Reactions-It is instinctual to act /say/write/behave stemming from the subconscious mind without filtering process running on auto-pilot without thinking first and considering its implications Reactions are like a puppy who hasn’t been trained. That untrained puppy is going to bark at every dog it sees, jump at every passing neighbor, and then he’ll eat your dinner … as soon as he sees it. Responses –Are more thoughtful, first explore in mind the possible outcomes, weighing the pros and cons and considering what would be best in the situation. Responses are more like the well-trained and well-behaved dog who comes when you call him, barks only when there’s a reason to bark, and waits patiently for his treat.

1. by
Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
MTech(IITD),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -9007224278, e-mail –muktesh_prasad@yahoo.co.in
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board-A Career in Armed Foces As An
Officer” and SSB guidance and training at
Shivnandani Edu and Defence Academy
Reaction Versus Response -1
Ref- Atlas of Emotions by Paul Ekman and DalaiLama
“When I look back on my knee-jerk
reactions now, I realize I should have
just taken a breath.” —Fred Durst

2. Model for Psychological Reaction

5. STEP- 1
Pre-condition
 This describes the context or situations which may influence the way we
enter the emotion.
 For example our pre-condition could be
 Subjective Experience and training to react or to response-
 Reactions-It is instinctual to act /say/write/behave stemming from
the subconscious mind without filtering process running on auto-
pilot without thinking first and considering its implications
 Reactions are like a puppy who hasn’t been trained.
 That untrained puppy is going to bark at every dog it sees, jump at
every passing neighbor, and then he’ll eat your dinner … as soon as
he sees it.
 Responses –Are more thoughtful, first explore in mind the possible
outcomes, weighing the pros and cons and considering what would be
best in the situation.
 Responses are more like the well-trained and well-behaved dog
who comes when you call him, barks only when there’s a reason to
bark, and waits patiently for his treat.
 Physiological:- being hungry, tired or

6. STEP -2
 Event
 This describes a person, place, situation, image, thought, memory,
smell, sound, taste or idea that we encounter from the outside world or
from our own mind.
 We are constantly, automatically appraising, or assessing our inner and
outer world.
 For example, when we hear a new song, we are instantly overlaying our
knowledge of instruments and categories of music as we listen without even
thinking, this is automatic appraisal.
 Trigger
 This describes the combination of the automatic appraisal matching to
some universal/hardwired or acquired script in our database.
 Perception database
 This describes our universal/hardwired responses and our individually
acquired emotional memories.
 For example, if the event is a smell and in the database is the stored memory
of the Pua/Kachauri our mother used to cook during our childhood, and
we are triggered to experience an emotion of warm nostalgia of a happy
childhood and aspire to eat the same .
 When the appraised event resembles something in our database, it may
be a highly accurate or could create a distorted perception of the
trigger.
 For example if we had an intimidating experience with a police officer

7. STEP 3
 Physical changes
 This describes the autonomic changes in our body which occur
as our emotion arises.
 We can experience these changes as sensations in our
body, feeling heat in our face, tightness in our jaw or
shoulders, etc.
 State
 This describes the emotion itself, inclusive of physical and
psychological changes.
 Psychological changes
 This describes the qualitative experience of the emotion,
how sadness feels sad, or anger feels angry.

8. STEP 4
 Action
 This describes our emotional responses. This Could be an
 External behavior such as yelling in anger, or
 Internal, such as suppressing anger.
 Each emotion in the atlas shows a range of immediate
actions, as well as intrinsic or intention actions.
 The action can be either
 Constructive or
 Destructive.
 Leading to further collaboration with others or to difficulty in
collaborating.

9. STEP 5
 Post-condition
 This describes the result or impact of our emotional
actions.
 This could be
 External:
 If we have yelled at someone they may then yell back; or
 Internal:
 If we have suppressed we could be feeling some ongoing
irritation.
 The post condition could lead to our next episode of
emotion,
 If someone is yelling back at us we are triggered once
again to either anger, fear or sadness/ regret for our actions.
 Our post condition is an opportunity for us to build
emotional awareness
 Through reflection on our emotion,
 To understand the trigger,
 Identify the felt experience and
 Consider its impact it has had.

10.  Selective filter period
 The Selective Filtering Period is initiated
with the onset of actions and signals —
Perception is narrowed and distorted,
Filtering and interpreting information relevant to
and consistent with the prevailing emotion.
 For example, when fear is aroused, there is a
heightened sensitivity to real and imagined
threats.
 Learned display rules (to regulate signals) and
learned feeling rules (to modify, amplify or
suppress subjective feelings) arise.
We don’t know how quickly these occur.
Do they occur before signals and actions, or
immediately during the onset of signals and
actions?