Unravel the complex world of emotions and the diverse responses they elicit. Delve into the intricacies of human feelings, their classifications, and the myriad ways they manifest in our behavior. A journey into understanding the profound impact of emotions awaits.
What are emotions?
An emotion is a complex psychological state that involves three distinct components: a subjective experience, a physiological response, and a behavioral or expressive response.
- There are six basic emotions that are universal throughout human cultures: fear, disgust, anger, surprise, happiness, and sadness
- During the 1980s, Robert Plutchik introduced an emotion classification system known as the “Wheel of Emotions” which demonstrated how different emotions can be combined or mixed together
Emotions also cause strong physiological reactions
Many of the physical reactions you experience during an emotion, such as sweating palms, racing heartbeat, or rapid breathing are controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic nervous system.
- While early studies of the physiology of emotion tended to focus on these autonomic responses, more recent research has targeted the brain’s role in emotions.
Actual expression of emotion
We spend a significant amount of time interpreting the emotional expressions of the people around us
- Our ability to accurately understand these expressions is tied to what psychologists call emotional intelligence
- Cultural rules also play an important role in how we express and interpret emotions
- In Japan, people tend to mask displays of fear or disgust when the authority figure is present
