PSYC3032 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Counterfactual Thinking, Binge Eating, Affective Forecasting
Document Summary
Found with many self-defeating behaviours, and the looming threat of distress is even more common: self-handicapping, shyness, revenge, alcohol, helplessness, but not clear that distress leads directly to self-defeating behaviour, need more complex theory. Snl video - 31: why, anger/simple - 67, neutral - 15, anger/quick decision - 45, what kinds of emotions cause foolish risk-taking, sadness did not, neutral or pleasant high arousal, high arousal/bad emotions --> bad decisions. The problem: does emotion req. cognition, lazarus: yes, emotion is based on cognition, zajonc, no, "preferences don"t need inferences" Emotion after rejection: conscious emotion largely absent, unconscious emotion reactions clear, powerful, neither effect is intuitively predicted, how much does emotion directly cause behaviour. First theory: direct causation: the conventional wisdom, emotional state contains incipient action, advantages of tradition, parsimony, intuitive appeal. Fear causes fleeing: thereby increases survival, but perhaps not a general model, not many other examples.
