Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Theories of Emotion355Japan an important display rule is that you should not reveal negative emotions in thepresence of an authority figure so as not to offend the higher-status individual.Display rules can also vary for different groups within a given culture. For example,recall our earlier discussion about gender differences in emotional expression.In many cultures, including the United States, women are allowed a wider range ofemotional expressiveness and responsiveness than men. For men, it’s considered“unmasculine” to be too open in expressing certain emotions, such as sadness(Fischer & others, 2004; Plant & others, 2004). Crying is especially taboo (Vingerhoets& others, 2000).So what overall conclusions emerge from the research findings on emotionalexpressions? First, Paul Ekman and other researchers have amassed considerable evidencethat facial expressions for the basic emotions—happiness, sadness, anger, fear,surprise, and disgust—are hard-wired into the brain. They also contend that the basicemotions are biologically determined, the result of evolutionary processes. Second,these emotional expressions serve the adaptive function of communicating internalstates to friends and enemies. Like the survival of other social animals, human survivaldepends on being able to recognize and respond quickly to the emotional state ofothers. Third, although facial expressions for the basic emotions may be biologicallyprogrammed, cultural conditioning, gender-role expectations, and other learning experiencesshape how, when, and whether emotional responses are displayed.display rulesSocial and cultural regulations governingemotional expression, especially facialexpressions.The basic emotions blend with ourexperiences, personality, and socio -cultural milieu to create an infinitedegree of shading, blends, and coloringin our emotional world. Much likecolors on a color wheel, the existenceof basic emotions suggests thatcultures shape, mold, and color ouremotional lives by using the set ofbasic emotions as a starting point tocreate other emotions.—DAVID MATSUMOTO (2000)Theories of EmotionExplaining EmotionKey Theme• Emotion theories emphasize different aspects of emotion, but all haveinfluenced the direction of emotion research.Key Questions• What are the basic principles and key criticisms of the James–Lange theoryof emotion?• How do the facial feedback hypothesis and other contemporary researchsupport aspects of the James–Lange theory?• What are the two-factor theory and the cognitive appraisal theory ofemotion, and how do they emphasize cognitive factors in emotion?For more than a century, American psychologists have actively debated theories toexplain emotion. Like many controversies in psychology, the debate helped shapethe direction of psychological research. And, in fact, the earliest psychological theoryof emotion, proposed by William James more than a century ago, continues toinfluence psychological research (Bechara & Naqvi, 2004; Dalgleish, 2004).In this section, we’ll look at the most influential theories of emotion. As you’llsee, theories of emotion differ in terms of which component of emotion receives themost emphasis—subjective experience, physiological arousal, or expressive behavior.The James–Lange Theory of EmotionDo You Run Because You’re Afraid?Or Are You Afraid Because You Run?Imagine that you’re walking to your car through the deserted college parking lotlate at night. Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerges from behind a parked car. As hestarts to move toward you, you walk more quickly. “Hey, what’s your hurry?” hecalls out, and he picks up his pace.