CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

LECTURE 8
 EMOTIONS

Emotions are a mix of:

• Physiological arousal
• Expressive behaviors
• Conscious experience

Most psychological phenomena (vision, sleep, memory,

sex, etc.) can be approached these three ways –
physiologically, behaviorally, and cognitively.
 EMOTION THEORIES

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory – to

experience emotion one must be physically
aroused and cognitively label the arousal.
An emotional experience requires a conscious
interpretation of arousal.
 EMOTION THEORIES

Zajonc, LeDoux & Lazarus – We have many

emotional reactions apart from, or even before,
our conscious interpretation of a situation.
Recall a time when you liked something or
someone immediately, without knowing why.
LOW ROAD VS. HIGH ROAD
EMOTIONAL AROUSAL
 EXPRESSING EMOTION

Nonverbal communication
• Handshake
• Body language
• Eye contact

First impressions occur with incredible speed.

 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Two forms of nonverbal communication:

1) The first is facial expressions, personal space, gestures, eye
contact, use of time, and conversational silence. (What is not
said is often as important as what is spoken.)
2) The second includes the cultural spaces that we occupy and
negotiate. Cultural spaces are the social and cultural contexts
in which our identity forms – where we grow up and where we
live (not necessarily the physical homes and neighborhoods,
but the cultural meanings created in these places).
 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Recognizing Nonverbal Behavior – symbolic, communicate

meaning, and are patterned – that is, they are governed by
contextually determined rules.
Learning Nonverbal Behavior – we learn nonverbal meanings
and behaviors by implicit socialization.
Coordinating Nonverbal and Verbal Behaviors – can reinforce,
substitute for, or contradict verbal behaviors.
 NONVERBAL CODES

Facial Expressions
Proxemics
• Contact cultures vs. Noncontact cultures
Gestures
Eye Contact
 SMILE

Genuine smiles cause others to perceive us as

trustworthy, authentic, and attractive.
 EMOTIONS & CULTURE

Six universal emotions are across cultures: Happiness,

Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Surprise.
Evolutionary: facial expressions helped us survive and
communicate when we couldn’t use words.
 FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

Expressions not only communicate emotion, they also

amplify and regulate it.
• Facial feedback effect – the tendency of facial muscle
states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear,
anger, or happiness.
• Behavior feedback effect – the tendency of behavior to
influence our own and others’ thoughts, feelings, and
actions.
• The power of mimicking another person’s expression –
contagious effect.
 EXPERIENCING EMOTION
ANGER

“… a short madness”
“… carries the mind away”

Anger – what makes us angry?

• Someone’s misdeeds
• Small hassles
• Blameless annoyances
 ANGER

Consequences of anger?
• Physical harm from others and/or health concerns (heart
disease)

Managing anger?
• Catharsis – ‘releasing’ aggressive energy to relieve
aggressive urges.

“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of

resentment are cherished in the mind.”
 FORGIVENESS

On October 2, 2006:
A shooting occurred at a one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish
community of Nickel Mines of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
• Gunman Charles Carl Roberts IV took hostages and shot ten girls (aged 6–
13), killing five, before committing suicide.
 HAPPINESS

How does one define Happiness?

Is the pursuit of Happiness a realistic goal?

How about finding a Purpose in life?

 EXPERIENCING EMOTION
HAPPINESS

Happiness colors our world. Happy people…

Perceive the world as safer.
Drawn towards emotionally positive information.
More confident, decisive, cooperate more easily, and more
socially connected.
They healthier and longer lives.

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon – people’s tendency to be

helpful when in a good mood.
Strengthens our social relationships.
 HAPPINESS

Wealth and wellbeing – does having more money make

us any happier?
How much is enough?
Diminishing returns

Focusing only on money causes people to be less

empathetic.
• People who strive for intimacy, personal growth, and
community experience a higher quality of life.
 HAPPINESS

Happiness is relative to our own experience –

adaptation-level phenomenon – a tendency to judge
various stimuli in comparison with our past experiences.
Always adjusting our levels to meet a ‘new normal’ of
pleasure to give us a happiness boost.
Therefore, more money will not guarantee a higher
wellbeing.
 HAPPINESS

Improving mood and increasing life satisfaction:

• Managing time
• Acting happy
• Seeking work and leisure with your passions
• Experiences vs. Consumption
• Exercising
• Sleeping
• Prioritizing close relationships
 STRESS

How do you deal with stress?

• Imposed stressors: assignments, deadlines, tragic
events
• Self-imposed stressors: adventures, challenges

Stress arouses and motivates us to conquer problems.

We can emerge with stronger self-esteem, a deepened
spirituality, and sense of purpose.
 STRESS

Stressors
1) Catastrophes: earthquakes, storms, floods, wildfires,
war, terror
2) Significant life changes: marriage/divorce, job,
someone dying, school
3) Daily hassles: things to do, annoying housemate,
commuting
 STRESS

How do women and men respond to stress?

• Women – give and receive support (nurture and band
together) – tend-and-befriend response.
• Men – withdraw socially, turn to alcohol, or become
emotionally insensitive.
 STRESS ON HEALTH

Psychoneuroimmunology – how psychological, neural,

and endocrine process together affect the immune system
and health.
Surgical wounds heal more slowly in stressed people.
Stressed people are more vulnerable to colds.
Stress can hastened the course of disease.

Stress alters our immune functioning – leaving

us less able to resist infection.
 COPING WITH STRESS

How to cope with stress in our lives.

1) Problem-focused coping – attempting to alleviate
stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we
interact with it.
2) Emotion-focused coping – attempting to alleviate
stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending
to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
 CONTROL

Perceived loss of control – feeling helpless in an

environment from uncontrollable events.
Learned helplessness – feelings of hopelessness and
passive resignation when unable to avoid repeated
aversive events.
Consequences:
• Vulnerability to ill health
• Economic status
• Longevity
 CONTROL

Are you in control of your life?

External factors – chance or outside forces control our
fate.
Internal factors – we control our own destiny.

Free will – the belief we are in control of our own life.

Self-control – the ability to control impulses and delay
short-term gratification for long-term rewards.
 REDUCING STRESS

Optimism vs. pessimism

Social support – intimate friendships and family –
“open heart therapy”
Aerobic exercise
Relaxation and meditation
Faith communities