Homework Week 3

Week 3 Homework

1. Emotions serve functions (orientation, organization, etc.). Why do we experience our emotional states as powerful or at times overwhelming? Is this functional or purposeful?

I do believe that overwhelming issues have a function or purpose.  We have read papers that say that emotions come about from judging our well-being.  I believe that when emotions are powerful, our mind is just interpreting our well-being as more extreme; either in more extreme danger or going very well.   Having different degrees of emotions allows us to compare situations and know how to act more appropriately.

2. Russell and Fernandez-Dols wrote the following about the inability to find a unified definition of emotion through scientific study and discourse: "Emotion is an everyday, ordinary word understood by all rather a precise concept honed through scientific analysis... we have probably reached the point where further usefulness of thinking of facial expressions in terms of emotion requires a clarification of the concept of emotion itself" (pg. 19).

a) what does this mean? what are they saying?

I believe that this means that emotion does not have a specific definition or connection to a specific process.  It is a term created as a label for the processes and reactions that collectively affect how we interpret our well-being and how we express our feelings.

b) how does this extend to the other readings from this unit?

It can also be seen that in our other readings the word “emotion” is never defined specifically.   They try to explain the processes involved or where they come from but they don’t say exactly what they mean by the term.

c) what does this make you think about the scientific study of emotion?

It shows me how complicated it is to study.  Without out truly knowing what specifically you are studying it would be hard to know where to start.  Some of the readings seem contradictory but they might be approaching the study of emotions form a different definition of the term. 

3. Davidson writes about affective style. What are these and how are they specifically influenced by the brain?

Affective style is how people respond to situations in which their brain triggers specific emotions.  This is influenced by the brain because the symmetry of activation of the frontal lobe is what determines the reaction.  Davidson says in the beginning of his paper that individual affective style is determined by the levels of activation in the left and right frontal lobes.

4. Application: Provide an example of the somatic marker theory (Damasio et al., 1991) in your own life.

When I go for a run I always feel refreshed and energized afterwards.  I now associate running with these positive feelings.  When I lack motivation to go on a run, I am reminded of the benefits and gain the missing motivation.