Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (5th Ed)

Chapter 11

Emotions, Stress, and Health

Emotiona response of the whole

organisminvolves...

physiological arousalexpressive behaviors (Actions)conscious experience

Theories of Emotion

Appraisal

Event

Emotionalresponse

Physiologicalactivation

Expressivebehavior

Subjectiveexperience

Emotional ArousalAutonomic 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 and Performance

Performance peaks at lower levels of arousal for difficult tasks, and at higher levels for easy or well-learned tasks

Performancelevel

Low

Arousal

High

Difficult tasks Easy tasks

Lie Detectors

Polygraphmeasures several arousal responses that

accompany emotionperspirationheart rateblood pressurebreathing changes

Emotion-Lie Detectors

Control question

Relevantquestion

Control question

Relevantquestion(a) (b)

Respiration

Perspiration

Heart rate

Emotion-Lie Detectors

50 Innocents

50 Thieves1/3 of innocent

declared guilty1/4 of guilty declared

innocent (from Kleinmuntz & Szucko, 1984)

Percentage

Innocentpeople

Guiltypeople

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Judged innocent by polygraphJudged guilty by polygraph

Lie Detection?In a group answer the following…

Is there a place for the use of polygraph devices?Benefits? Drawbacks?What might be a better option?

Choose one person to record brief notes for the group and one person to report a summary of the discussion

Expressing EmotionGender and expressiveness

Men Women

Sad Happy ScaryFilm Type

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Numberof

expressions

Expressing Emotion

Smiles can show different emotions:

a) Mask anger

b) Overly polite

c) Soften criticism

d) Reluctant compliance

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Expressing Emotion

Culturally universal expressions

Expressing Emotion

Activation of “sad face” muscles makes subject feel sadder (from Larsen, et al., 1992).

Spotting a fake/real smile…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/smiles/index.shtml

Experiencing Emotion

Catharsisemotional releasecatharsis hypothesis

Experiencing Emotion

Subjective Well-Beingself-perceived happiness or

satisfaction with life

How happy are you? (handout)

Figure 11.15 The changing materialism of entering college studentsMyers: Exploring Psychology, Seventh EditionCopyright © 2008 by Worth Publishers

Figure 11.16 Does money buy happiness?Myers: Exploring Psychology, Seventh EditionCopyright © 2008 by Worth Publishers

Experiencing EmotionValues and life satisfaction

MoneyLove

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00Life satisfaction

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

-0.2

-0.4

Importancescores

Experiencing EmotionAdaptation-Level Phenomenon

tendency to form judgments relative to a “neutral” level volume of sound level of income

defined by our prior experience

Relative Deprivation perception that one is worse off relative to those with

whom one compares oneself

Experiencing EmotionResearchers 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

How do we find happiness?

The Path to Happiness (worksheet)

Improving mood and life satisfactionSet goals with daily aimsAct happyExerciseSleepNurture close relationshipsHelp those in needGratitude journal

What is Stress?Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors

The rate of wear & tear on the body

What is Stress?

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

What is Stress?

General Adaptation Syndrome Selye’s concept of

the body’s adaptive response to stress in three stages

Stressresistance

Phase 1Alarm

reaction(mobilize

resources)

Phase 2Resistance(cope with stressor)

Phase 3Exhaustion(reservesdepleted)

The body’s resistance to stress can lastonly so long before exhaustion sets in

Stressoroccurs

What is Stress?

Coronary Heart Disease leading cause of death in the U.S.

Stress & Coronary Heart Disease

Hopelessnessscores

3.5

3

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

0 Heart attack DeathLow risk Moderate risk High risk

Men who feel extreme hopelessnessare at greater risk for heart attacksand early death

Stress & Coronary Heart Disease

Type A competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally

aggressive, and anger-prone people

Type Beasygoing, relaxed people

Criticismserious limitations of original studyoverly simplisticsome feel it is obsolete

Promoting HealthModifying Type A life-style can reduce recurrence

of heart attacks

Percentageof patients

with recurrentheart attacks

(cumulativeaverage)

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Year1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

Life-style modification patients

Control patients

Modifying life-stylereduced recurrent

heart attacks

Stress and Disease

Psychosomatic Illness“mind-body” illnessany stress-related physical illnessdistinct from hypochondriasis

Promoting Health

Aerobic Exercisesustained exercise

that increases heart and lung fitness

may also alleviate depression and anxiety

Depressionscore

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3 Before treatmentevaluation

After treatmentevaluation

No-treatmentgroup

Aerobicexercise

group

Relaxationtreatment

group

Life events

Tendency toward

Health Illness

Personal appraisal

Challenge Threat

Personality typeEasygoing

NondepressedOptimistic

HostileDepressedPessimistic

Personality habitsNonsmoking

Regular exerciseGood nutrition

SmokingSedentary

Poor nutrition

Level of social support

Close, enduring Lacking

Promoting HealthThe religion factor is mulitidimensional

Religiousinvolvement

Healthybehaviors

(less smoking,drinking)

Social support(faith

communities,marriage)

Positiveemotions

(less stress,anxiety)

Better health(less immune systemsuppression, stress

hormones, and suicide)