GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education
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This module examines how scientists understand and explain one of the most important mental phenomena, emotions. In addition to answering what emotion is, the humanistic and social impacts of these scientific understandings of emotion will be explored. Based on their specific trainings and methodologies, evolutionists, psychologists, neurologists, sociologists, and philosophers analyze emotions under different conceptual frameworks, and conduct experiments on it with distinctive procedures and apparatuses. The relative strengths and weaknesses of these scientific approaches are illustrated in details. The power of interdisciplinary research in modern science is also explored.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. examine the nature and specific methodologies of various scientific approaches
b. comprehend the nature of emotion from various scientific approaches, and be able to identify and criticize key issues in the study of emotion
c. explain and evaluate the relative strengths and weakness of different scientific approaches and their humanistic and social impacts
d. examine the beauty and significance of interdisciplinary study in modern science
1. What is a scientific approach?
1.1 Scientific explanation
1.2 Scientific methods
1.3 Science and pseudo science
2. An evolutionary approach
2.1 Methodology of evolutionists
2.2 Are there basic emotions?
2.3 Darwin’s theory of natural selection
2.4 Ekman’s study on universal facial expression
2.5 The humanistic and social impact of the approach
3. A psychological approach
3.1 Methodology of psychologists
3.2 Emotion and cognition
3.3 Schachter and Singer’s experiment
3.4 Zajonc/Lazarous debate
3.5 Klaus Scherer’s appraisal theory
3.6 The humanistic and social impact of the approach
4. A neurological approach
4.1 Methodology of neurologists
4.2 Emotion and rationality
4.3 LeDoux’s study on amygdala
4.4 Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis
4.5 The humanistic and social impact of the approach
5. A sociological approach
5.1 Methodology of sociologists
5.2 Social construction of emotions
5.3 Averill’s theory of transitory social roles
5.4 Lutz’s field study on fago in Ifaluks
5.5 The humanistic and social impact of the approach
6. A philosophical approach
6.1 Methodology of philosophers
6.2 Emotion, mood, and feeling
6.3 Existentialism
6.4 Functionalism
6.5 The humanistic and social impact of the approach
1. Short reflective questions assignment (20%)
2. Group discussion and oral presentation (30%)
3. Test (50%)
