Psychology

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“Compilation of the Different Theories in Psychology” Submitted by: Caren B. Chavez JD1 Submitted to: Jais Campanilla III Instructor

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Psychology

Transcript of Psychology

  • CompilationoftheDifferentTheoriesinPsychology

    Submittedby:

    CarenB.Chavez

    JD1

    Submittedto:

    JaisCampanillaIII

    Instructor

  • TableofContents

    Title Page

    ResearchMethods 2

    TheoriesofLearningandCausesofLearning 11

    TheoriesofMotivationandEmotion 25

    TheoriesofHumanDevelopment

    a. FreudsPsychosexualTheory

    b. EriksonsPsychosocialStageofDevelopment

    c. PiagetsCognitiveDevelopment

    d. KohlbergsMoralStagesofDevelopment

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  • ResearchMethodsinPsychology

    Research psychology encompasses the study of behavior for use in academic

    settings, and contains numerous areas. It contains the areas of abnormal psychology,

    biological psychology, cognitive psychology, comparative psychology, developmental

    psychology, personality psychology, social psychology and others. All branches of

    psychology can have a research component to them. Research psychology is

    contrastedwithappliedpsychology.

    Research in psychology is conducted in broad accord with the standards of the

    scientific method, encompassing both qualitative ethological and quantitative statistical

    modalities to generate and evaluate explanatory hypotheses with regard to

    psychological phenomena. Where research ethics and the state of development in a

    given research domain permits, investigation may be pursued by experimental

    protocols. Psychology tends to be eclectic, drawing on scientific knowledge from other

    fields to help explain and understand psychological phenomena. Qualitative

    psychological research utilizes a broad spectrum of observational methods, including

    action research, ethnography, exploratory statistics, structured interviews, and

    participant observation, to enable the gathering of rich information unattainable by

    classical experimentation. Research in humanistic psychology is more typically pursued

    byethnographic,historical,andhistoriographicmethods.

    The testing of different aspects of psychological function is a significant area of

    contemporary psychology. Psychometric and statistical methods predominate, including

    various wellknown standardized tests as well as those created ad hoc as the situation

    orexperimentrequires.

    Academic psychologists may focus purely on research and psychological theory,

    aiming to further psychological understanding in a particular area, while other

    psychologists may work in applied psychology to deploy such knowledge for immediate

    and practical benefit. However, these approaches are not mutually exclusive and most

    psychologists will be involved in both researching and applying psychology at some

    point during their career. Clinical psychology, among many of the various disciplines of

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  • psychology, aims at developing in practicing psychologists knowledge of and

    experience with research and experimental methods which they will continue to build up

    as well as employ as they treat individuals with psychological issues or use psychology

    tohelpothers.

    When an area of interest requires specific training and specialist knowledge,

    especially in applied areas, psychological associations normally establish a governing

    body to manage training requirements. Similarly, requirements may be laid down for

    university degrees in psychology, so that students acquire an adequate knowledge in a

    number of areas. Additionally, areas of practical psychology, where psychologists offer

    treatment to others, may require that psychologists be licensed by government

    regulatorybodiesaswell.

    Quantitative psychology involves the application of statistical analysis to

    psychological research, and the development of novel statistical approaches for

    measuring and explaining human behavior. It is a young field (only recently have Ph.D.

    programs in quantitative psychology been formed), and it is loosely comprised of the

    subfieldspsychometricsandmathematicalpsychology.

    Psychometrics is the field of psychology concerned with the theory and technique

    of psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities,

    attitudes, interests, achievement in particular degree or course, and personality traits

    (Carl Dellomos, 2009). Measurement of these unobservable phenomena is difficult, and

    much of the research and accumulated knowledge in this discipline has been developed

    in an attempt to properly define and quantify such phenomena. Psychometric research

    typically involves two major research tasks, namely: (i) the construction of instruments

    and procedures for measurement and (ii) the development and refinement of

    theoreticalapproachestomeasurement.

    ResearchMethods

    Naturalisticobservation

    is a research method commonly used by psychologists and other social

    scientists. This technique involves observing subjects in their natural environment. This

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  • type of research is often utilized in situations where conducting lab research is

    unrealistic,costprohibitive,orwouldundulyaffectthesubject'sbehavior.

    Example:

    ObservingTeensinamallduringfilmshowingasaschoolactivity.

    ObservingKidsatplayinaparkincomparisontoagamezone.

    Casestudy

    a specific reallife situation or imagined scenario, used as a training tool in

    business schools and firms. Students or trainees are required to analyze the prescribed

    cases and present their interpretations or solutions, supported by the line of reasoning

    employedandassumptionsmade.

    Example:

    A case study involving business transaction where employees conive in a

    fraudulent transactions. What should employers set up as internal controls to avoid it

    fromhappening.

    Surveys,Questionnaires,Interviews

    List of a research or survey questions asked to respondents, and designed to

    extract specific information. It serves four basic purposes: to (1) collect the appropriate

    data, (2) make data comparable and amenable to analysis, (3) minimize bias in

    formulatingandaskingquestion,and(4)tomakequestionsengagingandvaried.

    Correlationalstudies

    is looking for variables that seem to interact with each other, so that when you

    can see one changing, you have an idea of how the other will change. This often entails

    theresearcherusingvariablesthattheycan'tcontrol.

    The goal of correlational research is to find out whether one or more variables

    can predict other variables. Correlational research allows us to find out what variables

    may be related. However, the fact that two things are related or correlated does not

    mean there is a causal relationship. It is important to make a distinction between

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  • correlation and causation. Two things can be correlated without there being a causal

    relationship.

    Example:

    Decker (1987) found that a supervisor's perceived sense of humor was

    positivelycorrelatedwithpeople'sjobsatisfaction.

    TheExperimentalMethod

    Conducting psychology experiment can be a long, complicated, and intimidating

    process. It can be confusing especially when one is not quite sure where to begin or

    which steps to take. Like other sciences, psychology utilizes the scientific method and

    bases conclusions upon empirical evidence. When conducting an experiment, it is

    importanttofollowthefivebasicstepsofthescientificmethod:

    1. Askaquestionthatcanbetested

    2. Designastudyandcollectdata

    3. Analyzeresultsandreachconclusions

    4. Sharetheresultswiththescientificcommunity

    5. Replicatetheresults

    Thesefivestepsserveasageneraloutlineoftheentireprocess.

    Step1:FindaResearchProblemorQuestionPicking a research problem can be one of the most challenging steps. After all,

    there are so many different topics you might choose to investigate. Consider some of

    thefollowing:

    Investigate a commonly held belief. Folk psychology is a good source of

    unanswered questions that can serve as the basis for psychological research. For

    example, many people believe that staying up all night to cram for a big exam can

    actually hurt test performance. A study can be conducted in which to compare the test

    scores of students who stayed up all night studying, versus the scores of students who

    gotafullnight'ssleeppriortotheexam.

