This document discusses emotion, defining it as an affective experience that accompanies inner adjustment and physiological arousal, showing itself in overt behavior. It has three main components: subjective feelings, emotional expression/behavior, and physiological changes mediated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Major theories of emotion include James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and Schachter-Singer. Emotional adjustment involves maintaining equilibrium despite stressors through acceptance and adaptation. Intense, prolonged emotions can disturb the individual and potentially cause or exacerbate illnesses like peptic ulcers, heart disease, and asthma.

1. EMOTION
MR.ANISH.V.A .M.Sc (N),M.Sc (C&P)
PRINCIPAL & HOD IN PSYCHIATRIC
NURSING
MURLIDHAR COLLEGE OF NURSING,
RAJKOT

3. Introduction
• Latin word, “emovere” means ‘ a stir-up’ or
to “excite”
• subjective feelings, pleasant or unpleasant.
• Emotions are affective experiences
characterized by some physiological
changes that generally leads to some or
other types of behavioral acts.

4. Definition
• Emotion is an affective experience that
accompanies generalized inner adjustment
and mental and physiological stirred-up
states in the individual and that shows itself
in his overt behavior. ( Crow and Crow
1973)

6. Components of emotion
• 1. Subjective feeling:
• Subjective feelings are what you believe and what you are
feeling.
• Emotional feelings are experienced before expression.
• 2. Emotional expression and expressive behavior:
• Facial- emotions like guilt, joy, anger through facial
expressions.
• Vocal- A scream communicates fear, surprise or pain; a
trembling voice means sorrow; a loud, sharp, high-pitched
voice means anger, irritability or frustration.
• Bodily movements or gesture- In anger, a person clenches
his fists and moves forward to attack.

8. • 3. Physiological changes:
• It is due to the sympathetic division and the
parasympathetic division.
• The physiological changes produced by the
sympathetic nervous system are as follows:-
• Increased blood pressure and heart rate
• Changes in the rate of respiration
• Dilation of pupils
• Sweating and decreased secretion of saliva
• Increase in blood sugar level.
• Decreased mobility of the gastro-intestinal tract.
• Erect hair on the skin.
• Muscular tensions and tremors.

9. • The physiological changes produced by the
parasympathetic nervous system are as follows:-
• Reduces heart rate and BP.
• Diverts blood to the internal organs and digestive tract.
• It regulates the salt and water level of the body.
• It helps to build up and conserve the body’s energy.
4. Conscious experience:-
• Emotional experience is generally a conscious feeling.

12. THEORIES OF EMOTION
1. James – Lange theory
• Perception of an environmental situation that might result
in emotion.
Reaction of the situation with specific patterns of bodily
activity
Feedback to brain from bodily responses produces an
experience of emotion.
• Example: you are late leaving work and as you head
across the parking lot to your car, you hear footsteps
behind you in the dark. Your heart pounds and your hands
start to shake. You interpret these physical responses as
fear.

13. • 2. Cannon Bard theory
Perception of an emotion producing stimuli
Stimulus produced by thalamus, which simultaneously
send messages to the cortex and other parts of the body
Messages to cortex produce experience of emotion and
messages from thalamus activate visceral and skeletal
responses.
• Example: you are home alone and hear creaking in the
hallway outside your room. You begin to tremble and sweat
and you feel afraid.

14. 3. Schachter- Singer theory
• This theory is called cognitive theory of emotion
• Cognitive factors (memory of past experiences and
appraisal of current situation give rise to additional
information inputs)
• And
• Physiological factors (inputs to brain from internal organs
and skeletal muscles)
• And
• Stimulus factors (input to brain from external stimuli
received on the sensory systems
• Integration of these 3 factors causes Conscious experience
of emotion

15. Emotional adjustment
• emotional equilibrium, emotional stability ,
neuroticism, personal adjustment of
psychological adjustment.
• It is the maintenance of emotional
equilibrium in the face of internal and
external stressors.
• It is facilitated by acceptance and
adaptation.

18. Emotional in health and illness
• By controlling emotions we can eliminate our half of
illnesses.
• Joy is the best medicine
• Intense and unpleasant emotions disturb the whole
individual, cause illness, or worsen the present illness.
• Ordinary physiological changes during emotions facilitate
the adjustment of the individual and do not harm the
individual.
• Chronic physiological changes during emotions can cause
serious troubles to the individual or physical disorders like

19. • Peptic ulcer
• Heart diseases
• Epilepsy
• Worsening of Diabetes and tuberculosis
• Bronchial asthma
• Increased BP
• Insomnia
• Chronic constipation
• Skin disorders like pruritus, psoriasis
• Other infections