Module 2 - Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychological state involving three distinct components: a subjective
experience, a physiological response, and a behavioral or expressive response. It's how we deal
with matters of personal signi cance.
6. What is Emotion? De nition & Nature
De nition: An emotion is a complex, short-term experience that results from a person's
assessment or appraisal of an external or internal event. It is a conscious experience that involves
intense mental activity and a high degree of pleasure or displeasure.
Nature of Emotion:
Subjective: Emotions are a personal experience. How you experience anger
may be di erent from how someone else does.
Adaptive: Emotions have evolved to help us survive. Fear makes us avoid danger,
and love helps us form social bonds.
Physiological Arousal: Emotions trigger bodily changes, like an increased heart
rate or sweating.
Expressive: Emotions are communicated through body language, facial
expressions, and tone of voice.
7. The Three Components of Emotion
Every emotion is a combination of these three elements:
1. The Cognitive Component (The Subjective Experience): This is your personal, conscious
experience of the emotion—the "feeling" part. It includes the thoughts, beliefs,and expectations
that determine the type and intensity of the emotion.
Example: You see a bear on a hiking trail. Your cognitive component involves the
thought,"A bear is dangerous, I am in trouble." This thought is crucial for feeling
fear.
2. The Physiological Component (The Bodily Response): This is how your body reacts to the
emotion. These are involuntary changes controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
Example: When you see the bear, your physiological component kicks in. Your
heart starts pounding, you breathe faster, your palms sweat, and your muscles
tense up. This is your body's " ght or ight" response, preparing you for action.
3. The Behavioral Component (The Expressive Response): This is the
outward expression of the emotion. It’s how you act on your feeling.
Example: Seeing the bear, your behavioral component is the look of terror on your
face, your eyes widening, and the action of slowly backing away or running.
In Simple Words: An event happens -> You think about it (Cognitive) -> Your body reacts
(Physiological) -> You show it (Behavioral).
8. Classi cations of Emotions
Primary vs. Secondary Emotions:
Primary Emotions: These are the most basic, innate, and universal emotions.
They are shared across cultures and are believed to be hardwired. The most
common list includes: joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise.
Secondary Emotions: These are more complex emotions that are combinations of primary
emotions or are learned through social and cultural contexts. They often have a cognitive layer.
Example: Guilt can be a mix of sadness and fear. Jealousy might be a blend of anger, fear, and
sadness.
Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions: Psychologist Robert Plutchik created a model that illustrates the
relationships between [Link] shows 8 primary emotions in pairs of opposites (Joy vs.
Sadness, Trust vs. Disgust, Fear vs. Anger, Surprise vs. Anticipation).Emotions next to each other
combine to form more complex ones (e.g., Joy + Trust= Love; Anticipation + Joy = Optimism).
The intensity of the emotion is shown by the color: the brighter the color, the more
intense the emotion.
Positive vs. Negative Emotions:
Positive Emotions: Associated with pleasant experiences (e.g., joy, love,
contentment, interest). They tend to broaden our focus and build our resources.
Negative Emotions: Associated with unpleasant experiences (e.g., anger, fear,
sadness, disgust). They tend to narrow our focus to deal with a perceived threat.
9. Expression of Emotions: Non-Verbal Communication
Facial Expressions: The face is the most expressive part of our body. Paul Ekman's
fi
fi
ff
fi
fi
fi
fl
research showed that the facial expressions for primary emotions (happiness, sadness,
anger, fear, disgust, surprise) are universal across all human cultures.
Body Language (Kinesics): This includes our posture, gestures, and movements.
Example: Slumped shoulders can indicate sadness, while a con dent posture can
show pride. Crossed arms might suggest defensiveness.
Non-Verbal Cues (Paralanguage): These are the vocal aspects of speech that are not words.
This includes your tone of voice, pitch, volume, and speech rate.
Example: Saying "I'm ne" in a high-pitched, fast voice sounds very di erent from saying it in a
low, slow tone. The paralanguage reveals the true emotion.
