EVOLUTIONARY THEORY - DARWIN For all animals, emotions have an

adaptive purpose

Emphasis onBehavior Changes and Facial ExpressionsPhysiological Changes

[Schirmer, A. (2014). (R)evolutionary ideas of the 19th century. Emotion (Chapter 1, pp.11-18). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.]

EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AND DARWIN For all animals, emotions have an

adaptive purpose

Principle of Serviceable Associated Habits

[Schirmer, A. (2014). (R)evolutionary ideas of the 19th century. Emotion (Chapter 1, pp.11-18). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.]

EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AND DARWIN For all animals, emotions have an

adaptive purpose

Principle of Antithesis Disgusting ----------------------------- Delicious

[Schirmer, A. (2014). (R)evolutionary ideas of the 19th century. Emotion (Chapter 1, pp.11-18). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.]

EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AND DARWIN For all animals, emotions have an

adaptive purpose

Principle of actions due to the constitution of the nervous system……..

[Schirmer, A. (2014). (R)evolutionary ideas of the 19th century. Emotion (Chapter 1, pp.11-18). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.]

EVOLUTIONARY THY TODAY Emotions have an adaptive purpose

In the past, the adaptive problem designed the emotion

Today, the adaptive problem elicits the emotion

The emotion increased gene survival by: Enhancing reproductive opportunities Dealing with threats to reproduction

Basic Emotions

BASIC EMOTIONS “…discrete physiological responses to

fundamental life situations that have been useful in our ancestral environment.” (Ekman & Cordaro, 2011, p.369)

[Ekman, P., & Cordaro, D. (2011). What is meant by calling emotions basic. Emotion Review, 3, 364-370. doi: 10.1177/1754073911410740]

BASIC EMOTIONS PERSPECTIVE Derived from evolutionary theory –

emotions are evolved adaptations to our environment

Emotions are discrete – we can differentiate between different emotions

Categorical ApproachEmotions are universally distinct categories

[Ekman, P., & Cordaro, D. (2011). What is meant by calling emotions basic. Emotion Review, 3, 364-370. doi: 10.1177/1754073911410740]

BASIC EMOTIONS PERSPECTIVE BASIC EMOTION = DISCRETE + ADAPTIVE

Universal, evolutionary view Not cultural **Paul Ekman

DISCRETE EMOTION = DISCRETE + Universal, evolutionary view + Social constructionist view

Cultural, not universal **Lisa Barrett

[Ekman, P., & Cordaro, D. (2011). What is meant by calling emotions basic. Emotion Review, 3, 364-370. doi: 10.1177/1754073911410740]

BASIC EMOTIONS: 4 CRITERIA Basic emotions should be universal

Among humans and nonhuman animals

All animals should express the emotion in the same way

All animals should express emotion early in life

Each emotion can be categorized according to the 5 components of emotion

BASIC EMOTIONS: SO, HOW DO WE IDENTIFY EMOTION CATEGORIES? Linguistic Data

Identify Behavior ChangesFacial ExpressionsVocal Affect

Physiological Patterns

Cognitive Appraisals

LINGUISTIC DATA Card sort activity!

Groups of 3 – 4 Please!

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: LINGUISTIC DATA 3 Categories found

1) Pleasantness: Negative v. Positive Emotions

2) Basic Emotion Categories: love, joy, anger, sadness, fear (possibly surprise)

3) Sub-ordinate Categories of each basic emotionEx: adoration and affection for “Love”

PERSPECTIVES OF EMOTION: BEHAVIOR CHANGES

Emotion Behavior

Fear Withdrawing

Anger Attacking

Joy Mating

Sadness Crying for help

Disgust Vomiting

Surprise Stopping/Freezing

(Plutchik, 1984; Other models include MacLean,1993)

(Padgett & Cottrell, 1998. p.2)

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Categorical Perception: assesses

whether people can identify an emotion and discriminate among two emotions.

Morphed two facial expressions.

Ps’ identified and discriminated among emotions

Found 5 emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust

(Padgett & Cottrell, 1998. p.2)

(Padgett & Cottrell, 1998. p.2)

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Don’t flip over sheet until I tell you!

