Wanting To Be Normal, Reasonable, & Angry!

Most people have a tendency to over-estimate support for their own attitudes and opinions in the broader population – a phenomenon known as the ‘false consensus effect’. Why do we do this, presuming that others agree with us even when there is evidence to the contrary? In this talk, I’ll present behavioural and neuroimaging data that suggests we may be motivated to project. Projecting our own attitudes on to other may help us reaffirm to ourselves that our opinions are normal and reasonable. We’ll discuss brain regions involved in the experience of reward, and consider ways they may contribute

After briefly considering theories of what emotions are, this talk will consider the ways in which people can influence or regulate the emotions they feel. It will alsodiscuss recent research on the (sometimes hidden) factors that might lead people to want to feel negative emotions, such as anger. Finally, it will touch on new research examining how emotions can influence broader societal issues, such as intergroup conflict.