An emotion involves a subjective experience, physiological response, and expressive response. Emotions elicit physiological changes like increased heart rate and sweating through the sympathetic nervous system. Behavioral responses to emotions include facial expressions and body language, which are important for emotional intelligence and communication. Theories of emotion examine the relationship between physiological, cognitive, and emotional components and whether emotions cause thoughts or physiological responses, or vice versa. Emotions provoke changes in the body like increased respiration and blood flow that prepare the body for action.
2. DEFINITION:
An emotion is a complex psychological
state that involves three distinct
components: a subjective experience, a
physiological response, and a behavioural
or expressive response.
A strong feeling deriving from one's
circumstances, mood, or relationships with
others.
4. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE:
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. The autonomic nervous
system controls involuntary body responses such
as blood flow and digestion.
5. THE BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE:
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 and these expressions play a
major part in our overall body language. Cultural
rules also play an important role in how we express
and interpret emotions.
6. THEORIES OF EMOTION:
Most theories of emotion are based on
physiology, thought, and the actual emotion. The
basic questions are:
In what order do these occur?
Do we think a certain way because of the
emotions we feel, or do we feel emotions because
of how we think?
In terms of physiology, do we feel emotions
because of the perception of our body reactions or
do we have a physical reaction because of the
emotions we are feeling?
8. CHANGES DURING EMOTIONS:
Following overt and covert changes occur in the body at the
time of emotion:
Face becomes red with excitement or anger;
Eyes are protruded;
The pupils of the eyes are dilated.
Respiration becomes more rapid;
The electrical resistance of the skin decreases;
The blood clots more quickly at the time of injury;
Blood sugar level increases to make the organism energetic;
Gastrointestinal activities decrease or even stop totally;
Blood is canalized from stomach and intestine to the motor
organs and brain;
The hairs stand on their roots.
9. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES:
Strong emotions are associated with physiological
arousal, are most specifically with three kinds of
changes:
1. Changes in peripheral nervous system
2. Glandular changes/Role of adrenal gland
3. Role of brain/Central nervous system
10. EMOTION AS VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION:
People express feelings and emotions in various ways
including:
facial expression
eyes
postures
gestures
tone of voice
body language
body movement
position of body