Emotion: Naveen Kashyap, PHD Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Email: Naveen - Kashyap@Iitg - Ac.In

Emotion
Naveen Kashyap, PhD

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Email: naveen.kashyap@iitg.ac.in
Emotion
Nature of Emotion
Emotions are complex entities to define.
However most scientists studying
emotions agree that they involve –
- Physiological Changes, within our

bodies – shifts in heart rate, blood
pressure, and so on
- Subjective Cognitive states - the
personal experience we label emotions
- Expressive Behaviors – outward signs of
these internal reactions
Components of Emotion
• An emotion is a complex, multi-component episode that
creates a readiness to act
Components of Emotion
• Emotions are distinct from moods in several ways:
–Emotions tend to have a clear cause, are typically

brief, and implicate multiple component systems
–In research there is much interest in the detailed

nature of components of emotion, and the
mechanisms by which they influence each other
Theories of Emotion
The Cannon-Bard and James-Lange theories – which comes first,
action or feelings
Cannon-Bard theory – suggests that various emotion provoking

events induce simultaneously, the subjective experiences we
label as emotions and the physiological reactions that
accompany them.
James-Lange theory – suggests that subjective emotional

experiences are actually the result of physiological changes
within our bodies
Theories of Emotion
Which of the two theory is a correctly explains emotion?
Until recently the Cannon-Bard hypothesis was the most

favored theory among the two but recent research has
highlighted the importance of the James-Lange theory
based on evidences from
- modern equipment's verify that different emotions have

different patterns of physiological activity
- facial feedback hypothesis – suggests that changes in our
facial expressions produces shifts in our experienced
emotions rather than merely reflecting them
- In addition research suggests that changing our bodily

postures or even the tone of our voice may influence
emotional experiences
Theories of Emotion
Schachter and Singer’s Two-Factor theory –
Emotion provoking events produce increased arousal.
In response to these feelings we then search the external

environment in order to identify the causes behind them.
The factors we then select play a key role in determining the

label we place on our arousal and so in determining the
emotions we experience
Opponent process theory – the theory suggest that
1) an emotional reaction to a stimulus is followed

automatically by an opposite reaction
2) repeated exposure to a stimulus causes the initial

reaction to weaken and the opponent process, or opposite
reaction to strengthen
Cognitive Appraisal & Emotion
• Cognitive appraisal
–It is the interpretation of the personal meaning of
current circumstances (person-environment
relationship) that results in emotion
–Cognitive appraisal is largely responsible for
differentiating emotions
Discovery of appraisals
Two-factor theory of emotions – emotions are the result of
a combination of an initial state of unexplained arousal &
cognitive appraisal for that arousal – mixed support
Misattribution of arousal – physiological arousal can be

erroneously attributed to subsequent event
• Themes & dimensions of appraisals
–People’s appraisals of situations lead to subjective
experience of emotions, associated arousal & other
components of emotional response
• Minimalist appraisal theories – reduce number of
appraisal dimensions to a minimum, often based on
fundamental themes – emphasises importance of
emotion-specific core relational themes (e.g.
irrevocable loss for sadness)
Dimensional appraisal theories – identify a range of
appraisal dimensions thought sufficient for
differences among emotions (e.g. desirability of
event & whether it occurs)
• Conscious & unconscious appraisals
–Appraisals can occur at unconscious levels – people
experience emotion without understanding why
–Cognitive appraisals in emotion processes similar to
other types of cognition - resulting in part from
automatic processing & in part from controlled
processing
Appraisals in the brain
Amygdala (in the lower brain) – key role in automatic
appraisals which supports idea of appraisals occurring both
unconsciously & consciously
Subjective Experiences & Emotion
• Subjective experience of emotion
– This feeling component is, by definition, within awareness
– One output of the appraisal process is change in subjective
experience
• Feelings modify attention & learning
– Current feelings direct attention to events that match our
feelings, as a result we learn more about those events
– Feelings influence which memories are more accessible &
those memories influence what is easy to learn at the
moment
Subjective Experiences & Emotion
• Feelings modify evaluations & judgements
– Our feelings can affect evaluations of other people, and of

inanimate objects
– Feelings also affect our judgements of risk – if we are

fearful, more likely to see world as uncertain &
uncontrollable; if feeling angry/happy, more likely to see
world as certain & controllable
Thought & Action Tendencies & Emotion
• Thought-action tendencies
– Refers to urges – one way that feelings guide behaviour &
information processing
• With most negative emotions, people’s thought-action

tendencies become narrow & specific
• With most positive emotions, people’s thought-action

tendencies become broad & more open to possibilities
Bodily Changes & Emotion
• Bodily changes & emotion
– Intense negative emotions involve physiological arousal caused
by activation of sympathetic division of autonomic nervous
system
– Positive emotions have undoing effect on lingering arousal
from negative emotions
• Intensity of emotions
– People with spinal chord injuries (limit feedback from
autonomic nervous system) report less intense emotions
– Visceral perception plays a role in intensity of emotions
Bodily Changes & Emotion
• Differentiation of emotions
– James-Lange theory holds that autonomic arousal
differentiates the emotions
Facial Expression & Emotion
• Communications of emotion through facial expressions
– Certain facial expressions seem to be universal in meaning,
regardless of culture
– Facial expressions of one person can change behavior of
another (e.g. mother/child & visual cliff)
– Certain aspects of facial expression are learned – display
rules specify types of emotions people should express in
certain situations and appropriate behavior for particular
emotions
Facial Expression & Emotion
• The facial feedback hypothesis
– Facial feedback hypothesis – the idea that facial expressions, in
addition to their communicative function, also contribute to
our subjective experience of emotion
Responses to Emotion: Emotion Regulation
• Emotion regulation
– Refers to people’s responses to their own emotions
– Sometimes people have goal of intensifying emotion while

other times people want to minimise emotion – ability to do so
predicts social success
– Suppressing facial expression increases autonomic arousal &

amygdala activation, & also impairs memory
Responses to Emotion: Emotion Regulation
• People develop different strategies to control/regulate emotions

Emotion: Naveen Kashyap, PHD Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Email: Naveen - Kashyap@Iitg - Ac.In

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Emotion

Naveen Kashyap, PhD

- Physiological Changes, within our

–Emotions tend to have a clear cause, are typically

–In research there is much interest in the detailed

Cannon-Bard theory – suggests that various emotion provoking

James-Lange theory – suggests that subjective emotional

Until recently the Cannon-Bard hypothesis was the most

- modern equipment's verify that different emotions have

- In addition research suggests that changing our bodily

Emotion provoking events produce increased arousal.

In response to these feelings we then search the external

The factors we then select play a key role in determining the

1) an emotional reaction to a stimulus is followed

2) repeated exposure to a stimulus causes the initial

Misattribution of arousal – physiological arousal can be

– Our feelings can affect evaluations of other people, and of

– Feelings also affect our judgements of risk – if we are

• With most negative emotions, people’s thought-action

• With most positive emotions, people’s thought-action

– Sometimes people have goal of intensifying emotion while

– Suppressing facial expression increases autonomic arousal &

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