Emotion IIAP Psychology Ms. Desgrosellier 4.19.2010

EXPRESSED EMOTIONNonverbal Communication

Objective: SWBAT describe some of the factors that affect our ability to decipher nonverbal cues.

Nonverbal Communication

Objective: SWBAT describe some of the factors that affect our ability to decipher nonverbal cues.

Nonverbal Communication

We all communicate nonverbally (think about looks, gestures, etc. that you use)

Suppressing your emotions can actually cause you to remember less details (according to research).

Most of us are good enough at reading nonverbal cues to figure out emotion in a silent movie.

Nonverbal Communication

We are especially good at detecting nonverbal threats.

We read fear and anger mostly in the eyes, and happiness in the mouth.

Changes in the expression also help us read a face.

Nonverbal Communication

Introverts tend to do better at reading others’ emotions, but extroverts are easier to read.

Experience also sensitizes us to certain emotions.

e.g. abused children see anger quicker or more often that fear.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Objective: SWBAT describe some gender differences in perceiving and communicating emotions.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Research has shown that women generally surpass men at reading people’s emotional cues.

It also gives them an edge in spotting lies.

They are also better at deciding if a male-female couple is real or fake.

They were better at telling which of two people in a photo is the other’s supervisor.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Their nonverbal sensitivity helps explain women’s greater emotional literacy.

They also have greater emotional responsiveness in both positive and negative situations.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Women, in general, are far more likely than men to describe themselves as empathic.

empathy: identifying with others and imagining what it must be like to walk in their shoes.

However, physiological measures of empathy show less difference than reported in surveys.

Women are just more likely to express empathy.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Women also tend to experience emotional events more deeply, with more brain activation in areas sensitive to emotion, and then remember the scenes better three weeks later.

When showed gender-neutral animated faces, observers could usually detect gender in specific expressions.

Gender, Emotion, and Nonverbal Behavior

Gender differences also appear in the emotions women and men express best.

Women = happiness; men = anger

Detecting and Computing Emotion

Objective: SWBAT discuss the research results on reading and misreading facial and behavioral indicators of emotion.

Detecting and Computing Emotion

Hard-to-control facial muscles reveal signs of emotion you might be trying to hide.

A fake smile lasts longer than 4 or 5 seconds, when most authentic expressions have faded by that time.

Detecting and Computing Emotion

Most people find it difficult to detect deceiving expressions.

Across many studies, people were only 54% accurate in telling lies from the truth.

Detecting and Computing Emotion

People can be trained to spot telltale signs of a lie, which raises accuracy.

It is also easy to misread e-mailed communications, with the absence of expressive emotion.

Culture and Emotional Expression

Objective: SWBAT discuss the culture-specific and culturally universal aspects of emotional expression, and explain how emotional expressions could enhance survival.

Culture and Emotional Expression

The meaning of gestures varies across cultures.

Use the space in your notes and number 1 – 6.

Culture and Emotional Expression

Culture and Emotional Expression

1. happiness

2. Surprise

3. fear

4. Sadness

5. anger

6. disgust

DO NOWName some gender differences in

terms of emotions.

Culture and Emotional Expression

Smiles and angry expressions are pretty universal across cultures (as are most basic expressions).

Children’s facial expressions (even those of blind children) are universal.

Smiles are social phenomena as well as emotional reflexes.

Culture and Emotional Expression

It is also adaptive for us to interpret faces in particular contexts.

e.g. an angry face set in a frightening situation is judged as afraid.

Emotional expressions may enhance our survival in other ways.

e.g. Surprise opens our eyes to take in more stimuli.

Culture and Emotional Expression

Cultures that encourage individuality show more emotional displays that are often intense and prolonged.

Collectivist cultures tend to hide their emotions when in the presence of others.

Cultural differences also exist within and between nations.

The Effects of Facial Expressions

Objective: SWBAT discuss the facial feedback and behavior feedback phenomena, and give an example of each.

The Effects of Facial Expressions

facial feedback hypothesis: the proposal that expressions amplify our emotions by activating muscles associated with specific states and the muscles signal the body to respond as though we were experiencing those states.

Smiling can make you feel happier.

The Effects of Facial Expressions

behavior feedback hypothesis: assumes that if we move our body as we would when experiencing some emotion, we are likely to feel that emotion to some degree.

e.g. shuffling along with downcast eyes, as when sad.

