Psychology 463
Peter LaFreniere: Emotional Development
Chapter 1: Philosophical and Historical Foundations1. What is modern (contemporary) about Aristotle's theory of emotion? (pp3-4)
2. What is Romanticism and how do its values differ from those of the Enlightenment (Age of Reason)? (pp 7-8)
3. Darwin: 'behavior evolves just as do physical features; emotions are adaptations', 'specific neural pathways' (p 9)
4. What is the James'Lange theory? What is the ANS? CNS? What is the Cannon'Bard theory: How did Cannon-Bard criticize the James'Lange theory? (p 10)
5. Describe the bold-faced terms, including especially 'reductionism'. In Watson's view, what do babies start with and how do they develop fears of things like white rats? (pp 11-12)
6. Describe the basics of psychoanalysis'instincts vs. socialization. Freud's ideas 'have proven difficult to substantiate with scientific evidence, why? (pp 12-13)
7. Describe Bridges' theory. What are differentiation and integration? Describe how differentiation theorists account for the phenomena of differentiation'genetics, environment, or an interaction between the two. (p 13)
8. Ethology. What is imprinting. What was Harlow's experiment and why is it theoretically important? What is meant by 'internal working model'? (p 14-16)
9. Tomkin's theory of affect. What is the role of facial expression in his
theory? In what way is the theory counterintuitive. Influential? (p 18
Chapter 2: Evolutionary Perspectives
1. Darwin: What is the argument for natural selection? (pp 22-23)
2. Know the following bold-faced items:
Genotype
phenotype
dominant
recessive
naturalistic observation
sign stimuli
fixed action pattern
Homology
Analogy
Critical realism
phylogenetic adaptation (i.e., adaptation as I defined it in class)
environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA)
3. Figure 2.3: How do genes influence behavior? The figure is compatible with
the systems theory I mentioned in the first lecture.
4. How can ethology be experimental: What was Tinbergen's methodology visa-vie the stickleback? (p 29).
5. Discuss the trends in the evolution of primate facial musculature and the general shift from smell to vision as the critical sense. (p 32).
Discuss the trend for lesser jaw size as a function of greater brain size.
Trace the evolution of one or more of the following human expressions: laugh, smile, or eyebrow flash.
Understand Table 2.1: Proximate and ultimate X How and Why, yielding the four questions: evolution, development, causation, and function.
6. Discuss the double standard in anthropomorphism. (p 39).
7. Discuss the concept of signaling. (pp 40-41).
Why might animals not be
selected to communicate truthfully? (Or, in other words, why were animals
selected to favor deceit in communication?) Note Brannigan and Humphries quote:
Signals have evolved toward greater persuasiveness rather than increasingly
accurate readouts of inner emotional states and intentions.
In whose interests are the signals provided by emotional expressions? What is the 'evolutionary arms race referred to on page 41?
Discuss game theory as an attempt to understand conditional strategies'if you
do X, then I do Y, etc.
8. What are the specific criticisms/rejections of the classical ethology.
What is the legacy of ethology that persists today? (pp 42-43), and the entire
chapter).
Chapter 3: Psychobiology of Emotion
1. Know the following bold-faced terms.
Amygdala
Synapse
Dendrites
Pituitary gland
Cortisol
Limbic system
Ethogram
Sympathetic division of the ANS
Parasympathetic division of the ANS
Vagal tone
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA system)
2. (Page 49) Contrast neurotransmitters (fast acting) and hormones (slow-acting) and their effects on generalized responses, organizing effects during sensitive periods, as well as activation effects.
3. (Page 53) What does it mean to say that the brain is modular in design? Notice that McLean proposes that the brain is a hierarchy of three major developments: reptilian, paleo-mammalian, and mammalian.
p.55: What is the reptilian ethogram? What problems is the reptilian brain designed to solve?
