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Emotion and Cognition Summary
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This is a summary for the course Emotion and Cognition. It contains all 10 chapters from the obligatory reading material from Emotion Science by Elaine Fox.
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1Summary
Emotion and Cognition
Emotion Science by Elaine Fox
Leiden University
Suzanne Derksen
,2
Chapter 1 Introduction to Emotion Science
Emotion science reviews evidence from psychological science (cognitive psychology) and
neurobiology in an attempt to develop a deeper understanding of emotion and the nature of the
links between processes that have traditionally been considered ‘cognitive’.
Feelings are commonly seen as the most important aspect of emotions. Research on this is
controversial some agree on the importance while others argue that feelings are important,
however they may not be central to the understanding of emotions. This view considers that a
range of physiological, neural, and behavioral responses to a specific stimulus are more
fundamental and often take place before feelings develop.
Research in emotion science is complicated because of different focus points, different measure
techniques and materials, and different definitions on emotion.
Emotions are biologically given emotions have evolved as a result of biological evolution.
o Emotions are viewed as complex responses to a meaningful event (presence of a
predator).
o These complex responses contain a number of different components (behavioral,
physiological) that can often act independently of each other.
o Tight coherence between these components helps to ensure that emotions are able to
serve particular functions.
o Emotions are viewed as embodied processes that will generally have physiological as
well as cognitive and behavioral implications for the organism (adrenaline release).
o Emotions are seen as genetically coded systems of response that can be triggered by
objects or situations that are relevant in a biological or evolutionary sense.
o Fear responses are learned selectively fear for biologically relevant stimuli are
learned more easily than less relevant stimuli (snakes vs flowers).
o A core set of emotions – anger, fear,
happiness, sadness, disgust – appear to
be associated with specific facial
expressions that are recognized across
cultures.
Conclusion: evolutionary perspective the
biological approach assumes that emotional systems
have evolved to help an organism to navigate the
complexities of the physical and social world.
o Function of emotion: facilitate the rapid coordination of the body’s various processes
including motor systems, energy levels, physiological reactions and cognitive
processes.
Emotions are socially constructed emotions are the product of a particular culture and they are
produced by that culture in order to help define its values and assist member of a society to
negotiate particular social roles.
,3
o Different cultures experience emotions to different degrees. Rather than there being a
set of universal emotions, there will be a set of different emotions that are determined
by cultural values rather than by biological imperatives.
o Two kinds of self-construal that differ across different cultures have been identified;
The independent self independence from others is valued and the self-
concept is seen as being unique and stable across different situations.
Behavior is caused by internal factors.
The interdependent self the concept of self is derived primarily by means
of connections to other people. One’s identity and status are determined by
connections within important groups. Identity can vary across different
contexts.
o Some emotions may be unique in some cultures.
Japan amae. Pleasant feeling that arises from a sense of togetherness.
New Guinea ‘state of being a
wild pig’. Men experiencing
this emotion tend to run wild
and attacking people and
stealing items from friends or
strangers.
Conclusion: emotions serve the function of
allowing people to cope efficiently with the demands of their social roles within a given culture.
Emotions are the result of perception of bodily changes. There are two main approaches.
o Traditional view: First we experience
an emotion and then we experience a
range of bodily changes.
o James-Lange: Emotions arise because
of our perceptions of bodily states.
Once we noticed a particular object a
variety of physiological changes took
place, and it was the perception of these bodily changes that was the emotion.
You do not run because you are afraid, you are afraid because you run.
o Damasio: emotional experience is caused by the perception of changes in a wide
range of bodily processes (biochemical and hormonal changes as well as the
activation of the ANS).
‘As-if loop’ emotional feelings states can sometimes occur even when
changes have not taken place in the body.
Emotions are not necessarily conscious the brain detects changes in
internal bodily state that are not necessarily made available to conscious
awareness.
Conclusion: our emotions are essentially caused by a perception of changes in our internal bodily
states.
, 4
Emotions are the result of cognitive appraisals emotions are elicited by an evaluation of the
meaning or significance of events. The way we evaluate or appraise the significance of the events
around us determines the type of emotion that is experienced.
o Cognitive appraisals are evaluations of the relations between the self and the
environment.
o This approach was developed to better
understand how one emotion could be
differentiated from another (different people
have different emotions in response to same
stimuli).
Conclusion: appraisal-based models can provide an
explanation as to why the same situation can lead to different emotions in different people at
different times. Not the situation produces an emotion, but it is how the situation is evaluated in
reference to current goals that produces an emotion.
A more explicit integration of neural and psychological approaches to emotion is likely to lead to
a fuller and deeper understanding of how emotions influence cognitive processes and, in turn,
how cognition influences emotional processes.
Neurobiological research has shown that no single region of the brain seems to be dedicated to
emotion. Different brain circuits control different aspects of emotion processing.
o The notion that emotions are limbic and subcortical while cognitions are cortical is
far too simplistic.
There is no emotion center in the brain, but there are regions that play a particularly important
role in emotions.
o Non-primate animals (rats) subcortical structures (those lying underneath the
cortex in mid-brain regions).
o Humans and other primates cortical structures.
o Human-cortical & animal-subcortical.
Cognitive elaboration plays an important role in human emotion, leading to a rich emotional life
laden with symbolism and culture.
Human emotion is largely influenced by the development of language, which enables us to
elaborate emotions to both ourselves and others.
o The core processes of emotion remain grounded in subcortical structures; however, it
is likely that feelings in humans may have spread upward into cortical regions.
o Evidence damage to the cortex is far more disruptive to emotional processing in
humans than in rats. The entire neocortex of a rat can be removed without any
apparent changes to normal emotional responses. Damage to the neocortex in humans
results in profound deficits in emotional processing.
While there are no brain regions unique to emotion there are areas of the brain that are crucial for
normal emotions to develop.
Basic neuroanatomy:
o The human brain can be divided from top to bottom into three broad regions:
Cerebrum
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