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  • Review psychology literature. Published studies are a great source of

    unanswered research questions. In many cases, the authors will even note the need for

    further research. Find a published study that is intriguing, and then come up with some

    questionsthatrequirefurtherexploration.

    Think about everyday problems. There are many practical applications for

    psychology research. Explore various problems that you or others face each day, and

    then consider how could the research be a potential solutions. For example, you might

    investigate different memorization strategies to determine which methods are most

    effective.

    Step2:DefineYourVariables

    Variables are anything that might impact the outcome of the study. An

    operational definition describes exactly what the variables are and how they are

    measured within the context of the study. For example, if a study is done on the impact

    of sleep deprivation on driving performance, it would need to operationally define what

    ismeantbysleepdeprivationanddrivingperformance.

    In this example it might define sleep deprivation as getting less than seven hours

    of sleep at night and define driving performance as how well a participant does on a

    driving test. What is the purpose of operationally defining variables? The main purpose

    is control. By understanding what is measured, one can control it by holding the variable

    constantbetweenallofthegroupsormanipulatingitasanindependentvariable.

    Step3:DevelopaHypothesis

    The next step is to develop a testable hypothesis that predicts how the

    operationally defined variables are related. In our example in the previous step, our

    hypothesis might be: "Students who are sleep deprived will perform worse than students

    whoarenotsleepdeprivedonatestofdrivingperformance."

    In order to determine if the results of the study are significant, it is essential to

    also have a null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the prediction that one variable will

    have no association to the other variable. In other words, the null hypothesis assumes

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  • that there will be no difference in the effects of the two treatments in our experimental

    andcontrolgroups.

    The null hypothesis is assumed to be valid unless contradicted by the results.

    The researchers can either reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative

    hypothesisornotrejectthenullhypothesis.

    It is important to remember that not rejecting the null hypothesis does not mean

    that the researchers are accepting the null hypothesis. To say that one is accepting the

    null hypothesis is to suggest that something is true simply because it did not find any

    evidence against it. This represents a logical fallacy that should be avoided in scientific

    research.

    Step4:ConductBackgroundResearch

    Once there is a developed testable hypothesis, it is important to spend some

    time doing some background research. What do researchers already know about your

    topic? What questions remain unanswered? One can learn about previous research on

    a topic by exploring books, journal articles, online databases, newspapers, and

    websitesdevotedtothesubject.

    Reasonstoconductbackgroundresearch:

    Reading previous research gains a better understanding of what will one

    encounterduringtheexperiment.

    Understanding the background of the topic provides a better basis for the

    hypothesis. After conducting a thorough review of the literature, one might

    choosetoaltertheirhypothesis.

    Background research also allows to explain why one chose to investigate a

    particularhypothesisandarticulatewhythetopicmeritsfurtherexploration.

    As one research the history of its topic, it is remembered to take careful notes

    and create a working bibliography of the sources. This information will be valuable when

    tobeginawriteupoftheexperimentresults.

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  • Step5:ChooseanExperimentalDesign

    After conducting background research and finalizing the hypothesis, the next

    step is to develop an experimental design. There are three basic types of designs that

    youmightbeutilize.Eachhasitsownstrengthsandweaknesses.

    PreExperimental Designs: This type of experimental design does not include a

    control group. A single group of participants is studied, and there is no

    comparison between a treatment group and a control group. Examples of

    preexperimental designs include case studies (one group is given a treatment

    and the results are measured) and pretest or posttest studies (one group is

    tested,givenatreatmentandthenretested).

    QuasiExperimental Designs: This type of experimental design does include a

    controlgroup,butthedesigndoesnotincluderandomization.

    True Experimental Designs: A true experimental design include both of the

    elements that the preexperimental designs and quasiexperimental designs lack

    ontheirowncontrolgroupsandrandomassignmenttogroups.

    Step6:StandardizeYourProcedures

    In order to arrive at legitimate conclusions, it is essential to compare apples to

    apples. Each participant in each group must receive the same treatment under the

    same conditions. For example, in our hypothetical study on the effects of sleep

    deprivation on driving performance, the driving test must be administered to each

    participant in the same way. The driving course must be the same, the obstacles faced

    mustbethesame,andthetimegivenmustbethesame.

    Step7:ChooseYourParticipants

    In addition to making sure that the testing conditions are standardized, it is also

    essential to ensure that the pool of participants is the same. If the individuals in the

    control group (those who are not sleep deprived) all happen to be amateur race car

    drivers while the experimental group (those that are sleep deprived) are all people who

    justrecentlyearnedtheirdriverslicenses,yourexperimentwilllackstandardization.

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  • When choosing subjects, there are a number of different techniques that can be

    used. A simple random sample involves randomly selecting a number of participants

    from a group. A stratified random sample requires randomly selecting participants from

    different subsets of the population. These subsets might include characteristics such as

    geographiclocation,age,sex,race,orsocioeconomicstatus.

    Step8:PerformTestsandCollectData

    After one have selected the participants, the next steps are to conduct the tests

    and collect the data. Prior to doing any testing, however, there are a few important

    concerns that needs to be addressed. First, the need to be sure that the testing

    procedures are ethical. Generally, it needs to gain permission to conduct any type of

    testing with human participants by submitting the details of the experiment to the

    school's Institutional Review Board, sometimes referred to as the 'Human Subjects

    Committee.'

    After the approval from the academic institution's IRB, it needs to present

    informed consent forms to each of the participants. This form offers information on the

    study, the data that will be gathered, and how the results will be used. The form also

    givesparticipantstheoptiontowithdrawfromthestudyatanypointintime.

    Once this step has been completed, the researcher can begin administering the

    testingproceduresandcollectingthedata.

    Step9:AnalyzetheResults

    After collecting the data, it is time to analyze the results of the experiment.

    Researchers utilize statistics to determine if the results of the study support the original

    hypothesis and to determine if the results are statistically significant. Statistical

    significance means that the results of the study are unlikely to have occurred simply by

    chance.

    The types of statistical methods a researcher may use to analyze the data

    depends largely on the type of data that was collected. If the researcher is using a

    randomsampleofalargerpopulation,heorshewillneedtoutilizeinferentialstatistics.

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  • These statistical methods make inferences about how the results relate to the

    population at large. Because in making inferences based upon a sample, it has to be

    assumedthattherewillbeacertainmarginoferror.

    Step10:WriteupandSharetheResults

    The final task in conducting a psychology experiment is to communicate the

    results. By sharing the experiment with the scientific community, one is contributing to

    the knowledge base on that particular topic. One of the most common ways to share

    research results is to publish the study in a peerreviewed professional journal. Other

    methods include sharing results at conferences, in book chapters, or in academic

    presentations.