Don’t talk to anyone! (or you are disqualified!)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1. __________________2. __________________3. __________________4. __________________5. __________________6. __________________7. __________________

FearAngerContemptSurpriseSadnessHappinessDisgust

Now, flip over hand-out and answer the

two questions!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Anger Contempt Disgust Surprise Sadness Happiness Fear

Which face did you identify first? Last?

Any problems with this

methodology?

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Paul Ekman

Across cultures, people correctly identify facial expressions in photos

LimitationsEasier to recognize emotions in still photos

than in real lifeProcess of elimination increases chances of

correct identification

EKMAN’S TYPES OF EXPRESSIONS Macro: normal expressions usually last

between ½-second and 4 seconds.

Micro: These are very brief, usually lasting between 1/15 and 1/25 of a second.

False: A deliberately-made simulation of an emotion not being felt.

Masked: A false expression made to cover a macro expression.

Retrieved from http://www.paulekman.com/micro-expressions/

EKMAN’S FACIAL ACTION CODING SYSTEM (FACS) Action Unit: each observable facial movement

component.

All facial expressions can be broken down into AUs.

A group of AUs linked to one specific emotion.

All people show same changes in AU for same emotion.

Example AUs Happiness = AU6 + AU12 Disgust = AU9 + AU15 + AU16

Retrieved from http://www.paulekman.com/product-category/facs/

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS DEBUNKED

Lisa Barrett – Social Constructivist View

Tried to replicate Ekman’s work with Himba tribe in Namibia (southern Africa)But, this time, did not provide a list of words

to participants Instead, participants grouped similar facial

expressions into 6 piles

[Fischer, S. (2013, July). About face: For half a century, one theory about the way we experience and express emotion has helped shape how we practice psychology, do policy work, and even fight terrorism. But what if that theory is wrong? Boston Magazine.]

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: FACIAL EXPRESSIONS DEBUNKED Got some correct!

Separate piles for smiling, wide-eyed fear, etc.

Got many wrong!Placed angry scowls, disgusted wrinkles,

and sad frowns into same pile

Shows Ekman’s findings may only work when people are given context (i.e., labels)

[Fischer, S. (2013, July). About face: For half a century, one theory about the way we experience and express emotion has helped shape how we practice psychology, do policy work, and even fight terrorism. But what if that theory is wrong? Boston Magazine.]

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: VOCAL AFFECT Note: Blank the

screen #1

#2

#3

#4

#5

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: VOCAL AFFECT Do patterns of vocal affect

correspond to discrete emotions?

Decoding Studies: Ps’ indicated their perception of the emotion conveyed in scrambled voices

56% - 60% of the time, Ps’ identified the correct emotion in recordings of nonsensical sentences. Joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgustReplicated with love and surprise

(Scherer, Banse, Walbott, & Goldbeck, 1991)

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: VOCAL AFFECT DEBUNKED Lisa Barrett – Social Constructivist

Barrett Sound Clip

Again, tried to replicate Ekman’s work with Himba tribe in Namibia (southern Africa) and Boston participantsBut, this time, did not provide two choices

from which participants selected

Only universal category was happiness - laughing

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: PHYSIOLOGICAL PATTERNS Identify 2 emotions that show the same

exact physiological pattern.

Identify an emotion that has a different pattern of physiological activity than any other emotion.

Which measure best distinguishes among the 6 emotions?

Is it easier to differentiate between negative emotions or positive emotions?

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: PHYSIOLOGICAL PATTERNS Do patterns of physiological activity

correspond to discrete emotions?

Directed Facial Action TaskPs’ contract facial muscles according to

experimenter instructionsThen, take physiological measures

(Levenson, Ekman, & Friesen, 1990)

IDENTIFYING BASIC EMOTIONS: PHYSIOLOGICAL PATTERNS No single physiological measure

discriminates emotions

Patterns of physiological changes are different for most emotionsExceptions: Disgust/Happiness and

Anger/Surprise

Greater physiological change for negative than positive emotions

(Levenson, Ekman, & Friesen, 1990)

COMING UP! Continue with basic emotions

Appraisal Theory

Prototype Approach

Dimensional Models