Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Ed) Chapter 11 Emotions, Stress & Health Modified from: James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers
Dec 16, 2015
Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (6th Ed)
Chapter 11
Emotions, Stress & Health
Modified from:James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University
Worth Publishers
Emotion
Response of whole organismPhysiological arousalExpressive behaviorsConscious experience
Theories of emotion
James-Lange Theory
Experience of emotion is awareness of physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli
Fear(emotion)
Poundingheart
(arousal)
Sight of oncoming
car(perception of
stimulus)
Cannon-Bard Theory
Emotion-arousing stimuli simultaneously trigger: Physiological
responses Subjective
experience of emotion
Sight of oncoming
car(perception of
stimulus)
Poundingheart
(arousal)
Fear(emotion)
Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion
To experience emotion, must: Be physically
aroused Cognitively
label arousal
Cognitivelabel
“I’m afraid”
Fear(emotion)
Sight of oncoming
car(perception of
stimulus)
Poundingheart
(arousal)
Cognition & Emotion Brain’s shortcut for emotions
Two Routes to Emotion
Emotion & PhysiologyAutonomic nervous system controls
physiological arousal
Sympatheticdivision (arousing)
Pupils dilate
Decreases
Perspires
Increases
Accelerates
Inhibits
Secrete stresshormones
Parasympatheticdivision (calming)
Pupils contract
Increases
Dries
Decreases
Slows
Activates
Decreasessecretion of
stress hormones
EYES
SALIVATION
SKIN
RESPIRATION
HEART
DIGESTION
ADRENALGLANDS
Arousal & Performance
Performance peaks at lower levels of arousal for difficult tasks, and at higher levels for easy or well-learned tasks
Expressed Emotion People more speedily detect angry
face (threats) than happy one (Ohman, 2001a)
Expressed Emotion Gender & expressiveness
Men Women
Sad Happy ScaryFilm Type
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Numberof
expressions
Expressed Emotion
Culturally universal expressions
Anger & Happiness
Catharsis Emotional release Catharsis hypothesis
“Releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges
Feel-good, do-good phenomenon People’s tendency to be helpful
when already in good mood
Happiness Subjective Well-Being
Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life
Adaptation-Level Phenomenon Tendency to form judgments relative to
those previously experienced (“neutral” level)
Relative Deprivation Perception that one is worse off relative to
those with whom one compares oneself
Happiness is...Researchers Have Found ThatHappy People Tend to
Have high self-esteem (in individualistic countries)
Be optimistic, outgoing, and agreeable
Have close friendships or a satisfyingmarriage
Have work and leisure that engagetheir skills
Have a meaningful religious faith
Sleep well and exercise
However, Happiness Seems Not MuchRelated to Other Factors, Such as
Age
Gender (women are more often depressed, but also more often joyful)
Education levels
Parenthood (having children or not)
Physical attractiveness
Stress Appraisal
Stressful event(tough math test)
Threat(“Yikes! This isbeyond me!”)
Challenge(“I’ve got to apply
all I know”)
Panic, freeze up
Aroused, focused
Appraisal Response
Stress & Illness
Stress Process by which perceive & respond to
certain events (stressors) that appraise as threatening or challenging
General adaptation syndrome (GAS) (Selye’s) Body’s adaptive response to stress
3 stages – alarm, resistance, exhaustion
3 Stressful Life Events
Catastrophic Events Unpredictable, large-scale events nearly all see
as threatening Life Changes
Significant personal life change Daily Hassles
Most significant sources of stress Happiness stems from response to daily events
Especially problematic when perceived as negative & uncontrolled (perception of control)
Stress & Heart
Coronary Heart DiseaseClogging vessels that nourish heart muscle
Leading cause of death in many developed countries (like USA)
Friedman & Rosenman’s 2 personality types Type A vs. Type B
Stress & Disease
Psychophysiological Illness (“Mind-body”) Any stress-related physical illness Not hypochondriasis (misinterpreting
normal physical sensations as disease symptoms)
Lymphocytes 2 types (B & T lymphocytes) of white
blood cells that are part of immune system
Stress & Disease Negative emotions & health-related
consequences
Unhealthy behaviors(smoking, drinking,
poor nutrition and sleep)
Persistent stressorsand negative
emotions
Release of stresshormones
Heartdisease
Immunesuppression
Autonomic nervoussystem effects
(headaches,hypertension)
Promoting Health
Aerobic exercise Biofeedback (& Meditation) Modifying type A life-style Social support Spiritual & faith communities
Life events
Tendency toward
Health Illness
Personal appraisal
Challenge Threat
Personality typeEasy going
Non-depressedOptimistic
HostileDepressedPessimistic
Personality habitsNonsmoking
Regular exerciseGood nutrition
SmokingSedentary
Poor nutrition
Level of social support
Close, enduring Lacking