social functions of emotions and emotion development

Question 1

Describe the two types of social goals that emotions serve. Given an example of how emotions can be used for each goal:

Answer 1

• Affiliation Function-forming and maintaining positive, cooperative, and harmonious relations with other individuals or social groups
• Distancing Functions- establishing or maintaining a social distance the self or group from others and even to compete with these others for social status and power
• The affiliation function, is typically emotions like happiness and other positive emotions, such as gratitude, love, or admiration, but is also characteristic of certain negative emotions, such as guilt, shame, or sadness.
• Emotions allow us to form and maintain long-term and meaningful relationships by providing closeness and comfort and avoiding isolation.
• Research shows that expression of positive emotions promotes the development of stable/close relationships
• The social distancing function is typical of contempt, anger, disgust, social fear, or schadenfreude (being pleased about or amused by another’s misfortune).
• Social distancing emotions imply that the target of the emotions is responsible for the negative outcome. Anger, contempt, and disappointment are all some of these