Emotions Flashcards
Primary/SCADFISH Emotions
Sadness
Contempt
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Interest
Suprise
Happiness
These are considered “primary emotions”. All other emotions exist as a combination of these emotions (anger is an exception: it is a combination of other emotions, often including fear)
These are innate universal emotions that present the same way on all human faces across cultures
Secondary Emotions
Refers to any feeling that results as a combination of SCADFISH emotions.
Unlike Primary SCADFISH emotions, these are non-universal and highly dependent on cultural influence
Understanding secondary emotions takes a greater degree of self-reflection and “emotional granularity”
Most people feel secondary emotions, but cannot describe or recognize them in others
Emotional Granularity
The ability to recognize and describe emotions beyond just the primary SCADFISH emotions
Importance of understanding emotion with granularity
It helps us better understand our emotions and the emotions of others
Most people have no granularity in their understanding of emotions. They can only describe and identify their emotions and the emotions of others in terms of primary emotions (with no understanding of more complex secondary emotions)
Paradox of anger as both a SCADFISH emotion and a secondary emotion
Anger, like all the other SCADFISH emotions is an innate universal emotion that presents the same way on all human faces across cultures.
However, it is still a secondary emotion: it is a result of combing the other SCADFISH emotions (especially fear)
Masking
The act of trying to hide a particular emotion. It’s a method of “perception management in NVC”
Definition: Masking involves hiding or concealing a true emotion by expressing a different, often socially acceptable emotion instead. In masking, the person does not show their actual emotional state but instead displays an emotion that is more appropriate or strategic for the situation.
Example: If someone is feeling angry during a meeting but needs to maintain professionalism, they may smile or appear neutral to hide their anger. Here, the true emotion (anger) is completely hidden, and a different emotion (neutrality or pleasantness) is displayed.
Purpose: Masking is often used in situations where expressing the true emotion might lead to negative consequences, conflict, or social discomfort. It is a deliberate act of emotional suppression to protect oneself or manage a social interaction.
Intensification
Definition: Intensification refers to the process of enhancing the expression of an emotion, making it appear more intense than what the person is truly feeling. The individual does not hide the emotion but deliberately makes it more visible or dramatic.
Example: Someone receiving a gift that they are only moderately pleased with may act extremely happy to show appreciation, even though their actual level of happiness is less intense. In this case, they are amplifying their expression of happiness to meet social expectations or avoid offending the giver.
Purpose: Intensification is often used to conform to social norms, where certain emotions are expected to be expressed more strongly in particular situations. It can also be used to manipulate or influence how others perceive the situation or to emphasize the emotional significance of an event.
Deintensification
Definition: Deintensification involves reducing the intensity of an emotion’s outward expression, without entirely concealing the emotion. The individual still shows the underlying emotion, but in a toned-down or muted form.
Example: A person who is extremely excited about good news but is in a formal setting might tone down their expression, smiling slightly instead of jumping with joy. The emotion (happiness) is still visible, but its intensity is reduced to match the situation.
Purpose: Deintensification is often used to align emotional expression with social or cultural norms that dictate how much emotion is appropriate in a given situation. It helps prevent the overexpression of emotions that could be seen as excessive or inappropriate.
Eight styles of emotion expression
1) Withholder
2) Revealer
3) Unwitting Expressor
4) Blanked Expressor
5) Substitute Expressor
6) Frozen Affect Expressor
7) Ever-ready Expressor
8) Flooded-affect Expressor
*These are highly dependent on both the person AND the situation
Emotion Withholders
Definition: The withholder style is characterized by the suppression of emotional expression. Withholders consciously or unconsciously mask their emotions, and their facial expressions may not reflect what they are feeling internally.
Characteristics:
Little to no visible emotion, even in situations that typically evoke strong feelings.
Difficulty reading the person’s emotional state from their face.
Example: A person who remains stoic and expressionless during an exciting or stressful event, giving no visible cues to their actual emotional experience.
Unwitting Expressors
Definition: The unwitting expressor is unaware that they are displaying emotions they believe they are concealing. While they may try to suppress their emotions, certain nonverbal cues “leak out,” revealing their true feelings to others.
Characteristics:
Subtle, unintentional expressions of emotion, often through microexpressions or body language.
The person may think they are masking their emotions, but others can pick up on their true feelings.
Example: A person trying to hide their anger but showing fleeting expressions of irritation, such as tightening their lips or furrowing their brow.
Emotion Revealers
Definition: The revealer displays emotions openly and freely. Their facial expressions consistently reflect their emotional state, and they typically don’t attempt to hide or control their emotional displays.
Characteristics:
Emotions are expressed vividly and clearly, making it easy for others to read their feelings.
There is little filtering or suppression of emotions.
Example: A person who smiles widely when happy or cries openly when sad, without attempting to mask their emotions.
Blanked Expressor
Definition: The blanked expressor believes they are expressing a particular emotion, but their facial expression appears neutral or blank to others. They may think they are showing emotion, but the expression is not conveyed externally.
Characteristics:
A mismatch between internal emotional experience and external expression.
The face remains neutral, even when the person believes they are showing emotion.
Example: A person who feels joy and believes they are smiling but whose facial expression remains flat or neutral, causing confusion or lack of emotional feedback from others.
Substitute Expressor
Definition: The substitute expressor unintentionally shows an emotion different from the one they are actually feeling. This means their facial expression conveys an incorrect emotional message, leading to misunderstandings.
Characteristics:
A clear mismatch between the emotion the person feels and the emotion they display.
The outward expression does not align with their internal state.
Example: A person who feels anxious but unintentionally displays a smile, leading others to believe they are happy or relaxed.
Frozen Affect Expressor
Definition: The frozen affect expressor displays a permanent emotional expression that doesn’t change, regardless of the situation. Their face is “frozen” in one emotional expression, which becomes habitual or constant.
Characteristics:
The person continuously displays a particular emotional expression (e.g., a permanent smile or frown) even when they are not feeling the associated emotion.
This constant expression can create confusion or misinterpretation.
Example: A person who always appears to be smiling, even in inappropriate contexts such as serious conversations, creating a discrepancy between their facial expression and the emotional tone of the situation.
