Psychology assignments

Running Head: Celebrity Letter Homework #3/Emotions 1

Emotions / Celebrity Letter 5

Celebrity Letter Homework / Emotions

Brandi Olivero

Chattahoochee Technical College

PSYC1101-Introductory Psychology (20947)

Author Note

Brandi Olivero, PSYC 1101-Introductory Psychology, Chattahoochee Technical College of Georgia, Correspondence concerning this letter should be addressed to Brandi Olivero,

E-mail: [email protected]

Please note that I have not taken any English classes as of yet, and I have never written anything in “APA format” before this assignment.

Abstract

This letter is written to my psychology teacher, Jodii Gorski; to express how I feel the actions of our homework assignment offends me as a mother, and as a woman. The assignment is: For this assignment, you are going to write a letter to a celebrity. It can be a movie star, singer, athlete, etc.; anyone who is "famous."

Choose a movie, song, speech, action, photo, tweet, facebook post, etc. that you think sends a negative message about body image, eating disorders, sexual preference, sexual promiscuity, obesity, etc.

Write a letter to the singer/actor/whoever detailing why his/her actions were offensive/sends a negative message. Provide the famous person with statistics dealing with the issue. Explain why you felt it was offensive, and why others might too.

This letter should be two pages double spaced. Use APA format for citing your sources of the statistics/prevalence of the issue you found offensive, as well as where you found the original offensive material.

13 Fairway Drive

Kennesaw, Georgia 30144

November 4, 2013

Jodii Gorski

980 South Cobb Drive

Marietta, Georgia 30060

Dear Jodii Gorski,

I have chosen you to be my celebrity for this assignment. As you can see I am aware of what the assignment is, I have listed it in my abstract. I have done my research, and I am more than able to comply with the instructions. I have chosen you to be my celebrity, because I find the “actions” to this assignment to be offensive as a mother, and a woman. Since the core of the assignment is “emotions” I am hoping that my “actions” comply with the purpose of this assignment.

You may be asking yourself how I feel this assignment is offensive, and what motivated me to choose you. The answer is simple, emotion. I feel like as a society all we do is try to place blame upon someone else for our own actions, and or choices. What we need to do is take responsibility. Thus, as a woman of free will I find this assignment offensive even insulting, and equally so as a parent. A parent’s role is to guide their child to adulthood, and should teach them to take responsibility for their actions. This is simple cause and effect reasoning, one starts to learn at birth. However odd it may sound, my emotional reaction or “driven force behind my action” is based on the theory that I have control of what I do regardless of someone else’s actions. So I feel anger when asked to communicate with another being how their actions are offensive. Unless physical threatened or their actions put someone else in harm I don’t find how any celebrity may hold the power to do anything but entertain me.

I hope my letter complies with the assignment.

Thank you,

Brandi Olivero

Theories of Emotion

The major theories of motivation can be grouped into three main categories: physiological, neurological, and cognitive. Physiological theories suggest that responses within the body are responsible for emotions. Neurological theories propose that activity within the brain leads to emotional responses. Finally, cognitive theories argue that thoughts and other mental activity play an essential role in the formation of emotions.

The James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The James-Lange theory: suggests that emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events. According to this theory, you see an external stimulus that leads to a physiological reaction. Your emotional reaction is dependent upon how you interpret those physical reactions. For example, suppose you are walking in a dark alley and you see someone. You begin to tremble and your heart begins to race. The James-Lange theory proposes that you will interpret your physical reactions and conclude that you are frightened ("I am trembling, therefore I am afraid").

The Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

The two-factor theory of emotion, the Schachter-Singer Theory is an example of a cognitive theory of emotion. This theory suggests that the physiological arousal occurs first, and then the individual must identify the reason behind this arousal in order to experience and label it as an emotion.