10. Theories of Emotion
This is the most complex part of the module. These theories explain the sequence of the three
components.
James-Lange Theory: "I am afraid because my heart is pounding.
Sequence: Event Physiological Arousal Interpretation of Arousal Emotion
Core Idea: Our emotional feeling is our awareness of our body's physiological
response to a stimulus. You don't tremble because you are afraid; you are afraid
because you notice yourself trembling.
Example: You see a bear. Your heart pounds and you start to run (Physiological
Arousal). Your brain interprets this physical reaction and concludes,I'm running and my heart is
racing, therefore I must be afraid.
Cannon-Bard Theory: "The bear makes me feel afraid and my heart pounds at the same time.
Sequence: Event Simultaneous Physiological Arousal & Emotion
Core Idea: The stimulus (the bear) sends a signal to the brain's thalamus, which
then sends simultaneous messages to the cortex (to create the conscious feeling of
fear) and the autonomic nervous system (to create the bodily response). One does
not cause the other.
Example: Seeing the bear causes the feeling of fear and the pounding heart to
happen at the exact same time.
Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory: "My heart is pounding, and there is a bear. Thismust be
fear.
Sequence: Event Physiological Arousal Cognitive Label Emotion
Core Idea: Emotion is a result of two factors: physiological arousal and a cognitive label we use
to explain that arousal. The arousal itself is generic (a pounding heart could mean fear,
excitement, or anger). We look to our environment to gure out
why we are aroused.
Example: You are walking down a dark alley. Your heart pounds (Arousal). You look around and
see a threatening gure (Cognitive Label: "This situation is
dangerous"). You label the arousal as "fear. " If your heart was pounding while you were on a rst
date, you would label the same arousal as "excitement.
Lazarus's Cognitive Appraisal Theory: "That bear is a threat, therefore I should be afraid.
Sequence: Event Cognitive Appraisal Emotion Physiological Arousal
Core Idea: Our appraisal or interpretation of an event is what causes the emotion.
The thought comes rst. We appraise a situation as either harmless or dangerous,
and this appraisal triggers the emotional and physiological response.
Example: You see a bear. You rst think,
"This is a life-threatening situation"
(Appraisal). This thought directly causes the feeling of fear and the bodily [Link] you
appraised the bear as being behind a strong cage at a zoo, you wouldn't feel fear.
Facial Feedback Hypothesis: "I feel happier because I am smiling.
Core Idea: The expressions on your face can in uence your emotional experience.
The act of smiling can make you feel happier, and frowning can make you feel
sadder. The brain receives feedback from the facial muscles, which helps it
interpret the emotion.
Learning Aids
Key Points & Summary
fi
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
ff
fi
Emotion has three parts: Cognitive (thought), Physiological (body), and Behavioral (action).Primary
emotions (joy, anger, fear) are universal. Secondary emotions (guilt, pride) are
more complex.
James-Lange: Body reaction causes the emotion.
Cannon-Bard: Body reaction and emotion happen together.
Schachter-Singer: Body reaction + Cognitive Label causes the emotion.
Lazarus: Thinking/Appraisal of the situation causes the emotion.
Facial expressions are not just the result of emotions; they can also in uence [Link]
for Review
Front Back
Cognitive Component The subjective thoughts, beliefs, and
interpretations that create the feeling of an emotion.
Physiological Component The body's involuntary reaction to a stimulus
(e.g., heart rate, breathing, sweating).
Behavioral Component The outward expression of the emotion (e.g.,smiling, running, crying).
James-Lange Theory Theory stating that physiological arousal precedes and causes the
emotional experience.
Cannon-Bard Theory Theory stating that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur
simultaneously.
Schachter-Singer Theory Theory stating that emotion is a result of physiological arousal plus a
cognitive label for that arousal.
Cognitive Appraisal Lazarus's theory; the idea that our interpretation of an event is the primary
cause of our emotion.
Facial Feedback The hypothesis that our facial expressions can in uence our emotional state.
Primary Emotions Innate, universal emotions like joy, sadness,fear, anger, disgust, and surprise.
fl
fl