PSYC 101 Study Guide - Emotion Classification, Temporal Lobe, Brainstem
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PSYC 101 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Essential feature of emotions is the experience. Stimulus can have emotional impact without conscious awareness. Is a positive or negative experience that is associated with a particular pattern of physiological activity: classified by two dimensions: (1) pleasant or unpleasant (2) level of activation or arousal associated with the emotion. Basic emotions are innate (inborn) and hard-wired . Complex emotions are a blend of many aspects of emotions. Emotional experiences are difficult to describe, but psychologists have identified their two underlying dimensions: arousal and valence. William james and carl lange developed the james-lange theory of emotion, which asserts that stimuli trigger activity in the autonomic nervous system, which in turn produces an emotional experience in the brain. This means that a stimulus causes a physiological reaction, which leads to an emotional experience. This meant that you would see the bear, feel your heart pounding and muscles contract, and then you experience fear.
