emotional-focused Coping:attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress condition.

Adaptive Coping Strategies:problem solving, exercise, social support from family, friends, religious organizations, prayers, accepting the problem, looking at the problem as a goal or challenge rather than a victim of circumstance.

Maladaptive Coping Strategies:aggression, overeating, drinking, smoking, using drugs, spending money, sleeping too much, or using defense mechanisms(we will learn about these)

Health Psychologistsoften suggest using relaxation, visualization, medication and biofeedback, and alternative medicine to lessen the effects of stress and boost our immune systems.

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