What part of the mammalian brain houses the reptilian brain?
p.56: What new functions are present in the paleomammalian brain? What part of the brain is the key paleomammalian structure?
p. 57: What is the key brain region underlying the neomammalian brain? Notice that the neomammalian brain is capable of emotions related to the ability to anticipate outcomes of future events that are unknown or uncontrollable. What emotions are they? These emotions are linked to conscious problem solving. This is the region of EXPLICIT, conscious problem solving, as opposed to the IMPLICIT, reflexive, unconscious problem solving of the reptilian and paleomammalian brains. This distinction will be critical to the section on LeDoux's research on fear discussed below.
4. (Page 58) Brain lateralization: How is the brain emotionally lateralized? Note that positive emotions are linked to behavioral approach while negative emotions are linked to behavioral withdrawal. Table 3.1 focuses on this concept.
5. Summarize the split-brain experiment of Gazzaniga (1988) (Page 59).
How does it link with Figure 3.8 on page 64?
What is contralateral disinhibition?
What is the Fox (1994) model? (Page
60). His theory is illustrated in Table 3.1 and is very important (partly
because it links to the personality lectures later in the course.
6. LeDoux's Amygdala Theory of Fear: p. 60-61 Describe the modular proposal and understand the contrast between domain-specific and domain-general systems. Notice that different emotions are mediated by different brain systems; evolution acted upon each of these basic survival systems somewhat independently: They are also separate adaptations designed to solve different specific problems.
7. p. 61: In the indented quote from LeDoux: "The learning takes place very quickly and lasts indefinitely." This is a hallmark of an evolved learning system--i.e., a learning system shaped by natural selection to learn certain particular things rather than a general purpose learning system. (Both types are important.)
Note Figure 3.6 on the many inputs to the amygdala.
8. p. 62 and Figure 3.7: What two routes are there to fear and why is this compatible with MacLean's model? What's the significance of the statement that the direct route "had plenty of time to atrophy"? What's going on in Figure 3.8?
9. What is Vagal Tone and how is it assessed? (Page 66) (Focus on the paragraph on the right-hand column under Fig. 3.9.)
10. Cortisol and the HPA system (Page 68). Using Figure 3.10, and the first
full paragraph on p. 68, what is the course of the HPA stress response?
Be
able to discuss the vignette on the bottom of p. 68, left-hand column.
Chapter 4: Psychological Prespectives
1. Know the following bold-faced terms:
Heuristic value
Parsimony
PSYCHODYNAMIC
2. Contrast Freud and Erikson (pp. 77-78).
p. 78: What is a developmental task theory?
(In class, I will describe an antithetical perspective, Discrete Systems Theory. On an exam, you should be able to contrast the two. Leave some space here for class notes on this.)
3. p. 78: Object Relations Theory: How they conceptualize the mother-infant relationship in the second paragraph.
Note also the quote from Horner (1989). This is a statement of the Internal Working Model that is so important in attachment theory.
COGNITIVE
4. Summarize Arnold's Theory (p 80)
5. Recount the Schacter and Singer experiment (p 81).
What is the critique by Lazarus?
What is the comment/critique by Tomkins?
6. In Oatley's social constructivist theory (p. 86), how are goals important?
What is the semantic, culturally constructed component of Oatley's theory?
7. What are Attributions (pp 86-87)
How are attributions a type of appraisal?
Give examples of how attributions can affect emotional responses.
How is attribution theory not a complete theory of emotion?
Organizational Approach
8. Notice the quotation from Charlesworth on p.
88--emotions as "regulators and determinants of both intrapersonal and
interpersonal behaviors." But the most thing is the three-stage model involving
prototypes, precursor emotions, and full-fledged emotions (pp. 88-89). Define
these and understand the role of dynamic tension in the model. T
Explain how individual differences are variations in normative processes (p. 89).
Table 4.4: What are the developmental tasks Sroufe thinks are important in the first year?
9. What is the Differential Emotion Theory (see end of first paragraph). Of the 5 assumptions, the most important are the first three (which sort of say the same thing).