    In the case, it is likely that the researcher will have a formal writeup of the

    experimentinthesameformatrequiredinaprofessionaljournalarticleorlabreport:

    TitlePage

    Abstract

    Introduction

    Method

    Results

    Discussion

    References

    TablesandFigures

    10

  • TheoriesofLearningandCausesofLearning

    In psychology, learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in, or

    acquisition of, knowledge or behavior. The key term here is relatively, because

    although we tend to hold on to what we learn, it can be changed a later date. For

    example, your friend teaches you how to play tennis, but later you get a qualified

    instructor who modifies and improves your technique. What we learn can also be

    forgotten over time, especially if we do not regularly use the skills or knowledge that we

    have acquired. For example, you may learn to drive a car, but if you dont drive for

    several years, you will probably forget what you had previously learned and so would

    needtopracticeagain.

    In addition to this, in order for us to learn something, we first need to experience

    it at the level of sensation via our five senses (i.e. touch, taste, hearing, sight and smell).

    As without our senses, learning would be virtually impossible. Below we look at some of

    themaintheoriesoflearningthataretaughtinpsychology:

    1. Classical conditioning is a term used to describe learning that has been

    acquired through experience. One of the best known examples of classical

    conditioning can be found with the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov and his

    experimentsondogs.

    In these experiments, Pavlov trained his dogs to salivate when they heard

    a bell ring. In order to do this, he first showed them food which naturally caused

    themtosalivate.

    Later, Pavlov would ring a bell every time he brought the food out, until

    eventually, he could get the dogs to salivate just by ringing the bell and without

    giving them any food.In this simple but ingenious experiment, Pavlov showed

    how a reflex (i.e. salivation, a natural bodily response) could become conditioned

    (modified) to an external stimulus (the bell) thereby creating a conditioned reflex

    orresponse.

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  • ThecomponentsofClassicalConditioningare:

    Theunconditionedstimulus

    Theconditionedstimulus

    Theunconditionedreflex

    Theconditionedreflex

    In its strictest definition, classical conditioning is described as a previously

    neutral stimulus which causes a reflex, where stimulus means something which

    causesaphysicalresponse.

    TheUnconditionedStimulus(food)

    An unconditioned stimulus is anything which can evoke a response

    without prior learning or conditioning. For example, when a dog eats some food it

    causes the dogs mouth to salivate. Therefore, the food is an unconditioned

    stimulus because it causes a reflex response (salivation) automatically and

    without the dog having to learn how to salivate. Unconditioned Stimulus causes

    anautomaticreflexresponse.

    ConditionedStimulus(bell)

    The conditioned stimulus is created by learning, and therefore, does not

    create a response without prior conditioning. For example, when Pavlov rang a

    bell and caused the dogs to salivate, this was a conditioned stimulus because the

    dogs had learned to associate the bell with food. If they had not learned to

    associate the bell with food, they would not have salivated when the bell was

    rung.

    ConditionedStimulus

    A need to learn beforehand so that the stimulus will create a response. It

    isanacquiredpowertochangesomething.

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  • UnconditionedReflex(salivation)

    An unconditioned reflex is anything that happens automatically without

    you having to think about it, such as your mouth salivating at the smell of food.

    Unconditioned Reflex happens automatically and you didnt have to learn how to

    doit.

    ConditionedReflex

    A conditioned reflex is a reflex that you have learned to associate with

    something. For example, the dogs salivated when Pavlov rang a bell, when

    previously (without conditioning) the bell would not cause the dogs to salivate.

    Conditioned Reflex be evoked in response to a conditioned stimulus (i.e. a

    previouslyneutralstimulus).

    BehavioralPatternsofClassicalConditioning

    The word conditioning is used to mean a type of learning that occurs

    without you having to think about it, almost like an automatic type of learning.

    Although later on, this learning may be reinforced by reflecting upon that

    experience. For example, sometimes you will see a dog flinch when you raise

    your hand. This flinching is a conditioned reflex, and can be seen in dogs who

    have been mistreated by their owner. The same can be found in women who are

    beaten by their husbands. This latter example shows that classical conditioning is

    notsolelyconfinedtoanimals,asitcanjustaseasilyoccurinhumans.

    The three main behavioral patterns that are associated with classical

    conditioningare:

    a. Extinction

    Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented a

    number of times without the unconditioned stimulus. For example, if we

    ring a bell and cause a dog to salivate, then we have a conditioned

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  • stimulus. But if we keep ringing that bell without giving the dog any food

    (unconditioned stimulus), then eventually the dog will disassociate

    (unlearn) the bell from the food and so will no longer salivate. Therefore,

    extinction has occurred because the bell no longer has any effect on the

    dog. This process of extinction is used by psychologists to help people

    overcometheirfearsorphobias.

    For example, if you have a strong fear of heights, then by

    constantly exposing yourself to heights you will eventually unlearn your

    fear via a process known as desensitization. This can be done through

    immediate exposure, whereby you go to the top of a very tall building

    immediately. Or by gradual exposure, where you gradually work your way

    up a tall building floor by floor. Note: Extinction is different from forgetting,

    becauseextinctioninvolvesunlearningsomething.

    In brief: Extinction occurs when we unlearn something, or become

    desensitized to it, and the stimulus no longer creates the effect it used to

    cause.

    b.StimulusGeneralization

    Stimulus generalization occurs when a stimulus that is similar to a

    conditioned stimulus creates the conditioned reflex. For example, if we

    can make a dog salivate by ringing a bell (conditioned stimulus), and we

    can make the same dog salivate by ringing a slightly different sounding

    bell, then what we have demonstrated is stimulus generalization. In brief:

    Stimulus generalization occurs when something similar to our conditioned

    stimuluscreatesthesameresponse(theconditionedreflex).

    c.Discrimination

    Continuing from the example above, if we were then to use another

    bell which produced a different sound but this time the dog did not

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  • salivate, then what we have demonstrated is discrimination because the

    dog no longer associates that sound with food (i.e. it has discriminated

    against it). In brief: Discrimination occurs when our new stimulus is too

    different from our original conditioned stimulus to cause the effect we want

    (theconditionedreflex).

    2. Operant conditioning is a term used to describe behavior which has been

    reinforced by reward or discouraged through punishment. For example, if a

    mother wants he daughter to clean her room, then she may give her some candy

    everytimeshecleansit.

    Given enough time, the girl will start to clean her room more often

    becausesheknowsthatshewillgetsomecandyinreturnfordoingso.

    As a result, the girls behavior (cleaning her room) has been modified

    (conditioned) because she has learned to associate a behavior with a reward.

    Although this may sound similar in principle to classical conditioning, it is in fact

    different because operant conditioning requires action on the part of the learner.

    As a result, the girl will not get any candy until after she has cleaned her room. In

    classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus (candy) is used regardless of

    what the learner does. Operant behavior is defined as actions which have

    consequences.