EXPERIENCED EMOTION

Objective: SWBAT name several basic emotions, and describe two dimensions psychologists use to differentiate emotions.

EXPERIENCED EMOTION

Carroll Izard isolated 10 basic emotions:joyinterest-excitementsurprisesadnessanger

EXPERIENCED EMOTION

Carroll Izard isolated 10 basic emotions:disgustcontemptfearshameguilt

EXPERIENCED EMOTION

Other psychologists include pride and love.

Emotions can be placed in two dimensions:

arousal (high vs. low)

valence (pleasant, or positive, versus unpleasant or negative)

Learning FearObjective: SWBAT state two ways

we learn our fears.

EXPERIENCED EMOTION

We learn fears through conditioningassociating emotions with specific

situations.

We also learn fear through observational learningwatching others display fear in

response to certain events or surroundings.

The Biology of FearObjective: SWBAT discuss some of

the biological components of fear.

The Biology of FearWe are biologically prepared to learn

some fears, but not others.

The amygdala plays a key role in learning fear, associating fear with specific situations.

The amygdala receives information from cortical areas that process emotion.It then sends information to other areas

that produce the bodily symptoms of fear.

The Biology of FearGenes can also determine whether

or not we are fearful or fearless.

AngerObjective: SWBAT identify some

common triggers and consequences of anger, and assess the catharsis hypothesis.

AngerFrustrating or insulting actions we

interpret as willful, unjustified, and avoidable may evoke anger.

Angercatharsis: emotional release. In

psychology, the catharsis hypothesis maintains that “releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive energy.However, research does not support

this claim.

Venting usually fails to cleanse one’s rage for good, and usually amplifies anger.

AngerIt works better to wait until physical

arousal declines and then expressing problems in ways that promote reconciliation.

If reconciliation fails, forgiveness can reduce one’s anger and its physical symptoms.

HappinessObjective: SWBAT describe how

the feel-good, do-good phenomenon works, and discuss the importance of research on subjective well-being.

Happinessfeel-good, do-good phenomenon:

people’s tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood.

subjective well-being: self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life.

Used along with measures of objective well-being (e.g. physical and economic indicators) to evaluate people’s quality of life.

HappinessResearch on the causes and

consequences of subjective well-being is supplementing psychology’s traditional focus on negative emotions.

Positive psychology is a new rising, resulting field.

The Short Life of Emotional Ups and

DownsObjective: SWBAT discuss some of

the daily and longer-term variations in the duration of emotions.

The Short Life of Emotional Ups and

DownsNegative emotion is highest just

after we wake up and before we go to sleep.

Positive emotion rises gradually, peaking about seven hours after we get up, then falls gradually.

The Short Life of Emotional Ups and

DownsThe moods triggered by the day’s

good or bad events rarely last beyond that day.

Even significant bad events (e.g. serious illness) seldom destroy happiness permanently.

Wealth and Well-BeingObjective: SWBAT summarize the

findings on the relationship between affluence and happiness.

Wealth and Well-BeingMoney can help us avoid pain (and

therefore increase happiness) by enabling better nutrition, health care, education, and science.

Increases in wealth can also increase happiness in the short term.

However, in the longer term, affluence does not increase happiness at either the individual or national level.

Two Psychological Phenomena: Adaptation

and ComparisonObjective: SWBAT describe how

adaptation and relative deprivation affect our appraisals of our achievements.

Two Psychological Phenomena: Adaptation

and Comparisonadaption-level phenomenon: out

tendency to form judgments (of sounds, lights, income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience.

relative deprivation: the perception that one is worse off relative to those with one compares oneself.

Happiness is relative to both our past experience and our comparisons with others.

Predictors of HappinessObjective: SWBAT summarize the

ways that we can influence our own levels of happiness.

Predictors of HappinessHappiness is influenced by both

genetics and our own control.

Research has suggested many ways for improving our own happiness, including:

Predictors of Happinessrealizing that enduring happiness

doesn’t come from financial success

taking control of one’s time

acting happy

Predictors of Happinessseeking work and leisure that

engage one’s skills

exercising regularly

getting adequate sleep

Predictors of Happinessgiving priority to close relationships

focusing beyond oneself

being grateful for what we have

nurturing our spiritual self