Question 1

Some people have a condition called alexithymia which means that they:

Accepted Answer

Alexithymia is a condition characterized by difficulty in identifying and describing emotions in oneself. People with alexithymia struggle to express their feelings in words, which is what option C describes.

Question 2

Lazarus (1991) and Oatley and Johnson-Laird (1987, 2011) assume that appraisals give rise to distinct emotions. In so doing they are taking a ____________ approach to emotions.

Accepted Answer

Lazarus, Oatley, and Johnson-Laird's theories suggest that specific appraisals lead to specific, identifiable emotions, which aligns with a discrete approach to emotions. This approach categorizes emotions as distinct and recognizable states.

Question 3

As described by Lazarus (1991), the core relational theme associated with anxiety is:

Accepted Answer

The core relational theme associated with anxiety, as described by Lazarus (1991), is facing an uncertain, existential threat. This reflects the psychological interpretation of anxiety as a response to situations that are perceived as ambiguous or uncertain, potentially leading to harm or danger but without a clear or immediate threat.

Question 4

Phoebe Ellsworth and Craig Smith (1985, 1988) developed a theory of appraisal that can account for interesting similarities among emotions. In so doing they are taking a ____________ approach to emotions.

Accepted Answer

Ellsworth and Smith's theory of appraisal takes a dimensional approach to emotions, focusing on how different dimensions of appraisal (such as valence and arousal) can explain similarities and differences among emotions.

Question 5

Emotions or moods that occur without any relation to external events are said to be:

Accepted Answer

Free-floating emotions are those that are not directly linked to specific external events or triggers. They can occur without an apparent cause, making them seem unattached to the immediate context or situation.

Question 6

Russell (2003) says that the heart of any emotion is:

Accepted Answer

Russell (2003) posits that the essence of any emotion is multifaceted, encompassing feeling good or bad, feeling enervated or excited, and what he terms "core affect," thus making all the options correct.

Question 7

A split brain operation severs the:

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain. A split brain operation involves severing this connection to treat certain conditions, such as epilepsy.

Question 8

According to the decision tree of appraisals associated with Lazarus's approach to emotions, sadness is said to be a product of events that:

Accepted Answer

Sadness is typically a response to events that are perceived as leading to a loss, which can include a loss of self or something or someone valuable. This aligns with Lazarus's approach, which emphasizes the role of cognitive appraisal in emotional responses.

Question 9

Primary appraisal is:

Accepted Answer

Primary appraisal involves evaluating the significance of an event in terms of an individual's well-being, which can be both a form of evaluation assigning value based on concerns (A) and can occur automatically without conscious deliberation (B).

Question 10

According to the decision tree of appraisals associated with Lazarus's approach to emotions, negative emotions may occur if an event is:

Accepted Answer

Negative emotions can arise from events that are relevant to our goals, incongruent with our goals, or likely to lead to a loss of self, according to Lazarus's theory on emotion and appraisal.

Question 11

When participants were presented with photographs of people smiling or displaying facial anger for a suboptimal length of time (i.e., 4 msec) they were:

Accepted Answer

Participants are more likely to be biased by subliminal priming when facial expressions are presented for a very short duration (suboptimal length) like 4 milliseconds, compared to when these expressions are shown for a longer, optimal length of time such as 1 second. This is because the brief exposure does not allow for conscious processing, but can still influence subconscious perceptions and attitudes, leading to a bias in evaluating the facial expressions.

Question 12

The prototype perspective about emotion knowledge assumes that:

Accepted Answer

The prototype perspective on emotion knowledge suggests that for each emotion, there exists a prototypical (or typical) set of causes, feelings, expressions, thoughts, and actions that are commonly associated with that emotion. This perspective acknowledges the complexity and variability within emotional experiences but suggests that there are common, core features that define each emotion.

Question 13

All but which one of the following is a feature of appraisal, as proposed by Smith and Ellsworth (1985)?

Accepted Answer

Potency is not one of the features of appraisal proposed by Smith and Ellsworth (1985). The features they proposed include responsibility, anticipated effort, and attention, among others.

Question 14

The emotion evoked by a situation can depend on perceived agency. An external attribution where events are seen to arise as a consequence of other people's actions can lead to feelings of _______ when the event is negative and ______ when the event is positive.

Accepted Answer

When negative events are perceived to be caused by others, it often leads to feelings of anger because the individual may feel wronged or harmed by someone else's actions. Conversely, when positive events are attributed to others, it can evoke feelings of gratitude, as the individual feels benefited by someone else's actions.

Question 15

Secondary appraisal is:

Accepted Answer

Secondary appraisal involves evaluating the significance of what is happening for personal well-being, which can include assigning value to events in terms of concerns (A) and describing emotions in words (C), making both A and C correct.

Question 16

According to the decision tree of appraisals associated with Lazarus's approach to emotions, the second feature that may be appraised is:

Accepted Answer

The second feature that may be appraised according to Lazarus's approach to emotions is goal congruence. This involves assessing whether the situation aligns with the individual's goals or not, which is crucial in determining the emotional response.

Question 17

The third phase of appraisal is:

Accepted Answer

The third phase of appraisal involves social sharing, where individuals discuss their emotional experiences with others as a way to process and understand their feelings.

Question 18

Research on primary appraisals of good and bad qualities of an event raises an intriguing question: which is stronger, good or bad? Reviews by Cacioppo and Gardner (1999), Baumeister et al. (2001) and Rozin and Royzman (2001) offer the following answer:

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that negative evaluations have a stronger impact than positive evaluations, a phenomenon often referred to as the negativity bias. This is supported by the reviews mentioned, which suggest that bad qualities or negative events tend to have a more potent effect on individuals' assessments and reactions than good qualities or positive events.

Quiz 7: Appraisal, Knowledge, and Experience