An adaptive response Not just to give us interesting experiences but also to enhance survival Emotions can be damaging when prolonged and experienced as stress Mix of: 1. physiological arousal 2. expressive behaviors 3. consciously experienced thoughts and feelings 1. James-Lange Theory (William James & Carl Lange) 2. Cannon-Bard Theory (Walter Cannon & Philip Bard 3. Two-Factor Theory (Schachter-Singer Theory) First comes a distinct physiological response, then come our experienced emotion. Problem: Does a racing heart signal fear, anger or love? Our physiological arousal and our emotional experience occur simultaneously. Also known as: Schacter-Singer Theory Our physiology and our cognitions create emotions together. There is not a distinct biological signature for each and every different emotion. Emotions differ much more in the brain circuits they use EEGs and fMRIs show: Positive emotions activate left frontal lobe Negative emotions activate right frontal lobe Schachter & Singer Adrenaline Injection Experiment Arousal (physiological) + Label (cognition) = EMOTION Zajonc & LeDoux: Some emotional responses (likes, dislikes, fears) involve no conscious thinking Our brains can detect subtle expressions But we find it difficult to detect deceptive expressions Some people are more sensitive than others to physical cues Who has the natural smile? Women generally surpass men at reading peoples emotional cues Women tend to be sensitive in spotting lies Women have greater emotional literacy and emotional responsiveness