According to DET, what general principle governs when emotions develop (p. 90).
p.90: What is LaFreniere's criticism of DET? Do you buy it?
p. 90: What is the role of cognitive factors in DET? (Note the reference to LeDoux.)
10. Notice the importance of goals in Campos and Barrett's New Functionalism (p 93).
What are some genetically prewired goals? What are some non-pre-wired goals?
In the indented quote from Campos et al., notice any difference from what Sroufe would say?
According to Campos et al., how does the elicitation of anger differ with age? (Notice the effect of children's increasing cognitivee sophistication.)
11. Integration and retention of compatible factors among the theories (p 96).
What is retained by LaFreniere? (Put some time in on this one. It's a good discussion.)
What does LaFreniere mean when he says that Campos & Barrett's
functionalism not tied to adaptation in a biological sense?
Chapter 5: The Emergence of Emotions in Infancy
1. Know the following bold-faced terms:
Endogenous smiles
Duchenne smiles
Recognitory assimilation
Orienting
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
2. What is social referencing? (p 105)
At what age are infants able to distinguish happy from fearful faces?
How is this important for social referencing?
3. What are the 9 criteria for a basic emotion?'be able to give at least 5 (p 109).
What are the 6 basic emotions?
4. How does Sroufe analyze positive emotions (pp 111-112)?
How does Srouge analyze anger? (p 117)
What does emergent mean? (prototype'precursor'mature)
5. Summarize the still face/depression research on sadness (pp 118-119)
6. Describe the views of Watson, Gray, and Bowlby on evolutionary fears.
What is a natural clue.
pp. 122–123: What is the developmental course of stranger anxiety? Be sure to distinguish the prototype, the precursor, and full-fledged fear. How does LaF argue that the full fear response is not due to failure to assimilate? Do you think that fear of strangers at this age is the result of bad experience with strangers? If not, what does this mean for how we should think about fear of strangers.
What are the roles of contextual factors?
What reason is there to suppose that stranger anxiety has a biological basis? (right hand column of p. 123).
p. 124: What did Hebb find? Do you think that the non-blindfolded chimps would have been as freaked out if they were shown, say, a partial chair of a type that had been in their pen? Does this suggest there is a biological story here?
p. 124: What did Sackett find on social fears?
p. 124: When does separation anxiety develop? Describe Figure 5.12 and its importance.
7. Why does Campos think that experience is important for development of fear of heights? (p 125)
8. Reproduce the discussion of closed versus open programs (pp 128-129).How is social referencing an example of an open program?
Describe Mineka’s experiment (p. 128). How does it compare with Sackett’s findings?
How are affect and cognition interrelated in the development of fear? (pp. 127–129) Note the role of observational learning mentioned on p. 127. What about classical or operant conditioning? What about general purpose cognitive appraisals? You should be able to discuss the data on stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, Hebb, Sackett, Mineka, Campos, and social referencing. This is a likely essay question.
Chapter 6: Individual differences in Emotional Development in Infancy
1. Know the following bold-faced terms:
Easy temperament
Difficult temperament
Slow-to-warm-up temperament
Monozygotic twins
Dizygotic twins
Concordance
Cybernetics
Goal-oriented partnership
Strange situation
Secure attachment
Resistant attachment
Avoidant attachment
Disorganized attachment
2. Attachment and Temperament:
How did psychoanalytic theory view attachment? (pp 143-144)
How did behaviorism view attachment? (p 144)
How did Bowlby think of it? (p 144)
What was Harlow's famous study? (p 144)
What is cybernetic about Bowlby's theory emotional attachment? (Include the notion of a set point.) (p 145)
Why can't frequency counts capture the attachment construct? (p 146)
What is a goal-corrected partnership? (p 147)
What is the goal of the infant according to Bowlby? (p 147)
What is the goal of the infant according to Sroufe and Waters? (p 147)
Ainsworth: Methodology and the Strange Situation, give an overview of each. (p 149)
Describe the scoring process. Notice that the scoring is context-sensitive and not a matter of counting frequencies. (p 149)
What are the attachment classifications? (pp 151-153)
According to Bowlby, what is the 'internal working model'? (p 153)
What are the IWMs for each attachment classification? (p 153)
Why two reasons does Sroufe give for rejecting temperament as being important for attachment classification? (pp 154-155) How do the findings of Gunnar support his argument?
