COGSCI FINAL EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Approach to emotions Emotions are not antithetical to reason
- fundamental part of overall control system of the mind and brain
- crucial link between perception and action
- emotion and reason/cognition are intertwined
What are emotions? special kinds of algorithms/computational programs
- kinds of affect programs
Emotions on the functional level Mapping from situations to feelings, bodily response patterns facial expressions.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness Can't provide a complete, purely physical explanation of the experiential
character of a mental state
- explanatory gap
Fear Appraisal Program Situation in the environment
- Does the situation involve facing a relatively immediate, serious danger?
- How does this situation stand in relation to my goals and values?
Cognitive evals made about emotional experiences and events that trigger them
Fear Effector Program Changes in cognitive, physiological, motoric, and experiential systems
- changes in action tendencies
Cognitive changes: Thoughts/Attention focused on threat, memory primed for
threat-relevant info
Physiological changes: Hormonal changes (norepinephrine, cortisol), enhanced
sympathetic tone (increased heart rate, blood pressure, pupillary dilation,
sweating, blood flow to muscles)
Motoric changes: postural, vocalization changes
Experiential changes: "Feeling" of fear
Motivational changes
Mechanisms that govern bodily responses associated with emotions
, Fear: Motivational Changes Pre-fear goals and priorities
1. Relaxing
2. Seeing nature
3. Learning
5. Planning/pondering
Post-fear goals and priorities
1. Protecting yourself
2. Getting away from danger
3. Staying alive
Happiness Appraisal Program Does the situation involve making reasonable progress toward the realization of
one's goals?
Happiness Effector Program Motivational changes
Pre-happiness goals/priorities
1. Finishing my degree
2. Paying my bills
3. Spending time with my gf
post-happiness goals/priorities (broadening of goals, encompassing both)
4. Meeting new friends
5. Starting new projects
6. Reaching ideals
7. Play, explore, integrate
Genuine smile "Duchenne Smile"
- contraction of lateral eye musculature
Theory of emotion we endorse Emotions are computational affect programs
Theories of emotion: James-Lange Theory Stimulus > Bodily Response Pattern > Perception of Body > Feeling
Emotions are accompanied by bodily changes, can sense what is going on in our
bodies
Different situations elicit different bodily changes; each type of emotion has
uniquely associated feeling
"We feel sorry BECAUSE we cry, angry BECAUSE we strike, afraid BECAUSE we
tremble"
Pro: 1) explains different emotions, and what makes one emotion different than
another
Object to James-Lange Theory: Walter Cannon "Fight or flight" bodily response pattern:
a. unitary - generated regardless of whether the stimulus was an object of fear,
anger, hate etc.
b. slow - occurred well after emotional feelings were thought to occur
CON: 1) bodily response profile can't always explain what makes emotions feel
different from "cold" beliefs 2) bodily response profile can't explain what makes
one emotion different than another
Cannon-Bard Theory The feeling aspect of emotion occurs at the same time as the experience of
physiological arousal.
CORRECT Answers
Approach to emotions Emotions are not antithetical to reason
- fundamental part of overall control system of the mind and brain
- crucial link between perception and action
- emotion and reason/cognition are intertwined
What are emotions? special kinds of algorithms/computational programs
- kinds of affect programs
Emotions on the functional level Mapping from situations to feelings, bodily response patterns facial expressions.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness Can't provide a complete, purely physical explanation of the experiential
character of a mental state
- explanatory gap
Fear Appraisal Program Situation in the environment
- Does the situation involve facing a relatively immediate, serious danger?
- How does this situation stand in relation to my goals and values?
Cognitive evals made about emotional experiences and events that trigger them
Fear Effector Program Changes in cognitive, physiological, motoric, and experiential systems
- changes in action tendencies
Cognitive changes: Thoughts/Attention focused on threat, memory primed for
threat-relevant info
Physiological changes: Hormonal changes (norepinephrine, cortisol), enhanced
sympathetic tone (increased heart rate, blood pressure, pupillary dilation,
sweating, blood flow to muscles)
Motoric changes: postural, vocalization changes
Experiential changes: "Feeling" of fear
Motivational changes
Mechanisms that govern bodily responses associated with emotions
, Fear: Motivational Changes Pre-fear goals and priorities
1. Relaxing
2. Seeing nature
3. Learning
5. Planning/pondering
Post-fear goals and priorities
1. Protecting yourself
2. Getting away from danger
3. Staying alive
Happiness Appraisal Program Does the situation involve making reasonable progress toward the realization of
one's goals?
Happiness Effector Program Motivational changes
Pre-happiness goals/priorities
1. Finishing my degree
2. Paying my bills
3. Spending time with my gf
post-happiness goals/priorities (broadening of goals, encompassing both)
4. Meeting new friends
5. Starting new projects
6. Reaching ideals
7. Play, explore, integrate
Genuine smile "Duchenne Smile"
- contraction of lateral eye musculature
Theory of emotion we endorse Emotions are computational affect programs
Theories of emotion: James-Lange Theory Stimulus > Bodily Response Pattern > Perception of Body > Feeling
Emotions are accompanied by bodily changes, can sense what is going on in our
bodies
Different situations elicit different bodily changes; each type of emotion has
uniquely associated feeling
"We feel sorry BECAUSE we cry, angry BECAUSE we strike, afraid BECAUSE we
tremble"
Pro: 1) explains different emotions, and what makes one emotion different than
another
Object to James-Lange Theory: Walter Cannon "Fight or flight" bodily response pattern:
a. unitary - generated regardless of whether the stimulus was an object of fear,
anger, hate etc.
b. slow - occurred well after emotional feelings were thought to occur
CON: 1) bodily response profile can't always explain what makes emotions feel
different from "cold" beliefs 2) bodily response profile can't explain what makes
one emotion different than another
Cannon-Bard Theory The feeling aspect of emotion occurs at the same time as the experience of
physiological arousal.