    The Skinner Box was introduced by B.F. Skinner who is best known for

    operant conditioning and the device he invented to research it, a device called

    the operant conditioning apparatus or the Skinner Box. The Skinner box involved

    placing an animal (such as a rat or pigeon) into a sealed box with a lever that

    would release food when pressed. If food was released every time the rat

    pressed the lever, it would press it more and more because it learned that doing

    sogivesitfood.

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  • Lever pressing is described as an operant behavior, because it is an

    action that results in a consequence. In other words, it operates on the

    environment and changes it in some way. The food that is released as a result of

    pressing the lever is known as a reinforcer, because it causes the operant

    behavior (lever pressing) to increase. Food could also be described as a

    conditioned stimulus because it causes an effect to occur. It is important to note

    though, that there is a difference between a reward and a reinforcer in operant

    conditioning.

    A reward is something that has value to the person giving the reward, but

    may not necessarily be of value to the person receiving the reward. A reinforcer

    is something that benefits the person receiving it, and so results in an increase of

    acertaintypeofbehavior.

    Thereareseveralofthedifferentwaystocategorizeareinforcer.

    A positive reinforcer has some sort of value to whoever is

    receiving it. For example, food when you are hungry or water when you

    arethirsty.Apositivereinforcerservestoincreaseanoperantbehavior

    A negative reinforcer has no value to whoever receives it. It may

    also injure, harm or cause discomfort in some way. For example, a very

    hot room, an electric shock or a dangerous situation. A negative reinforcer

    causes the recipient to try to escape from it or avoid it. For example, if a

    room is very hot, then you may switch on the air conditioning or a fan to try

    to escape from the heat. If this is successful, you are likely to repeat this

    behavior the next time you are in a very hot room. Negative reinforcers

    therefore also serve to increase operant behaviors. Note: Negative

    reinforcers are not a form of punishment because they precede (i.e. come

    before) an operant behavior. Punishment occurs after a behavior has

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  • already occurred, such as smacking a child after they have done

    somethingbad.

    Another way to classify reinforcers, are as a primary or secondary

    reinforcer.

    Primary reinforcer has some value to whoever is receiving it, and

    this value has not been learned. For example, food when you are hungry

    orwaterwhenyouarethirsty.

    Secondary reinforcer has an acquired value to whoever receives

    it. This means that you are taught its value or worth over a period of time

    before you see it as being valuable to you. For example, money is a

    secondary reinforcer because you have to learn the value of money and

    what it does before it has any meaning to you. If you are short of cash,

    then receiving money can also be categorized as a positive reinforcer

    becauseithasvaluetoyou.

    Extinction

    Just like in classical conditioning where presenting a conditioned stimulus

    a number of times without the unconditioned stimulus results in extinction, a

    similar process also occurs in operant conditioning when an operant behavior

    begins to declines. For example, if a rat receives no food when it presses a lever

    (reinforcement is withheld), then it will gradually press that lever less and less

    until eventually it stops doing so entirely. In effect, the rat gives up on pressing

    the lever (stops an operant behavior) because it no longer results in it receiving

    food(reinforcer).Theoperantbehaviorhasthereforebecomeextinct.

    Stoppingbadhabits

    This knowledge of extinction can be applied to behavior shaping,

    such as when trying to stop a bad habit. So rather than trying to punish a

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  • certain behavior, it is usually far more effective to take away the

    reinforcer(s) associated with it. By doing so, the habit will no longer be

    seen as having any benefit, and so the undesirable behavior will gradually

    start to fade away (extinction). Punishment may temporarily reduce a

    certain behavior, although in the long run, because that behavior is still

    seen as bringing some sort of benefit, it will continue. In addition to this,

    punishment can also make the person being punished resent you and

    thendothingsbehindyourbackoutofspite.

    Partialreinforcement

    Behavior that is acquired under partial reinforcement is much more

    resistant to extinction than behavior which has been acquired under continuous

    reinforcement. For example, if a rat receives a reinforcer every time it presses

    the lever, then this would be continuous reinforcement. However, if the rat

    receives a reinforcer at random, or every second or third time it presses the

    lever, then this would be partial reinforcement because it does not get the

    reinforcer every time. If you were to stop giving the reinforcer, the rat receiving

    partial reinforcement would display a greater resistance to extinction (i.e. it would

    keep pressing the lever for longer after the reinforcer had been stopped). A good

    example of partial reinforcement can be seen in casinos. This is why you will

    often find that despite winning a large sum of money, many gamblers are unable

    tostopandenduplosingallofwhattheyhadwon.

    Discriminativestimulus

    In a slight variation of the original Skinner box, a light bulb was placed

    above the lever. Whenever the light is on, pressing the lever would result in the

    rat receiving the reinforcer. But when the light is off, pressing the lever would

    result in no reinforcer. Given enough time, the rat eventually learns to only press

    the lever when the light is on and ignores the lever when the light is off. Skinner

    called the light a discriminative stimulus, which he defined as a stimulus which

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  • allows the animal to tell the difference between a situation which is reinforcing

    and one that is not. In other words, the light allows you to determine whether or

    not you will get a reward (reinforcer). Some real life examples of discriminative

    stimuli include hearing a bell before lunch or seeing a traffic light when you are

    driving. In both cases, a signal (bell or light) tells you what sort of reinforcement

    youwillreceiveinthatsituation.

    Putting this all together, you can now see that operant conditioning is a

    modification (conditioning) of an action (operant behavior) which has

    consequences (e.g. lever pressing releases food) through the use of positive

    reinforcementornegativereinforcement.

    3. Observational Learning occurs when a behavior is acquired by watching the

    behavior of someone else. This second person is known as a model and either

    intentionally or unintentionally demonstrates a behavior to you. If the observer is

    able to identify with this behavior and receive some sort of satisfaction from it,

    then they are said to have received vicarious reinforcement (imagined

    gratification). For example, if your favorite sports team wins a game, then you

    receive an internal sense of satisfaction as a result of their victory. You have

    received vicarious reinforcement, which may then motivate you to play that sport.

    Vicarious reinforcement can occur in virtually any circumstance in which you, as

    the observer, receive some sort of gratification from watching the behavior of

    anotherperson(themodel).

    Social Learning Theory is an expansion of observational learning, and

    deals with how social groups can be affected by their environment. A good

    example of social learning theory can be found amongst teenagers who follow

    various celebrity role models. If the teen receives some sort of gratification

    (vicarious reinforcement) from observing the behavior of their role model, then

    they are likely to adopt a similar type of behavior. For example, a teen that

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  • idolizes a rock star may start playing a musical instrument such as a guitar. As a

    result,theirbehaviorhasnowbeenaltered.

    It is further subdivided into the type of behavior we acquire as a result of

    sociallearningintoeitherprosocialorantisocialbehavior.

    Prosocial behavior is behavior that benefits another person, a

    group of people or society as a whole. For example, if a child learns to

    recycle and live an environmentally friendly lifestyle from their parents,

    then they are likely to act that way for the rest of their life. Their behavior is

    prosocial,becauseitbenefitstheenvironmentandsocietyasawhole.

