Emotional Expression, Communication, and Competence: Applications of a Developmental-Interactionist Theory of Biological, Social, Cognitive and Moral Emotions

02/21/2001

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Contents

PART I: DEFINITIONS

MOTIVATION is conceptualized as the potential inherent in a system of behavior control.

EMOTION is conceptualized as a readout of motivational potential when activated by a challenging stimulus.

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THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF BIOLOGICAL MOTIVATIONAL-EMOTIONAL READOUTS

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COGNITION: THE CHALLENGING STIMULUS

COGNITION IS DEFINED AS KNOWLEDGE

COGNITION AND MOTIVATION-EMOTION TYPICALLY INTERACT: ALTHOUGH “HARD-WIRED” MOTIVATIONAL-EMOTIONAL RESPONSES ARE PRIMARY, THESE ARE QUICKLY INFLUENCED BY COGNITIVE PROCESSING

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The Schachter and Singer study illustrates an interactionist conception of emotion

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However, Schachter and Singer did not recognize the complexity of the physiological contribution to the interaction

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Moreover, Schachter and Singer did not recognize that the interaction occurs in a developmental context

THE ARI (AFFECT-REASON-INVOLVEMENT) MODEL OF THE INTERACTION OF COGNITION (REASON) AND MOTIVATION-EMOTION

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COGNITION IS DEFINED AS KNOWLEDGE

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PALEOEPISTEMOLOGY

Motivation, Emotion, and Cognition in Simple Creatures

Cognition: J. J. Gibson’secological realism and awareness

There are three sorts of "raw" awareness Gibson (1966; 1979).

PROPOSITION: AFFECTS ARE VOICES OF THE GENES

PART IIGenes and Emotion

P. D. MacLean’s Triune Theory posited two fundamental sorts of limbic system circuits

FOUR KINDS OF BIOLOGICAL MOTIVATIONAL-EMOTIONAL SYSTEMSEXIST IN THE SIMPLEST CREATURES

THREE KINDS OF BIOLOGICAL MOTIVATIONAL-EMOTIONAL READOUTSEXIST IN THE SIMPLEST CREATURES

EMOTION I: Maintenance of chemical, temperature, and energy environment for DNA (Homeostasis and Adaptation)

EMOTION II: MOTIVATIONAL-EMOTIONAL DISPLAY AND COMMUNICATION

TO EXCHANGE GENETIC MATERIAL, SIMPLE ORGANISMS MUST (1) AGGREGATE

(2) APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS MUST REGOGNIZE EACH OTHER AS SUCH

(3) THEY MUST COORDINATE BEHAVIOR SO THAT GENETIC TRANSFER OCCURS.

IN SIMPLE CREATURES THIS PROCESS INVOLVES PHEROMONES DISPLAYED BY THE SENDER AND “PICKED UP” BY THE RECEIVER

EMOTION III: BODILY AWARENESSAWARENESS OF FOOD IS COORDINATED WITH AWARENESS OF BODILY NEEDS FOR FOOD

CONCLUSIONS

PART IIGenes and Emotion

PART IIbThe Communicative Gene Hypothesisand the Nature of Altruism

Classical Ethology Given that the communication of a certain motivational or emotional state is adaptive to a species:

The “Selfish Gene” CritiqueKrebs & Dawkins (1984)

The Communicative Gene Hypothesis(Buck & Ginsburg)

Question: Is there a mechanism for selection that affords “true” empathy and altruism?

Dawkins (1982) The Extended Phenotype:The active germ-line replicator as the unit of selection.

Sober and Wilson argued for reintroducing the notion of group selection.

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Dawkins, R. (1994) Burying the vehicle. Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

The “Selfish Gene:” Implications for Morality

Implications: Sister Theresa simply had a particularly cunning reproductive strategy?

The Communicative Gene Hypothesis: (Buck & Ginsburg, 1991).

PHENOTYPE AND GENOTYPE

The trait is the phenotype, based more or less directly upon specifiable genes.

Traits are based not upon isolated genes (“genetic atomism”) but rather upon communicative genes.

Functional communication is a phenotype, based upon communicative genes.

In any system of interacting elements, communication involves both individual elements and the unique relationship between those elements relative to other elements.

THE SOCIAL RELATIONS MODEL: Individual sending and receiving, and unique relationship effects, can be measured via a round-robin design.

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The genotype (the replicator) includes potentially measurable relationship factors.

Therefore, communicative relationships (Ua>b and Ub>a) can be replicators in Dawkins’s sense.

Communicating genes are not necessarily within the same cell, or even the same organism.

Communicating genes in different organisms underlie specific attachment relationships that can involve “true” altruism.

These communicative relationships are, in fact, replicators in Dawkins’s sense.

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Pheromonal communication in simple creatures (i.e., Saccharomyces cerevisiae [yeast])

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Empathy involves spontaneous emotional communication

Empathy can arouse “true” altruism.

From this point of view, kin selection and reciprocity are ways of restricting empathy, and therefore altruism, to kin and allies.

Kin selection and reciprocity are the bases, not of altruism, but of xenophobia.

PART IIGenes and Emotion

EVOLUTION IS NOTORIOUSLY CONSERVATIVE

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THE EMOTIONS

PART III. The Biological Emotions.

A Typology of Biological Emotions (Buck, 1999 Psychological Review)

The structure of biological emotions.

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The structure of biological emotions.

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The structure of biological emotions.

Agonistic Emotions: Fear, Anger, Disgust.

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Positive social emotions have been neglected in many of the major emotion theories in psychology.

Prosocial Emotions: Sex, Parental emotions, Play, Love: Attachment.

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Different Sorts of Attachment are Associated with Specific Neurochemical Systems.

Laughing Rats? Panksepp & Burgdorf (2000).Behavioural Brain Research. 115, 25-38.

PART IV. HIGHER LEVEL EMOTIONS.

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SOCIAL EMOTIONS:TWO FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL MOTIVES

SOCIAL EMOTIONS:FUNDAMENTAL INTERPERSONAL CONTINGENCIES

SOCIAL EMOTIONS:FUNDAMENTAL INTERPERSONAL CONTINGINCIES

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COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:FUNDAMENTAL SITUATIONAL CONTINGENCIES

COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:ENGLISH TERMS RELATING TO POSITIVE EVENTS

COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:ENGLISH TERMS RELATING TO NEGATIVE EVENTS

COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:ENGLISH TERMS RELATING TO NEUTRAL EVENTS

COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:ENGLISH TERMS RELATING TO EXPECTED EVENTS

COGNITIVE EMOTIONS:ENGLISH TERMS RELATING TO UNEXPECTED EVENTS

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Author: Buck

Email: BUCK@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU

Home Page: www.coms.uconn.edu

Emotional Expression, Communication, and Competence: Applications of a Developmental-Interactionist Theory of Biological, Social, Cognitive and Moral Emotions

02/21/2001

Click here to start

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