Unit 8: Emotions Flashcards
What are emotions?
- reactions to important life events
- generate feelings, activate the body for action
- generate motivational states and facial expressions
Why are emotions considered multidimensional?
-> Subjective, Social, Biological, Intentional
How are emotions social?
They are a social phenomena, send signals to communicate the intensity of our emotion via postural and vocal signs
How come emotions are subjective?
- due to varying meaning and personal importance
- and intensity and quality that the emotion is experienced at
Hoe are emotions biological?
- are biological reactions, mobilizers that prepare body to adapt
- prepare body for action and motor response
Why are emotions intentional?
- guides actions to confront situations
- have a purpose
In what way do emotions help us adapt?
short-term phenomena, related to feelings, stimulation, intention and expression, help us adapt to opportunities and challenges faced during life events
What is the relationship between emotion and motivation?
- emotion acts as motivators by energizing and directing behavior
- continuous “indicator” system to signal how well we are adapting
Why may an emotion be considered cognitive or biological?
Cognitive= first need to cognitively evaluate the meaning and importance, then react
Biological= emotions can appear before we are aware of the emotionality
What is the two system perspective in what causes emotion?
1- innate, spontaneous, physiological system, reacts involuntarily to stimuli
2- cognitive system based on experience
What is the Emotion Feedback Loop
to influence once can intervene at an point on the circuit, eg chance cognitive evaluation or the quality of the activation
Based on what does it depend on how many emotion are out there?
Biological or Cognitive
B- Primary emotions and downplay secondary emotions
C- recognizes importance of primary but highlights that secondary emotions come from individual, social and cultural experiences
How many emotions are there exactly in the biological and cognitive perspective?
Biological= 2-10 basic emotions
Cognitive= more emotions acquired through experience
- five common emotions
What are the five common emotions?
- fear, anger, sadness, disgust and joy
What is the intermediate perspective?
- each basic emotion isnt a single emotion but a family of related emotions
Describe what fear is
Arises: perception of threat to well-being(physical/psychological/anticipation)
Key Factors: feeling of vulnerability and perception of lack of ability
- feeling overwhelmed by threatening situation
What is sadness?
Arises: experience of separation or failure e.g loved one, exam, valued place
- motivates behaviour to alleviate distress-provoking circumstances
How is anger view as?
Arises: restriction, betrayal, rejection, or unwarranted criticism
- increases energy and feeling of control= fight injustice
What is disgust?
Arises: contaminated, deteriorated or rotten objects
- function is rejection and discards an aspect of the environment
Eg babies- bitter, sour taste
childhood- offensive objects
adulthood- contaminated objects(hygiene)
What is Happiness?
Arise: success and interpersonal connection
- makes us optimistic, socially active= strengthening relationships
When did the work on the utility or function of emotions start?
Charles Darwins The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals(1972)
- emotions help animals adapt to their environment
How did emotions help animals adapt?
- by changing physical and social environment
- each emotion relates to behaviors that facilitate adaptation and fulfill fundamental life tasks
Are there good and bad emotions?
No
What are the social functions of emotions?
- communicate feeling to others
- influence the interaction of other people with us
- invite and facilitate social interaction
- create, maintain and dissolve relationship