    Antisocial behavior is behavior which is destructive to others and

    very often to yourself. For example, a teen who steals from other people

    or who vandalizes property is exhibiting antisocial behavior, because it is

    destructivetootherpeopleandthesurroundingenvironment.

    4. Latent learning is learning which occurs without reinforcement, and which may

    later be reactivated with a reinforcer. For example, if a rat is left in a maze, it will

    randomly exploring that maze and try to find a way out. If we repeat this several

    times, the rat may appear to exhibit the same type of behavior where it randomly

    explores the maze looking for the exit. Although the rat has been in this maze

    several times, it appears not to have learned anything because it still takes a long

    time to get out. If however, we were to then introduce some food into the maze (a

    reinforcer), the rat would quickly learn to escape the maze. Almost as though it

    suddenlylearnedhowtodoit.

    The purpose of the reinforcer was to act as an incentive, which activates

    what the rat had previously learned. In this case, the first few times the rat was

    exploring the maze it was learning, even though it appeared not to be learning

    anything. When we added food to the maze, this prior learning which had

    remained latent (dormant), suddenly became reactivated thereby allowing the rat

    20

  • to use its previous knowledge of the maze to quickly learn the escape route.

    Basically, what this all means is that you learn things through experience, even

    thoughyoumaynotthinkthatyouarelearninganythingatthetime.

    Later, if something reactivated what you had (latently) learned from that

    experience, you will then be able to learn it very quickly. For example, when you

    are at school, one of the best ways to improve your understanding of a subject is

    to research it before you are meant to learn it. So if you have a lecture next

    week, by studying for that lecture now you will be able to understand it better and

    faster once you actually take that lecture. Your prior latent learning has allowed

    foranacceleratedfuturelearning.

    This is hardly surprising if you look at things from the perspective of the

    brain, as when you learn something, you form neural pathways in the brain

    related to that activity. This means that the next time you do it, your existing

    neural pathways will be strengthened and refined thereby allowing you to perform

    better.

    Latent learning may therefore be described as the creation of these

    pathways, which provides a foundation for future learning. This is why it is

    important to expose your mind to as much information as you can about a

    subject, because even though it may seem difficult now, the next time you come

    acrossit,youwillfindthingstobealoteasier.

    5. Insight Learning is an aha! moment, when something suddenly seems to click

    into place and make sense. A good example of this can be found with research

    done by Wolfgang Kohler on an ape called Sultan. Sultan was put in a cage and

    given two sticks which could be clicked together to make a longer tool. Slightly

    outside the reach of the sticks was an orange. Sultan spent a lot of time trying to

    get the orange. First with his hands, and then with the sticks. However, he was

    unable to reach the orange no matter what he did. Then one day Sultan clicked

    the two sticks together, and was able to reach the orange. This insight that

    21

  • Sultan received, came as a result of his past attempts to get the orange and a

    reorganization of those experiences. So whereas previously Sultan had two

    seemingly useless sticks, he now had a useful long stick, something which he did

    not have the insight to see before. So insight learning is an insight into our past

    experiences, from which, we can then use to solve problems we were previously

    unable to. This has most likely happened to you many times. For example,

    someone may be trying to explain something to you, but no matter what they say,

    you just dont seem to get it. Then, all of a sudden, it clicks and aha you now

    seewhattheyweretryingtosay.

    Resistancetoextinction

    Since insight learning is acquired as a result of past experiences, it

    tends to be fairly resistant to forgetting. In other words, once youve got it,

    youve got it. On the other hand, if you were to learn something simply

    through memorization, then you are likely to forget what you had learned

    very quickly. This is why it is extremely important to try to actively apply

    what you mentally do, to solidify that knowledge in the brain. If you are at

    school, and are trying to learn a subject well, then a good way to solidify

    your learning would be to teach it to someone else as you will now be

    activelyusingyourmentalknowledge.

    6. Learning to Learn describes the use of learning sets in learning. Basically, it

    states that we become better at what we repeatedly do. So for example, if you

    solve crossword puzzles, then over time you are likely to find them easier and

    easier and so will need harder puzzles to challenge you. The same applies to

    learning a new subject. At first it seems hard, but the more you study it, the

    easier it becomes. The idea of learning sets first came from research done by

    psychologist Harry Harlow, who tested a monkeys ability to find a grape under a

    container. The test was to see if the monkey could discriminate between the two

    22

  • different shapes of the containers, by getting the grape from the underneath the

    correct container. What Harlow found was that after the first exercise, the

    monkeys ability to discriminate between different shapes (and get the grape) in

    subsequent exercises rapidly increased. The monkey was said to have acquired

    alearningset,usingpreviousknowledgetoquicklysolvefutureproblems.

    7. TheRoleofMemory

    Memory is defined as the ability to retain knowledge, and is therefore

    necessaryforlearning.

    Theprocessofmemoryinvolvesthreemainstages:

    Encoding is the process of making information meaningful to you, and a good

    example of encoding, can be found with anagrams. For example, if you are presented

    with the letters ABT they would be meaningless to you. If however, you are told that

    ABT represents an animal which can fly, then you can rearrange those letters to form

    BATwhichnowhasmeaningtoyou.

    Storage is the ability to retain information for a period of time, and can be further

    subdividedintoshorttermmemoryandlongtermmemory.

    Short term memory is also called working memory. It allows you to hold

    ontoinformationforafewminutes,afterwhich,youwillthenforgetit.

    Long term memory is information which has been more or less

    permanently stored. This type of memory is what allows you to remember your

    past. Long term memory tends to be associated with shortterm memory,

    because if your shortterm memory is impaired, then this will interfere with your

    capacitytoformlongtermmemories.

    Retrieval occurs when you access a previously stored memory. In other words, it

    comesintoyourconsciousawareness.

    23

  • There are three main processes which can occur during the retrieval of

    memories.

    a. Recall is the ability to easily recall a memory. For example, you know

    whatyourfriendsnameis.

    b. Recognition occurs when something helps you to remember something

    else. For example, a multiple choice test will contain one correct answer.

    When you see the correct answer, it will help you to recall any previously

    storedmemorythatyoumayhaveofit.

    c. Repression occurs when a memory is forced into the unconscious in an

    attempt to protect the ego from some sort of psychological threat. For

    example,apainfulortraumaticexperienceinyourlife.

    24

  • TheoriesofMotivationandEmotion

    Motivation

    Some "Why" questions: Why do you go to class each day? Why did Cain kill

    Abel? Why do students study for hours (sometimes even days) to pass examinations

    (and don't say, "to pass examinations")? Why do professors teach students, and why do

    theyteststudents?Whydidyoupickoutthoseshoesorthosepantstoweartoday?

