LOs 3.11 and 3.

12
3.11: To what extent do cognitive and biological factors interact in emotion?
3.12: Evaluate one theory of how emotion may affect one cognitive process.

Crane pp. 88-92

Emotions consist of the following:
1) Physiological change
2) Persons subjective feeling of an emotion
3) Associated Behavior
Central to all this: Cognitive Appraisal the
Interpretation of the Event

Fight or Flight
A perceived dangerous event
Triggers a physiological response Fight or Flightto confront or avoid.
A cognitive appraisal What to do based on
previous experience

Ledoux Model of biological

pathways of emotion
The Short Route The Direct
Pathway Saves Time in Life or
Death Situations
The Long Route The Indirect
Pathway More detailed
examination
Flexibility of responses

Schacter and Singer (1962)

Two-factor Theory (TFT): 2 factors help to
determine a specific emotion:
1) Physiological arousal
2) An emotional interpretation and the labeling of
the physiological arousal
Thus, the interaction of a biological factor (arousal)
and a cognitive action (interpretation and labeling)

Remember Schacter and

Singer (1962)
Pearson p.55
The adrenaline shots for subjects
The ethical nature of this experiment
Key point: Same physiological arousal state (caused
by the adrenaline shot) could be experienced as
either of two emotions (anger or elation) depending
on how the participants interpreted and labeled
their arousal state.

Lazarus (1982, 1991): The Appraisal

Theory of Emotion
The gist: As humans, we react to different situations
with different emotions. Still, there is no set way we
react to situations.
We APPRAISE or evaluate situations according to how
significant they are to us.
Are the situations harmful or beneficial to us?
This APPRAISAL (or cognitive action) determines our
emotional state.
Cognition (the mental action or process of acquiring
knowledge and understanding) is essential to all
emotional states.

Lazarus Types of
Appraisal
1) Primary Main idea: Is the situation personally
relevant?
A. Motivational relevance: Is it relevant to my goals?
B. Motivational Congruence Is it favorable to my
goals?
C. Accountability Who is responsible for the
situation?
Outcome: Not full emotion but only positive/negative
approach and avoidance response if necessary

Secondary Appraisal
***The experiencing of the actual emotion!
Provides the coping actions!
A. Problem-focused coping: Can I change it to cope
with it?
B. Emotion-focused coping: Can I change the way I
feel about to change the situation?
C. Future expectancy: To what extent can I expect
the situation to change?

Last Points on Lazarus:

The emotion is determined by the pattern of
answers that individuals give relating to these six
appraisal questions.

The Core Relational Theme (CRT): the summary

of all the appraisal judgments used to define specific
emotions.

Scenario 1
You are late for a lesson.
A student (ish your friend) stops you and blocks
your way, doing it as a game.
He continues for a good minute, you will be late.

RESPONSE OR NOT?
GOAL?
Problem focused
HOW DO YOU COPE? Motivational relevance
Motivational congruence Emotion
FAVORABLE?
focused
AccountabilityFuture
RESPONSIBLE?
Expectancy

Scenario 2
You get home after a long day at school.
Your mom (or ayi) has cooked you your favorite
meal
Youre so hungry and it smells great!

RESPONSE OR NOT?
GOAL?
Problem focused
HOW DO YOU COPE? Motivational relevance
Motivational congruence Emotion
FAVORABLE?
focused
AccountabilityFuture
RESPONSIBLE?
Expectancy

Herrald and Tomaka

(2002)

Physiological arousal of different emotions

AIM
METHOD
FINDINGS
CONCLUSION

Ohman (2000)

Physiological arousal at the unconscious level

AIM
METHOD
FINDINGS
CONCLUSION

Speisman et al. (1964)

The effects of arousal on autonomic arousal

AIM
METHOD
FINDINGS
CONCLUSION

Concluding Comments
Key Points to Remember:
1) Cognitive and biological factors are essential to
emotion.
2) Emotion cannot arise in the absence of cognition.
3) Appraisal can be done at the conscious or
unconscious level.