Social EmotionsDiscuss view that emotions arise from and influence social interactions and relationships– Framework for thinking about emotional “transmissions”– Controversies about origins of emotional behavior– Function of emotional signals– Social appraisal theory– Criticisms of transmission model– “Reflexive emotions” - Contagion and rapport– ApplicationsEmotional communication• Commonsense view:– Something leads a person to experience an emotion– Emotion alters the senders behavior– Observers notice and interpret this behavior– This interpretation changes the observer’s behavior• Formalized as the “Transmission Model” of communicationTransmission modelShannon-Weaver (1947) Transmission Model of CommunicationSender ReceiverBrunswik’s Lens ModelAffectiveStateInferredAffectiveStateBehaviorAgentObserverSender ReceiverBrunswik’s Lens ModelAffectiveStateInferredAffectiveStateBehaviorAgentObserverEventTransmission model• Basic transmission questions– What “message” is being transmitted• Basic emotion (Fear, Hope, Joy)• Appraisal (Uncertainty, Goal Congruence)• Broad dimensions of affect (valence, arousal)– How is the message encoded into behavior • what features are diagnostic of true emotional state>– How is message decoded• What features to people use to infer emtion?• Are they any good at it?• Basic social questions– What causes/motivates the message• True emotion?• Strategic concerns?– How does message change observers behavior/emotions?Attend to UserSmileNodReclineExtend LegSignalChallenge for Detection:Encoding/Decoding MismatchMessage MechanicsEncoderSenderWarm –AgreeableGifford (1994)ReceiverDecodingDecoderAffectiveStateEncoderSender ReceiverSpeechProsodyExpressionBody Lang.EEGDecodingDecoderAffectiveStateAffectiveStateSignalMessage Mechanics“Leakage view”• Is “true emotion” encoded into body movements?“Leakage view”• Is “true emotion” encoded into body movements?Evidence for transmission model• Mechanical questions– Is “true emotion” encoded into body movements?– Is “true emotion” accurately decoded– Evidence mixedAttend to UserSmileNodReclineExtend LegSignalChallenge for Detection:Encoding/Decoding MismatchEncoding Decoding StudiesEncoderSenderWarm –AgreeableGifford (1994)EncoderSenderAttend to UserSmileNodReclineExtend LegWarm –AgreeableSignalGifford (1994)Challenge for Detection:Encoding/Decoding MismatchSome affective messages reliably encodedReceiverAttend to UserSmileNodReclineExtend LegDecodingDecoderInferredWarmthSignalChallenge for Detection:Encoding/Decoding MismatchBut not always reliably decodedReceiverSignalEncoderSenderAttend to UserSmileNodReclineExtend LegDecodingDecoderWarm –AgreeableInferredWarmthGifford (1994)Challenge for Detection:Encoding/Decoding MismatchEncoding/Decoding MismatchEvidence for transmission model• Is “true emotion” encoded into body movements?– Strong claimsEvidence for transmission model• Is “true emotion” encoded into body movements?– Evidence mixed (Russell et al 03, Feldman-Barrett)– No consensus that “Emotion” is encoded– Consensus that “core affect” is encoded• Facial & vocal changes coordinated w/ sender valence and arousal• Is “true emotion” decoded– Evidence mixed– Most people can infer something of the sender’s psychological state • Voice: arousal, not valence (high confusion between happy/angry)• Face: valence and arousal• Smiles universally recognized across cultures, not much else• Decoding depends on context, gender of sender, receivers emotional state*But what do psychologists know about signal processing Alternative explanations:• Transmission model fine– BUT message isn’t about emotion• People don’t reveal true emotion• People attempt to influence others• Emotional displays are strategic messagesSocial Intention view• Fridlund– It is evolutionarily stupid to reveal true feelings• Gives others too much information• We often need to cheat, lie, seal– Little evidence for direct mapping between emotion and display• Many to 1: Laugher produced by humor, anger anxiety, self-deprecation, attention, appeasement, sexual interest• 1 to Many: Ekman and Friesen78 identify 65 anger displays • Disassociation: – Happiness neither necessary nor sufficient for smiling (Kraut&Johnson79)– Surprise not correlated with “surprise” display (Reisenzein)– Emotional displays vary depending on the social context• Tend to smile more when someone watching– Emotional displays are strategically deployed• Show distress when someone that could help us is near• “True” emotions vs. social intentions– Do people simple broadcast how they truly feel?– Do people use “emotional” communication to achieve strategic ends?– Maybe it is both??• Discuss “social functional” view of emotion– Emotion displays influence people. How can this be unless it is authentic– Revealing this information does give adaptive advantage• Discuss one way to reconcile the viewsSocial Functional view of emotion• Emotion plays crucial interpersonal function to facilitate coordinated activities: e.g. conversation– Hypothesizes people are social by nature and survive through relationships (Lutz&White, 1986).– Hypothesizes emotion is a feeling system:• Provides intrinsic rewards for cooperation• Provides intrinsic punishments for non-cooperation– Hypothesizes emotion is a display system• Automatic and rapid means of communicating mental state• Facilitates detection of cheaters– Hypothesizes tight coupling between feeling and display• You display what you feel• Point of contrast with social intentions views(Keltner & Haidt 99; Levenson; Isard; Frank)Social function of felt emotionSocial function of felt emotion• Provides information about social encounters– Informs self about quality of the interaction (Keltner&Haidt99; Clore05)• Anger: fairness of events• Love: level of commitment to another• Shame: lowered social statusSocial function of felt emotion• Provides information about social encounters• Prepares the body for social responses– Prepares response to social contingencies– Eg: Anger (Keltner & Haidt 99)• Shifts blood from internal organs towards the hands and arms • Heightens sensitivity to injustices of others which presumably • Thereby facilitates responses to threat or injustice.Social