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