    Each of these questions has an answer, there is some motive for engaging in

    those behaviors. We may define a motive (or motivation) as a need, want, interest, or

    desirethatpropelssomeone(oranorganism)inacertaindirection.

    This motivating mechanism can be called many things a habit, a belief, a desire,

    an instinct, a need, an interest, a compulsion, or a drive but no matter what its label, it is

    this motivation that prompts us to take action. Indeed, the motivation comes from the

    verb"tomove."

    Some Introductory Psychology books define the field of motivation as the study

    of goaldirected behavior. With this definition in mind, are humans the only type of living

    organism that can have motivation? (this is for you to think about, not a question I am

    goingtoanswerforyouatthispoint)

    I.TheoreticalPerspectives

    A)InstinctTheories

    Many of the different theories of motivation are similar, except for the amount of

    emphasis they place on either biology or environment. Most include some level of both

    (some nature, some nurture). However, there is one theory that completely emphasizes

    biology,Instincttheory.

    1) Instinct Theory states that motivation is the result of biological, genetic programming.

    Thus,allbeingswithinaspeciesareprogrammedforthesamemotivations.

    25

  • a) At the heart of this perspective, is the motivation to survive we are

    biologically programmed to survive. And, all of our behaviors and motivations

    stemfrombiologicalprogramming.Thus,areactionsareinstincts.

    For example, a human mother, unlike many other species, will stay awake

    with a crying infant all night long trying to provide comfort. Why? Instinct theory

    suggests that she is programmed to behave in this manner it is not due to

    learning or conditioning, not to being raised properly or poorly, not to having

    strong female role models or weak role models, or anything else, other that pure

    biology.

    This perspective is very much the sort that was offered recently in the

    controversial article that stated, Parents don't matter that much in the development of

    theirchildren.

    b) William McDougal (1908) influential theorist who viewed instincts as

    behaviorpatternsthatare:

    1.unlearned

    2.uniforminexpression

    3.universalinaspecies

    For example, within a species of bird, all the members may build identical nests

    and work in the same ways. This is true even for those birds of that species born and

    raised in captivity and isolation, and thus could not have learned the appropriate nest

    buildingbehaviorfromother,experiencedrolemodelbirds.

    McDougal carried it a step further by stating that humans are the same and have

    instinctsforbehaviorssuchas:parenting,submission,jealousy,mating,andmore.

    c)Problemswiththisperspective

    1. theorists have never been able to agree on a list of instincts

    Many instincts are NOT universal and seem to be more dependent on

    individual differences (for example, jealousy. Not all humans exhibit the

    samejealouslylevels,behaviors,etc.).

    26

  • 2. today instinct theory has a more biological emphasis for specific

    motives and not all (like aggression and sex). But, there is still a strong

    instinctperspectiveinthestudyofanimals(ethology)

    B) Sociobiological Perspective (Sociobiology) the study of genetic and evolutionary

    bases of behavior in all organisms, including humans. This view spawned from instinct

    theory,butitisnotpurelyaninstincttheory.

    1) Major Viewpoint sociobiology states that natural selection favors social

    behaviors that maximize reproductive success. Thus, the primary motivating force for

    living organisms (including humans) is to pass on our genes from one generation to the

    next.

    This theory, inspired by Charles Darwin, argues that in the last 15 million years

    the human species has evolved socially as well as physically. Through the process of

    natural selection, individuals who were even slightly predisposed to engage in adaptive

    social behaviors were the "fittest" and tended to survive longer and to be more

    successful in passing their genes along to future generations. Over countless

    generations, this selection process weeded out individuals who lacked these

    predispositions and those who possessed them prospered. Even though these

    tendencies may not enhance our fitness in today's world, eons spent in harsher

    environments have left us genetically predisposed to perform certain social behaviors

    whensituationalcuescallforthancientinstincts

    Instinct theory argued that people try to survive, and that any quality that

    increases survival will eventually become genetically based. However, sociobiology has

    changed this view slightly by arguing that the organism's fundamental goal is not mere

    survival, or even the survival of its offspring. Rather, the fittest individual is the one that

    succeeds in passing the maximum number of genes on to the next generation. Why, for

    example, do animals go to all the trouble of breeding and raising offspring? Because

    having children is an extremely effective means of ensuring the survival of one's genes

    in a future generation. Caring for offspring may seem selfsacrificing, but these actions

    are prompted by the gene's selfish tendency to seek survival at all costs. Even if the

    27

  • parent perishes protecting its young, its genes will continue to flourish in its offspring. To

    Darwin, the fittest animal is the one that can survive longest. To Hamilton, the fittest

    animalistheonethatmaximizesthesurvivalofitsgenesinfuturegenerations.

    2) This perspective can explain motives such as competition, aggression, sexual

    activity,anddominance.

    3) It can also explain differences in men and women's mating preferences. For

    example:

    In one study an attractive man or woman (the researchers' accomplice) asked

    strangers of the opposite sex one of the following questions: "I have been noticing you

    around campus. I find you very attractive." The accomplice then asked one of the

    following questions, depending on the group the subject had been assigned to: (a)

    "Would you go out with me tonight" (b) "Would you come over to my apartment

    tonight?"(c)"Wouldyougotobedwithmetonight?"

    The Results: None of the women agreed to the third request compared to the

    75% hit rate for men. Is it possible that the differences were due to instincts or do you

    thinktheymustbeduetosomethingelse?

    In another example: Studies have shown that women are more likely to engage

    in extramarital affairs during ovulation, when they are more likely to get pregnant (the

    studies did NOT state or even insinuate that the women were making conscious efforts

    to get pregnant from a male other than their spouse or boyfriend, only that women were

    indeed more likely to be ovulating during the time they decided to have the extramarital

    affairs).

    4) Seems Selfish this perspective may seem selfish, but it can also explain

    seeminglyaltruisticbehaviors:

    For example: A Blackbird will risk death to signal the flock that a hawk (a

    predator) is nearby? In so doing, the Blackbird increases its chance of getting killed, but

    also increases the chances of the other Blackbirds surviving and, therefore, increasing

    the odds that more genes will be passed on an organism will risk its own life to keep the

    possibility of passing on familial genes alive. Others of the same genetic strain will

    28

  • survive and keep the gene pool going even if that particular bird does not so this may be

    aselfishperspective,butithasthepotentialtoproduceremarkablyunselfishbehavior.

    C)DriveTheories

    a) A Drive is an internal state of tension that motivates an organism to engage in

    activitiesthatshould(hopefully)reducethistension.

    b) Most organisms seem to try and maintain Homeostasis a state of

    physiologicalequilibrium.

    For example, we have a homeostatic temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If

    this temperature begins to waiver enough you have a number of possible autonomic

    responses: if temperature increases, you perspire. If temperature decreases, you

    shiver.

    So, when you experience a drive, you are motivated to reduce this state of tension and

    pursueactionsthatwillleadtoadrivereduction(reducethestateoftension).

