Emotions

• drive reduction theory: physiological need and creates an arounsed tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
• Drive Reduction Theory replaced Instinct Theory of Motivation
• Need (food) -> Drive (hunger) -> Drive Reducing Behaviors (eating)
• Yerkes-Dodson Theory of Optimal Arousal: bellshape curve relating stress and performance
• weak performance = not enough stress
• impared performance = too much stress
• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (low to high): physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization
• induce hunger hormones: ghrelin (in gut), orexin
• inducing hunger hormones are induced by the lateral hypothalamus
• inhibit hunger hormones: leptin, PYY
• inhibiting hunger hormones are triggered by the ventrimedial hypothalamus
• induce: G(hrelin)O(rexin) eat, inhibit L(eptin)ess P(PY)ie
• set point: body's "preferred" weight
• unit bias: we tend to finish our food (unit), regardless of portion size
• we eat more in social situations and when there are more options (party, buffett)
• example of unit bias: larger plates = more food intake
• we eat more with more accessibility (snack cabinets) and stress eating
• All emotion theories explain CERTAIN emotional experiences
• theories interplay: bodily arousal (physiology), experiences of emotion (I’m scared, sad), and some cognitive appraisal *not always involved* (recognition of context)
• James-Lange theory: physiological change then interpret emotion, Joy Later
• Cannon-Bard Theory: physiology and emotional reaction occur simultaneously, cannons in pirate movies go off simultaneously
• most emotional responses activate the sympathetic nervous system
• Schacter-Singer’s/2 Factors Theory: 2 components that precede emotion: physical arousal and cognitive appraisal, labeling/context can determine our ultimate emotion
• Girl on the bridge experiment is based on Schacter-Singer’s / 2 Factors Theory
• Zanjonc’s (and Ledoux and Lazarus) Theory: we don’t always need conscious appraisal, we might feel fear before labeling the threat
• example of Zanjonc’s theory: gut feeling, “I got a bad feeling about this”
• Paul Ekman: famous study of facial expressions catalogued every know facial emotion, involved with universal emotions
• Darwin: facial expressions aid in survival, don‘t approach an angry person
• females are better at reading facial expressions
• some cultures have diff norms for body language
• cortisol: hormone increases stress, can be toxic in excess and prolonged
• HPA Axis: hypothalamus, pituitary-adrenal glands, 3-headed stress response triggered by sympathetic nervous system, cortisol release
• oxytocin: hormone decreases stress, released with human contact, “cuddle hormone”
• stages of General Adaptation Syndrome: alarm, resistance, exhaustion
• alarm: high stress
• resistance: “crushing it”
• exhaustion: collapse, ex: depression, hyperthermia, etc
• Tend and Befriend Response: under stress, people tend to provide support and bond with others
• Tend and Befriend Response is more prevalent in women
• heart disease is the #1 health risk associated with stress