Hogeschool van Amsterdam Interactieve Media Emotion & media Hoorcollege - Using Media week 5.

Hogeschool van Amsterdam Interactieve Media

Emotion & media

Hoorcollege - Using Media week 5


Agenda

Learning goals

Looking back

Types of emotion

How emotions work

The purpose of emotions

Summary: emotion and media


Learning goals

By the end of this hoorcollege you should: Know the difference between basic emotions and complex

emotions Be aware of some theories of emotion Understand the roles that emotion plays in our life Understand the importance of emotion in decision making Know how emotion can affect a person’s reaction to

persuasive messages


Looking back


Types of emotion


Activity

Discuss with your neighbour what type of emotions you can think of

For each emotion you identify try to demonstrate it

Write each one down


Basic emotions


6 Basic emotions


6 Basic emotions (robot version)


Basic emotions

It is argued that at least the 6 basic emotions are universal in humans (and some animals) Research tends to back this up

Tribes in Samoa can recognize these emotional expressions on western faces

However, human emotional life is more complex


Complex emotions


Complex emotions

One theory suggests that complex emotions are mixtures of basic emotions

They rely on our ability to (self-)reflect on ourselves and others as persons in time and circumstance Pity is based on our assessment of how a person came to be in

the situation they are in If a friend fails an exam

Because they were ill all term Because they were out partying the night before

Embarrassment is created when you reflect on a “failure” that is not expected of you given your status and social role

Complex emotions are often seen as essentially human Research suggests that animals do not share these emotions

(although there is much debate here)


How emotions work


Activity: imagine this situation

• What is the emotion you feel?• Why do you feel it?• Discuss this with your neighbour


How emotions work: common sense

• You see danger• You feel fear• You run


James-Lange theory of emotions

• You see danger• You run increased heart-rate• You are aware of the physical response• Therefore you feel fear


Schachter-Singer theory of emotions

• You see danger• You run increased heart-rate• You evaluate this response in your cognitive system• You assign an emotional feeling


Culture and emotions

This theory suggests that there is a cognitive element to emotion and this means that emotion may be affected by culture: Accida was a recognized complex emotion before 1400,

but disappeared Individualist cultures (e.g. USA) experience more ego-

focused emotions (anger, frustration, pride), Collectivist cultures (e.g. Japan) experience more other-

focused emotions (shame, belonging, sympathy) German schadenfreude Gezelligheid?


Emotion as an automatic / active process

The Schachter-Singer theory suggests that the emotions we feel as a result of a stimulus are actively chosen by our cognitive system

However, this does not mean that we can choose not to react on a physical (visceral) level We respond to some stimuli (esp. danger) immediately and

then we assign an emotion


Snake or stick?


Stick or snake?: how it works

This model supports the Schachter-Singer theory


Activity: what purpose do emotions serve?

Discuss this question with your neighbour Based on what we have seen so far what is the purpose of

emotion? What other purposes do you think they might have?



Evolutionary - survival Fight / flight mechanism (stick or snake?) Social bonding

Making our lives meaningful

Help us to make decisions


Imagine life without emotion


Damasio’s theory of emotion

Neurologist Antonio Damasio studied people with damage to their ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC) These people still had the visceral response to stimuli, but

they did not assign emotional feeling to it

This suggests that the VMPFC is where we assign feelings to stimuli

People with certain types of VMPFC damage have problems acting in social situations and making decisions


Emotion and decision making

The experience of patient EVR

Damasio has suggested that emotion is not the opposite to rationality - it is essential to it

Emotion gives choices meaning and this meaning helps us make decisions Imagine trying to choose a car based only on rational

criteria



Evolutionary - survival Fight / flight mechanism (stick or snake?) Social bonding

Making our lives meaningful

Allowing us to make decisions

Emotion is a powerful motivator of action


Emotion as a motivator


Summary: emotion and media

The aim of using media to deliver persuasive messages is to change behaviour

We have seen that emotion is a very powerful (perhaps the most powerful) motivator of action

Engaging the receiver’s emotions can help you achieve the desired behavioural change Positive emotions can make them more open to your message

and more likely to decide to act (decision making) Negative emotions can also work (fear / jealousy appeals) if used

carefully and ethically But creating negative emotions can work against your message

As with all tools of persuasion they must be used ethically Indeed given the power of emotions to motivate, we have to be

very careful

Hogeschool van Amsterdam Interactieve Media Emotion & media Hoorcollege - Using Media week 5.

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