Introduction"Our whole cubic capacity is sensibly alive; and each morsel of it contributes its pulsations of feeling. . ." ". . .not only the heart, but the entire circulatory system, forms a sort of sounding-board, which every change of our consciousness, however slight, may make reverberate." William James, "What is an Emotion?," 1884 |
| Course Description | Permission to Register |
|
|
|
|
Course Description |
|
Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of emotion. Emphasis is on research into physiological, expressive, and subjective emotional responses to salient events. Prerequisite: the instructor's permission. |
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions |
|
How can I get permission to register? What are the course requirements?
Where do emotions come from? What brain systems are involved in our emotional experience and our emotional behavior? Why does the body seem to get so stirred up? Are sweaty palms and a pounding heart just accidental side-effects of emotion, or are they essential to the experience of emotion? If one's brain were cut off from all bodily sensation, would one still feel emotion? To address these and other questions we will start with brief introductions to theories of emotion, to the field of psychophysiology, and to studies of the psychophysiology of emotion. In subsequent discussion sessions we will delve deeply into the research literature to see how psychophysiological and behavioral studies are expanding our understanding of emotion. Throughout the semester our discussions will focus on a number of fundamental issues related to what emotion is, what it does, and how it can be studied. For instance, the classic theories of emotion described in our first group of readings differ dramatically in what they hold to be the source of our emotional experience. Some theorists hold that cognitive appraisal of a situation precedes feeling and physiological reaction, while others maintain that bodily responses occur first and then give rise to an emotional experience. Can psychophysiological studies help us determine which theoretical viewpoint is most valid? We will discover that emotion is viewed by some in terms of categories of strong feeling--such as anger, fear, joy, surprise--and by others in terms of dimensions of our response to every event. What is meant by "dimensions" of emotional experience? How do these "dimensions" relate to the basic categories of emotion? The syllabus indicates a variety of other topics that will engage us during this session, such as what is the relationship between emotion and attention and between emotion and cognition. I'm sure there are topics you would like to consider that are not included; you will have an opportunity to cover these in your term paper and related class presentation.
Psychophysiologists monitor physiological activity (for instance, palmar sweating, heart rate, brain waves, or muscle activity) in order to learn something about an unobservable psychological process (such as emotion, arousal, or attention). Psychophysiological recordings are usually made nonintrusively from sensors placed on the body surface, and psychophysiologists generally study humans. (These are just two of many important differences between psychophysiology and physiological psychology.) Psychophysiological studies of emotion are of particular interest for several reasons. One is the need to understand the contribution of bodily responses to our emotional experience. Another is the potential of psychophysiological responses to reveal what an individual will not, or can not, reveal verbally.
Class size is limited to 12 participants. Students will be given permission to register for the course, based on their preparation, motivation, and seniority. Ideal preparation for this course would consist of (a) good introduction to psychology (e.g., Science of Psychology or Mind, Brain, and Behavior and a lab or statistics course.) (b) one or more courses relating to emotion, motivation, learning, development, cognition, perception, social, physiological, or abnormal psychology, and (c) strong interest in the subject matter. Please note that most of the assigned readings are scholarly research or theoretical articles. A good background in psychology will facilitate your understanding of these materials. The success of the seminar depends on each student's full participation, thus students may not audit this course or take it pass/fail.
How can I get permission to register? If you are interested in taking this seminar, please read the accompanying syllabus and then fill out the application. Please do not register for the seminar unless I have explicitly admitted you.
What are the course requirements? Regular attendance and full participation in seminar discussions are primary requirements. Participants must thoroughly and thoughtfully complete all reading and writing assignments prior to each meeting. Each week two or three students will serve as "experts," meaning they will have mastered the assigned readings, read additional material, posted discussion questions, and prepared a handout and/or multimedia presentation. In addition to regular and expert participation requirements, there will be a midterm exam and a term paper consisting of a research proposal. These four components of your class performance will contribute equally to your course grade as described under Grading. This page was modified on September 3, 2004
|