    For Example hunger leads to physical discomfort (internal tension drive),

    which leads to the motivation to get food, which leads to eating, which leads to a

    reduction in physical tension (drive reduction), which finally leads to the restoration of

    equilibrium.

    c)Therearesomeproblems:

    1) homeostasis seems irrelevant to some human motives "thirst for

    knowledge"...whattheheckisthat?

    2) motivation may exist without a drive arousal. For example, humans do

    not eat only when they are hungry. Don't believe me? Ever go out for a nice

    dinner, eat enough to be full, but then still decide to have that great chocolate

    dessertanyway?Ithoughtso.

    D)IncentiveTheory

    An incentive may be defined as an external goal that has the capacity to motivate

    behavior. This does not mean that it will always motivate behavior, only that it can. Now,

    we get to a situation in which we can see a difference with previous theories: Drive

    29

  • theory acts by an internal state pushing you in a specific direction. However, incentive

    theoryactswhenanexternalstimuluspullsyouinacertaindirection.

    This is directly related to Skinner. Here we can see a move away from biological

    influence toward the environment and its influence on behavior. You attend class not

    because you were biologically programmed to become a student, but rather, because

    there is something external that is rewarding to you. Is it the grade you seek? Is it the

    desire to avoid going into the job market? Is it the desire to obtain a better job with a

    degree than possible without one? Regardless which it is, the idea is that the motivation

    issomethingexternal,notinternal.

    E)Maslow'sNeedHierarchy

    This Humanistic perspective is a blend of biological and social needs and is a

    sweeping overview of human motivation. Because Maslow believed that all needs vary

    in strength, he arranged them in a pyramidal form to indicate which have more strength.

    The most basic needs (like shelter and food) are vital to daily survival, and are at the

    bottom,whileneedsthatarelessimportanttostayingalivearehigheronthepyramid.

    We may define the Need Hierarchy as a systematic arrangement of needs

    according to priority, which assumes that basic needs must be met before less basic

    needs are aroused. Thus, like stage theories, we must meet one need before we move

    ontothenext.

    Levels:

    1) physiological these include the need for food, water, and other vital components of

    life. If these needs are not met, the organism can't survive. Thus, these are the most

    basicandimportant.

    2) safety and security these needs refer more to the long term survival than day to

    day needs. Humans tend to seek out order and have a desire to live in a world that is

    not filled with chaos and danger. As a result, they seek out stable lives with careers,

    homes,insurance,etc.

    30

  • 3) belongingness and love after obtaining a safe environment to live and establishing

    some long term plans, people seek out love and affection from family members, friends,

    andlovers.

    4) esteem at this level, people become concerned with selfesteem which may be

    basedonachievementsthattheyearn,recognitionfromothersforjobstheydo,etc.

    5) cognitive needs at this level are based on acquiring knowledge and understanding

    of the world, people, behavior, etc. If you are in college to learn (not simply to get a

    degree)thenyouareattemptingtofulfillyourcognitiveneeds.

    6) aesthetic aesthetic needs include beauty and order in life. Getting your life in order

    may provide a sense of comfort that people often lack. In addition, spending time finding

    and observing beauty in the world becomes an option and a desire as people do not

    have to struggle and fight to stay alive. Remember the episode of Star Trek: The Next

    Generation in which people from our century who had been frozen are found and

    thawed? These people could not understand that money was no longer important, that

    starvation had been abolished on Earth, and that people now had the opportunity and

    will to better themselves through learning about art, music, etc. Picard was preaching

    theaestheticlevelofMaslow'shierarchy.

    7) selfactualization this is the highest and most difficult level to reach. In fact,

    according to Maslow, very few people actually reach this level. Selfactualization is the

    need to fulfill one's own potential. As Maslow stated, "What a man can be, he must be."

    Interestingly, Maslow indicated that people will be frustrated if they can't pursue their

    true loves and talents. For example, if a person has a talent for painting, but they

    become a doctor, they will be forever frustrated because the need for selfactualization

    willbehindered.

    Emotion

    We all have them, and yet most of us can't explain them. Do people really know

    why they have them, when they have them, how to control them, etc.? Like so many

    other aspects of our psychological makeup, emotions are comprised of several

    31

  • components. We will discuss emotions in terms of the cognitive, physiological, and

    behavioralcomponents.

    A.CognitiveLevel(thisisthelabelornameassociatedwiththeemotion)

    1) One key aspect of emotions, according to Woodworth & Schlosberg, is that we

    have perceptions of them that usually ranges from pleasantnessunpleasantness &

    weakstrong(thisisthelevelofactivation)

    So, we perceive our emotions as having some level of pleasantness and

    strength. For example, if your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you, you experience

    some type of emotion, like sadness. Then, you experience this emotion along the

    pleasantness and strength dimensions if you loved this person, you may experience

    sadnessthatisveryunpleasantandintense(strength).

    1. Usually, research on emotions involve a person's subjective report or

    experience of an experience. Aside from all of the normal problems associated

    with selfreport data, there are a few others that occur with self report measures

    ofemotions:

    a) there are over 400 words in the English language that refer to

    emotions. So how do we know exactly what is meant (how do we

    operationalize) when someone says, for example, they feel "sad"? What

    doesthatmeancomparedtoalltheotherwords?

    b) people can't turn emotions on and off so control over these for

    studyisverydifficult.

    c) as we know, emotions involve some type of personal evaluations

    that normally ranges from pleasantunpleasant. However, we may have

    experiences that involve both. For example getting a promotion = more

    money, but also more responsibility and more time away from others

    activities. So there are both pleasant and unpleasant emotions associated

    withthisoneexperience.

    32

  • B.PhysiologicalLevel

    Emotions are accompanied by physiological arousal, usually at an autonomic

    level(involuntary/automatic).

    For example have you ever had the experience of being in a car when it spins

    out of control on an icy road? Almost instantly upon the car spinning off track, you

    experience an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, your pupils dilate, etc.

    Thisoccurs,atsomelevel,withallemotions.Thesystemsinvolvedwiththisactivityare:

    1)CentralNervousSystem(CNS):limbicsystemandcortex

    2) Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): somatic and autonomic, sympathetic and

    parasympathetic. But, very often physiological changes are too small to notice. In these

    cases,werelyon:

    1) Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) measures fluctuations in electrical

    conductivityoftheskinthatoccurwhensweatglandsincreaseactivity.

    2) Polygraph "lie detector" used to measure the subtle variations in muscle

    tension,heartrate,etc.,associatedwithemotionthatoccurverysubtly.

    C.BehavioralLevel:NonverbalExpression

    Very often organisms communicate without words. They may rely on smiling,

    frowning, clenching their fists, turning their backs, etc. Thus, we may communicate

    emotionsnonverballythroughbodylanguage.