Focusing on the van den Boom study, what evidence is there that temperament affects quality of care? (pp 154-155).
What is transactional about temperament and quality of care? (pp 154-155)
What does LaFreniere say about the affect of fearfulness and other qualities of temperament and their affect on attachment? (pp 154-155)
Chapter 8: Individual differences in Emotional Development in Infancy
1. Know the following bold-faced terms:
Behavioral inhibition
Adaptationist approach
Parental investment theory
Behavioral approach systems (BAS)
Behavioral inhibition systems (BIS)
Ecological validity
Analog situations
Gene-environment interactions
Passive effect
Active effect
Evocative effects
2. P 193
Review Kagan's work on behavioral inhibition.
What is his typological view of temperament?
How was it criticized in class?
3. P 194
What are the different methods employed to test the same system
at different ages?
Describe the FFM.
How is it similar to the personality model discussed in class?
What is the adaptationist perspective and what evidence is there for it?
What is the evolutionary theory of sex (parental investment theory)?
How does it predict sex-differences in the FFM?
Summarize the sex-differences in the FFM.
What are the ecological validity issues related to studies on sex-differences on aggression? (There are huge sex-differences in violent crime that are not picked up in artificial lab studies.
P 198
What is the evidence for the heritability of FFM traits?
Describe broad-sense h2.
Describe narrow-sense h2.
Describe non-additive genetic variation.
Describe additive genetic variation.
Describe shared environmental influences.
Describe unshared environmental influences.
(Notice that both additive and non-additive genetic variation are important, along with unshared environmental influences. Non-additive variation is fairly important for most personality systems but it does not seem to be important for IQ.)
How might shared environmental factors be important for agreeableness (love)?
While shared influences aren't very important generally, can we conclude that parents aren't important? Why or why not?
P 200
Review the attachment framework.
How is IWM important for future relationships?
What is Sroufe's perspective on attachment as a developmental task?
According to Bretherton, how do IWMs affect self-esteem?
(Notice: Through
primarily unconscious processes, IWMs are said to tend toward [fostering,
maintaining, establishing] stability because 1) family environments are stable;
2) people choose environments that are compatible with their IWM; and 3) people
then assimilate new information according to their present IWM.)
P 201
How is the play of fathers different from play of mothers?
How do sex-differences in personality theories previously discussed reflect/predict this?
According to Ainsworth children naturally want to conform to wishes and expectations of parents'do you buy this? Explain. (note p 206)
P 202
How is Sroufe's guided self-regulation theory (p. 201) exemplified
by the research described on p. 202 (Matias et al.)?
P 203
Discuss the data for the 'high-risk, inner-city' sample where 29%
of securely attached children had problems'much lower than the other attachment
categories.
How do secure attached with problems differ from secure attached without problems?
What are the theoretical questions raised when we see that the mothers of secure attached infants with problems behave so maladaptively.
P 204
Describe the profiles of resistant and avoidant children during
childhood.
P 206
What is the connection between parental warmth and positive
outcomes?
How is warmth a motivator?
P 207
What are the parenting patterns of aggressive children?
What about evocative g-e effects?
P 212
How did rhesus monkeys raised by peers behave?
How did rhesus monkeys raised in isolation behave?
Describe data showing the difficulty isolates have for encoding and decoding emotional signals.
P 213
How were isolates rehabilitated?
P 214
Describe the vignette from Sroufe et al: What is the role of
emotions in social competence?
How might personality systems we discussed play a role in this?
P 217
How is sociometric status assessed? (Focus on the individual
differences method of analysis of the picture sociometric method.)
P 218
How are positive affect and negative affect related to sociometric
status?
How is anger related to sociometric status?
How might personality systems we discussed in class affect sociometric status?
