Unit 8: Emotions

Question 1

What are emotions?

Answer 1

• reactions to important life events
• generate feelings, activate the body for action
• generate motivational states and facial expressions

Question 2

Why are emotions considered multidimensional?

Answer 2

-> Subjective, Social, Biological, Intentional

Question 3

How are emotions social?

Answer 3

They are a social phenomena, send signals to communicate the intensity of our emotion via postural and vocal signs

Question 4

How come emotions are subjective?

Answer 4

• due to varying meaning and personal importance
• and intensity and quality that the emotion is experienced at

Question 5

Hoe are emotions biological?

Answer 5

• are biological reactions, mobilizers that prepare body to adapt
• prepare body for action and motor response

Question 6

Why are emotions intentional?

Answer 6

• guides actions to confront situations
• have a purpose

Question 7

In what way do emotions help us adapt?

Answer 7

short-term phenomena, related to feelings, stimulation, intention and expression, help us adapt to opportunities and challenges faced during life events

Question 8

What is the relationship between emotion and motivation?

Answer 8

• emotion acts as motivators by energizing and directing behavior
• continuous “indicator” system to signal how well we are adapting

Question 9

Why may an emotion be considered cognitive or biological?

Answer 9

Cognitive= first need to cognitively evaluate the meaning and importance, then react
Biological= emotions can appear before we are aware of the emotionality

Question 10

What is the two system perspective in what causes emotion?

Answer 10

1- innate, spontaneous, physiological system, reacts involuntarily to stimuli
2- cognitive system based on experience

Question 11

What is the Emotion Feedback Loop

Answer 11

to influence once can intervene at an point on the circuit, eg chance cognitive evaluation or the quality of the activation

Question 12

Based on what does it depend on how many emotion are out there?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

How many emotions are there exactly in the biological and cognitive perspective?

Answer 13

Biological= 2-10 basic emotions
Cognitive= more emotions acquired through experience
- five common emotions

Question 14

What are the five common emotions?

Answer 14

• fear, anger, sadness, disgust and joy

Question 15

What is the intermediate perspective?

Answer 15

• each basic emotion isnt a single emotion but a family of related emotions

Question 16

Describe what fear is

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is sadness?

Answer 17

Arises: experience of separation or failure e.g loved one, exam, valued place
- motivates behaviour to alleviate distress-provoking circumstances

Question 18

How is anger view as?

Answer 18

Arises: restriction, betrayal, rejection, or unwarranted criticism
- increases energy and feeling of control= fight injustice

Question 19

What is disgust?

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

What is Happiness?

Answer 20

Arise: success and interpersonal connection
- makes us optimistic, socially active= strengthening relationships

Question 21

When did the work on the utility or function of emotions start?

Answer 21

Charles Darwins The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals(1972)
- emotions help animals adapt to their environment

Question 22

How did emotions help animals adapt?

Answer 22

• by changing physical and social environment
• each emotion relates to behaviors that facilitate adaptation and fulfill fundamental life tasks

Question 23

Are there good and bad emotions?

Answer 23

No

Question 24

What are the social functions of emotions?

Answer 24

1. communicate feeling to others
2. influence the interaction of other people with us
3. invite and facilitate social interaction
4. create, maintain and dissolve relationship

Question 25

What are the three elements that differentiate emotions and moods?

Answer 25

Background- come from significant life situations/ unknown processes
Action specificity- behavior / cognition
Time course- brief / last longer