Emotion, Stress,and Health

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OverviewNature of emotion

Emotion and culture

Nature of stress

Stress and emotion

How to cope

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Objectives- Nature of Emotion

• Explain emotion and give examples• Compare and contrast primary and secondary

emotions • Who is Paul Ekman? What are his 2 terms?• Describe the PHYSICOLOGICAL , Brain and

body component, of emotion including amygdala and sympathetic and parasympathetic parts

Emotion- ob-#1

• Emotion- a state of arousal involving facial and bodily changes, brain activation ,cognitive appraisals, subjective feelings, and tendencies toward action

• Physiological changes – face, brain, body• Cognitive process- interpretation of events• Culture – influences shape experience and

expression• If Human emotions =tree-bio capacity =trunk, root

system;, thoughts explanations =branches; culture, the gardener that shapes, forms, prunes

Emotion

A state of arousal involving facial and bodily changes, brain activation, cognitive appraisals, subjective feelings, and tendencies toward action, all shaped by cultural rules

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Emotion and the body

• Primary emotions- are biologically based• Thought to be universal• Born with them: fear, anger, sadness, joy,

surprise, disgust, contempt• Each has physiological pattern & corresponding

facial expression and the situations that invoke them

• Sadness follows loss; fear follows threat of bodily harm; anger follows injustice or insult

On the other hand

• Secondary emotions- include all the variations and blends of emotions that vary from culture to culture

• Develop gradually• Increased cognitive maturity

The body

Primary emotionsEmotions considered to be universal and biologically based, usually thought to include fear, anger, sadness, joy, surprise, disgust, and contempt

Secondary emotionEmotions that develop with cognitive maturity and vary across individuals and cultures

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Your turn

Which of the following is a primary emotion?1. Love

2. Suspicion

3. Joy

4. Jealousy

chapter 13

Your turn

Which of the following is a primary emotion?1. Love

2. Suspicion

3. Joy

4. Jealousy

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The Face of Emotion

• Facial expressions across cultures:• Anger, fear, sadness, happiness(joy), disgust,

surprise, contempt, (possibly pride)• 1872 Charles Darwin said facial expression allowed

to tell friend from foe• Paul Ekman- gathered evidence for 7 facial features

with emotions• Studied cultures Brazil, Estonia, Germany, Greece,

Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, U.S. = most recognized facial features (Lab)

Universal expressions of emotion

Facial expressions for primary emotions are universal.

Even members of remote cultures can recognize facial expressions in people who are foreign to them.

Facial feedbackProcess by which the facial muscles send messages to the brain about the basic emotion being expressed

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The Functions of facial expressions

Not only reflect internal feelings BUT influence them• Facial feedback- the process by which the facial

muscles send messages to the brain about the basic emotion being expressed

• Told to look happy (family pic) positive feelings increase

• Told to look mean “ sports pic) pos. feelings decrease• Signaling function- when you’re a baby “come get

me…go away”

Functions cont

• Generate emotions in others= moods are contagious

• Mood cognition- likely to start imitating peoples moods around you

• Creating a rapport; could be either way• Starting end of first year= infants imitate

parents• Alter behavior to parents in reaction to parents

facial expression of emotion

The brain and emotion

The amygdalaResponsible for assessing threat

Damage to the amygdala results in abnormality in processing fear.

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Emotion and the Brain

• Identify parts of the brain involved in emotions

• Prefrontal region :Right- withdraw or escape• Flee from danger, withdraw from disgusting

scene• Prefrontal region: Left – approach others• Happiness= approach (positive) anger=

Negative

Emotions Brain cont…

• Amygdala- small structure in limbic system (anger and fear)

• Evaluates sensory information• Emotional importance- fight or flight• Jump when feel hand on back in dark alley• Damaged= problems with recognizing fear or

displaying it

The brain and emotion

Mirror neuronsA class of neurons, distributed throughout the brain, that fire when an animal sees or hears an action and carries out the same action on its own

Far more evolved and varied in humans than in other animals

Help us recognize others’ intentions

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Emotion and brain cont..

• Mirror neurons- brain cells that fire when a person or animal observes others carrying out an action

• Involved in empathy, imitation and reading emotions

• M.R.I. confirms key areas of brain activated when witness actions, emotions, feelings

The Energy of Emotion- Speed up or slow down

• sympathetic division of autonomic nervous system sends adrenal glands to 2 HORMONS

• Epinephrine• Norepinephrine• Dilate pupils, increased heart beat, dry mouth,

urinate uncontrollably• Parasympathetic- slows down heart beat,

saliva, genital stimulation

Hormones and emotion

When experiencing an intense emotion, two hormones are released.Epinephrine

Norepinephrine

Results in increased alertness and arousal

At high levels, can create sensation of being out of control emotionally

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The autonomic nervous system

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Summary

• Emotions• Primary/secondary• Paul Ekman• Brain/ Body and emotion