what are emotions?

1. EMOTIONS:
 Emotionmeans “to excite,stiruporagitate”.
 It isderivedfroma Latinword“Emovere”.
A responsethatincludesfeelingssuch ashappiness,fear,sadness,grief,sorrow etc.it is the mixtureof :
i. Psychologicalarousal.
ii. Expression of conscious.
iii. The consciousexperienceof the situation thatinfluencebehavior.
 In psychology,emotionisconsideredaresponse tostimuli thatinvolvescharacteristics
psychological changessuchas:
 Increase inpulse rate.
 Rise inbodytemperature.
 Greateror lessactivityof glands.
 Change inrate f breathing.
It tendsitself tomotivate the individual towardfurtheractivities.
OUTCOMES OF EMOTION EXPERIENCES
Emotionsare feelings,highlysubjective personal tendenciestorespondtoexternalandinternal
variables.
Componentsof emotionexperiences:
Emotionshave cognitive thinking,psychological arousal andbehavioralcomponents.
 Our cognitive thinkingandevolutionof eventsinourlivesare keydeterminantstoour
emotional responses.
 Emotionsare accompaniedbypsychological arousal of the automaticnervoussystemthatleads
to physical symptomssuchas:increase inrespirationandheartrate.
 The behavioral componentof emotions isexpressedinournonverbal bodylanguageincluding
facial expressions.
Mc Dougall divisionofemotions:
Mc Dougall dividesemotionsintothree parts;
1. Primary:
It Include simpleemotionssuchas:fear,happiness,anger,disgust,etc.
2. Secondary:
It Include mixture of variousinstinctssuchas:curiosity,escape etc

2. 3. Derived:
Learn throughexperiencessuchas:sadness,boredom.
Somebodily changesmay be manifestin differentemotionalexperiences.
ACCESSING EMOTIONS
To explainthe meaningof emotion,the importantthingsare;
o Acquaintance
o Association
o Derivingcluesfromownemotional experiences
Expressionsinemotions:
Vocal or verbal andfacial expressionsplayavital role indeterminingemotionsaswell asourinteraction
withthe physical world.
Facial expressions
Facial expressions clearlyreflectthe intensityof emotional experiencessuchas;happiness,sadness,
angeretc: all can be understoodfromemotional expressions. Howevertheyvaryfrompersontoperson.
Vocal expression
An adult’svoice patternclearlyreflectstheiremotions.Variationsinpitchorloudnessexpressdifferent
typesof emotions.
EMOTIONS AND COGNITIONS:
Understandingemotions:
Some psychologistsbelieve thatmemoryandcognitionsare entirelyseparate systemsthatfunctions
independently;
 Some arguesthat we emotionallyrespondtothe situation andthenunderstandit
cognitively.
 On the otherhand,otherbelievedthatwe firstcognitivelyunderstandthe situationand
thenrespondsit.
Both pointsof viewsare somehowsupportedbythe studiesandthe debate isstill unresolved.
Role of emotionin everydaylife:
Emotionsmake ourlife brightandenlightened,because withoutthe expressionof emotions,ourlife
wouldbe dull,uninteresting,andwithoutanypurpose.

3. Psychologistsidentified numberof functionsof emotionsthathavea vitalrole in our daily life. They are;
Stirred up for the fight or flightaction:
Afterseeingasnake or; the bodyispreparedto stirred upto face and deal the situation.
Modifyingthe future responsesandbehavior:
Learningtakesplace afteremotional state thatpreparesustomanifestappropriate behaviorsinfuture
i.e.strategiesshouldbe adoptedtominimize the aftermathtoface the snake.
Social interactionsare enhanced:
Emotionsare both verbal andnon-verbal sotheyhelppeopletobetterunderstandthe responses
whethertheyare beingexpressedornot.
COMMONEMOTIONS
Range of emotions:
There are numberof basicemotionsthathave beenidentifiedbypeople ininstance.Theyare;
 Happy
 Anger
 Fear
 Disgust
 Surprise
 Sadness
J.B.Watson:
He talkedaboutthree main emotions
 Anger
 Love
 Fear
He provedinhisexperimentsthatinfantsare capable of these three primaryemotions.
 Psychologistshave alsoidentifiedotheremotionsorrelatedexpressionssuchas;contempt,
shame,startle.
Robert Pultchik(1984):
RobertPultchik(1984) became able todetermine the basicemotionsandtheirrelationshipsthroughhis
studies.

4. He identifiedeightfundamental emotions.Theyare joy,anger,sadness,surprise,fear, acceptance,
disgustand anticipation. He namedit as a Plutchik’semotional wheel.
Plutchik’semotional wheel
 The emotionsnearertoone anotherare closelyrelated,whilethose thatare opposite toeach
otherare conceptuallyopposite.
 The existence of onlythese emotionsis the majorshortcomingof this model;believedthat
emotionscanbetterbe understoodbybreakingthemintocomponents/elements.
PSYCHOLOGICALCOMPONENTOF EMOTIONS
Many psychological changestake place inanemotional state,inthe formof changesin:
 Heart rate
 Pulse rate
 Respiration
 Bloodpressure
 Digestionandappetite

5.  Muscular activity
 Bodytemperature
 Perspiration
 Endocrine andneurotransmittersecretions
 Bloodsugar
 Salivaryglandactivity
 Pupil dilation
ROLE OF NERVOUSSYSTEM IN EMOTIONS:
All the emotional experiencesandtheir expressionsare controlledandregulatedbythe autonomicor
visceral nervoussystem.
Autonomic nervous system(A.N.S):
 Consideredasa“self-governingandself-regulatorymechanism”because of ourinvoluntary
control overit.
 Controlsthe glandsandmusclesof our internal organssuchas heart(heartbeat),stomach
(digestion),andglandularactivities.
 A.N.Shasa dual function;i.e.arousingandcalming.
Sympatheticnervous system Parasympathetic nervoussystem
Whenthe stressful situation appears, S.N.S starts
its activities.
 Thispart of A.N.Sarousesusfordefensive
action.
 If somethingalarmsorinflamessomeone,
S.N.Sstartsits activities.
Whenthe stressful situation disappears,P.N.S
starts its activities.
 Thispart of A.N.Scalmsus.
 It producesopposite effecttothatof
S.N.S.

6.  Its activitiesare;
1) acceleratesheartbeat
2) increasesbloodpressure
3) slowdigestion
4) raisesbloodsugar
5) dilatesthe arteries
6) cool the perspiration
7) makingone alertand readyto action
 Its activitiesare;
1) Decreasesheartbeat
2) Decreasesbloodpressure
3) Normalizesdigestion
4) Loweringbloodsugar
5) Compressesthe arteries
6) Reducesthe perspiration
7) Making one to come out fromaction
AREAS FOR EMOTIONS IN THE BRAIN:
 A.N.Sisthe onlycenterof emotionsinP.N.S.
 Cortical and Sub-cortical structuresare involvedinemotions.
 Cerebral cortex isinvolvedinrelatingthe presentandpastemotional experiences;other
involvedinspeedupthe heartbeatand inlearningemotional experiences.
 Whereassub-cortical regions are involvedinorganizingthe emotional expressions.