Summary
Summary A - Z Psychology - in Society
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
Exam notes on Psychology in Society I used this in my exam and did really well. Hope it helps you like it helped me
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
A-Z of PsychologyEmotions
1. Definition of the concept emotion
Emotions are one type of feeling
Emotions are:
a) feelings clearly linked to the meaning of
b) a particular situation
The way people express, describe, define and recognise their emotions depends on
factors like:
1) gender
2) age
3) cultural factors
4) the situation they are in
Emotion means to move thus and emotion can move us to do something
E.g. fear can move us to run away etc.
Definition of emotion =
a) combination of physiological arousal (change in heart rate, blood pressure etc.)
b) combined with
c) perceptual-cognitive processes and (thinking and subjective experience)
d) observable behavioural expressions ( crying or laughing)
1.1 Components of emotion
These components include: physiological; cognitive-perceptual and behavioural components
1.1.1 Physiological component
Regulated by Responsible for Divided into
automatic nervous activity of smooth sympathetic &
system muscles, glands and parasymphetic systems
blood vessels
Emotion = arousal
Restore Then parasymphetic Lead to bodily leads sympathetic
balance & system counter the changes to system to activate
help build up actions of arousal survival body for action
and conserve
energy
, In very intense emotion the effects of sympathetic nervous system can be so strong that it
can lead to heart attacks or sudden death in older persons or people with heart problems
Continued effects of sympathetic system can be damaging to the body
If the parasympathetic system continues its effects it can lead to lower blood pressure,
dizziness, fainting and even death = this is called parasymphetic rebound
Connection between arousal and emotion provide basis for things like lie detector tests
Device does not actually detect lies but rather measures emotional arousal by monitoring
changes in heart rate, breathing rate, amount of sweat on hands etc.
Idea is lying will increase physiological arousal seen in above changes
1.1.2 Cognitive-perceptual component
Emotions are very personal and rely on subjective experience (how you as an individual
interpret the situation)
Emotions about a specific emotion depends on what the person thinks about the situation
E.g. driving a car can be pleasurable for some or anxiety provoking for others
Thus the interpretation about an event influences the emotions we will experience
1.1.3 Behavioural component
Emotions usually expressed in body language or non-verbal behaviour
Bodily gestures and facial expressions show variety of basic emotions
Facial expressions like anger, fear, disgust, sadness & happiness is mostly the same
universally
But in certain cultures something like sticking out your tongue means disrespect but in
Chinese culture it is used to express surprise
So if someone is form another culture you must make sure the expression of emotion is not
misunderstood
1.2 Theories of emotion
Experience of emotion is result of interaction between physiological arousal
and psychological arousal
Psychological arousal = process whereby people
become aware of
situations and feelings
through conscious feeling
Arousal that involve physiological and psychological aspects = psycho-
physiological arousal
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller simonevdh22. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R60,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
78600 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now