S07 E11: Unmasking Emotion – From Psychopaths to Positive Feelings in Atkinson & Hilgard’s Psychology

Join us for 'CSS Breakdown: Book by Book', Season 07, Episode 11, as we break down Chapter 11, 'Emotion,' from Atkinson & Hilgard's 'Introduction to Psychology 15th Edition.' This episode explores the complex, multicomponent nature of human emotions, starting with the chilling case of serial killer Ted Bundy and his profound lack of remorse and fear, which sets the stage for understanding what truly defines human emotion.

We'll unpack the six core components of emotion: cognitive appraisals, subjective experiences, thought-action tendencies, internal bodily changes, facial expressions, and responses to emotion. Discover how cognitive appraisal interprets circumstances to determine emotional quality and intensity, and delve into key theories like Schachter and Singer's two-factor theory and the misattribution of arousal. We'll also examine the role of the amygdala in unconscious appraisals.

Explore the impact of subjective feelings on attention, learning, and judgment, and how thought-action tendencies guide behavior, with a special focus on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, explaining their profound benefits and ability to extend life expectancy. We also cover bodily changes and facial expressions, including the James-Lange theory and the facial feedback hypothesis, and how emotion regulation strategies impact our emotional lives and social success.

Finally, we address gender and cultural differences in emotion and dive into aggression, contrasting views of it as a drive versus a learned response, and examining the controversial concept of catharsis in relation to media violence.