    One of the most influential and important researchers in the field of emotion, is

    Ekman.HereareacoupleofexamplesfromEkman'swork:

    Ekman showed photos to people and asked them to identify what emotion was being

    expressed in those photos. He found that people from different cultures could recognize

    common facial features (people from different cultures all identified, for example, smiling

    asasignofhappiness).

    He found 7 basic emotions most often identified from photos of facial

    expressions:happiness,sadness,anger,fear,surprise,disgust,andcontempt.

    He also indicated that the use of facial expressions to communicate seems to be innate

    peoplewhohavebeenblindfrombirthmakemanysimilarfacialexpressions.

    33

  • THEORIESOFEMOTIONS

    A.JAMESLANGETHEORYOFEMOTION

    1.Background:

    James and Lange (a Danish physiologist) proposed the same explanation of

    emotionataboutsametimethusthetheorywasnamedforbothofthem.

    2.Acommonsenseideaaboutemotionwouldbe:

    Environmental influence (some event) > Psychological experience >

    Physiologicalstatechanges(emotions)

    BUT:theJamesLangetheorystates:

    Environmental influence (event) > Physiological change > Psychological

    experience

    In other words, James and Lange would say, "I feel afraid because I tremble". If a

    person sees a bear while walking along in the woods, James and Lange would suggest

    that the person would tremble and then realize that, because they are trembling, they

    areafraid.

    3.Jamesstated:

    "My theory ... is that the bodily changes follow directly the perception of the

    exciting fact, and that our feeling of the same changes as they occur is the emotion.

    Common sense says, we lose our fortune, are sorry and weep we meet a bear, are

    frightened and run we are insulted by a rival, and angry and strike. The hypothesis here

    to be defended says that this order of sequence is incorrect and that the more rational

    statement is that we feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because

    we tremble. Without the bodily states following on the perception, the latter would be

    purely cognitive in form, pale, colorless, destitute of emotional warmth. We might then

    see the bear, and judge it best to run, receive the insult and deem it right to strike, but

    weshouldnotactuallyfeelafraidorangry."

    34

  • 4.Problems:

    Later studies separated the internal organs that James said caused arousal from

    the CNS, but this did not eliminate emotional responding. So, perceptions of bodily

    changescouldnotbetheonlyfactorinvolvedinemotions.

    B.TheCannonBardTheory

    1. Background: again two people had the same perspective at roughly the same time

    (although Cannon was considered to be the more influential one). This theory made use

    ofinformationaboutphysiologicalstructuresnotavailabletoJamesandLange.

    2. Cannon's critique (1929) of JamesLange Theory He indicated that some of the

    problemswiththeJamesLangetheorywere:

    a) People who show different emotions may have the same physiological

    (visceral)stateExample:crywhenhappy&sad

    b) visceral changes are often too difficult to notice by a person having the

    experiencetobeusedascues

    c) visceral changes are often too slow to be a source of emotions, which erupt

    very quickly. For example, when something bad happens to you, do you always cry

    beforeyoufeelsad?Orcanyoufeelsadbeforecrying?

    d)physiologicalarousalmayoccurwithouttheexperienceofanemotion:

    For example: exercise > increased heart rate > no emotional

    significance

    3.backtocommonsensetheory:

    Emotion occurs when the thalamus sends signals to BOTH the cortex (which

    produces conscious experience of emotion) and autonomic nervous system (visceral

    arousal)atthesametime.

    BUT as we already know, the thalamus is not the only player involved in

    emotion.

    The limbic system, hypothalamus and others are all involved. So, this leads us to

    theCognitiveview.

    35

  • C.CognitiveView:SchachterandSingerTwoFactorTheory

    1) Schachter and Singer maintain that we don't automatically know when we are

    happy, angry, or jealous. Instead, we label our emotions by considering situational cues.

    We feel some emotion. To really understand what emotion we are having at that

    particular time, we use the cues in the environment at the time to help us determine the

    currentemotion.Thislabelingprocessdependsontwofactors:

    a) some element in the situation must trigger a general, nonspecific

    arousal marked by increased heart rate, tightening of the stomach, and rapid

    breathing.

    b) people search the situation/environment for cues that tell them what

    hascausedtheemotion.

    TheinfamousSchachterSingerstudyofemotion:

    1) Schachter and Singer told men who volunteered they were studying a vitamin

    supplement called Suproxin. The men were asked if they were willing to take the drug,

    and those who consented were injected with epinephrine or a placebo. Epinephrine,

    which is also called adrenaline, is released by our hormonal system whenever we face

    a stressful situation, and generally increases blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.

    Thus the men who received the epinephrine were more physiologically aroused than

    thosewhoreceivedtheinertplacebo.

    2) Schachter and Singer manipulated subjects' interpretations of their physical

    sensations. They told some of the epinephrineinjected subjects that even though the

    drug wasn't harmful, side effects were quite common: they might feel flushed, their

    hands might shake, and their hearts might pound. The other subjects, in contrast, were

    given no information at all about the effects of the drug. Schachter and Singer reasoned

    that once the epinephrine kicked in, their subjects would begin to search for the cause

    of their arousal. People who had been told that the drug would arouse them should

    have assumed that the drug was causing their hands to shake and their heart to pound.

    But if they weren't warned about the drug's effects, then they would be more likely to

    interprettheirarousalasanemotion.

    36

  • 3) What kind of emotion would these uninformed subjects experience? Schachter

    and Singer believed that their reaction would depend on the available situational cues.

    They therefore manipulated this variable as well. They arranged for their subjects to

    wait for the Suproxin's effects in a small room with another person. This individual was

    one of Schachter and Singer's accomplices, and he was trained to behave in either a

    euphoric or angry fashion. The euphoric confederate clowned around during the 20

    minutes, doodling on scratch paper, playing a game of "basketball" with wadded up

    balls of paper, making and flying a paper airplane, building a tower out of file folders,

    and playing with a Hula Hoop. The angry confederate, in contrast, became increasingly

    agitated during the 20 minutes. The subjects were asked to complete questionnaires

    that contained very personal questions. The accomplice, after loudly criticizing

    questions that requested information about childhood diseases, father's income, and

    family members' bathing habits and psychiatric adjustment, flew into a rage at the

    question"Howmanytimeseachweekdoyouhavesexualintercourse?"

    4) Schachter and Singer observed and coded the actions taken by each subject,

    and also asked them to describe their emotional state. As they had predicted, the

    physiologically aroused subjects who hadn't been told about the drug's sideeffects

    responded with emotions that matched the confederate's actions. If they were aroused

    and hadn't been expecting the arousal, then they felt happy when their fellow subject

    was happy, but angry when their fellow subject was angry. Forewarned subjects and

    unaroused subjects who received a placebo, however, did not display any pronounced

    emotion. Also, the subjects in a special control condition people who had been given

    epinephrine but had been misinformed about its possible effect also displayed the

    emotionsenactedbyaeuphoricconfederate

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