Stimulus Evaluation Checks

1. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Scherer (1986) and other appraisal theorists of emotion (e.g., Roseman et al., 1996; Smith & Ellsworth, 1985) assume that people check perceived information according to different criteria. These checks are built in in our system, but normally remain unconscious. Scherer called these checking mechanisms “stimulus evaluation checks”. They are executed in a fixed order. He distinguished five different stimulus evaluation checks: Contributor © POSbase 2004

2. Stimulus Evaluation Checks • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need Significance Check • Coping potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

3. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Novelty Check: People check if external or internal stimulation has changed and if a new event has happened or hasto be expected. • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need Significance Check • Coping Potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

4. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Intrinsic Pleasantness Check This is a check whether the stimulus is affectively positive or negative. An affectively positive stimuluselicits approach tendencies, whereas an affectively negative stimulus elicits avoidance tendencies. Based on inborn feature detectors or learnedassociations. • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need Significance Check • Coping Potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

5. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Goal/need Significance Check Consists of four different subchecks: The Relevance Subcheck tests whether a stimulus is relevant for a goal or need. The Expectation Subcheck tests if an outcome fits expectations for this stage of an action sequence. The Conduciveness Subcheck checks whether a stimulus is conducive or hindering to goal achievement. The Urgency Subcheck measures to which degree a behavioral response is urgent. • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need Significance Check • Coping Potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

6. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Coping Potential Check Consists of five different subchecks: The Causality Subcheck checks the cause of existence of a stimulus. The Control Subcheck gauges the coping potential that is available to an organism, specifically the available control of an event and its consequences. The Power Subcheck measures the energy an organism can mobilize in order to change or to avoid negative consequences through fight or flight. The Adjusting Subcheck gauges to which degree an organism can accept a new outcome by adaptation. • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need Significance Check • Coping Potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

7. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Norm/self compatibility check Consists of two different subchecks: The External Standards Subcheck judges whether an event, especially an action, is in agreement with social norms, cultural conventions, or expectations of other people. The Internal Standards Subcheck judges whether an event, especially an action, is in agreement with internalized norms,or with standards that are part of one’s self concept or ideal self. • Novelty Check • Intrinsic Pleasantness Check • Goal/need significance Check • Coping Potential Check • Norm/self Compatibility Check © POSbase 2004

8. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Human language has emotion words for states that may result from such stimulus evaluation checks. Some emotions may be determined by a single stimulus evaluation checks Surprise can be seen as a positive result of the Novelty Check; joy is a positive result of the intrinsic Pleasantness Check. © POSbase 2004

9. Stimulus Evaluation Checks Anger can be seen as the result of an event that is relevant for our goals (Relevance Subcheck) and that prevents us from achieving a goal (Conduciveness Subcheck); the subsequent Coping Potential Check shows that there are enough resources to remove or to ignore the obstacle. © POSbase 2004

10. Stimulus Evaluation Checks The quality of most emotions, however, is the result of differentiated and characteristic features of several stimulus evaluation checks: Fear is the result of the same checks of the Relevance and Conduciveness Subchecks, but the subsequent Coping Potential Check shows that there are not enough resources to remove or to ignore the obstacle. © POSbase 2004