Emotions

Dr. Angel Selvaraj

Assistant Professor
Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences
Definition

• According to the
American Psychological
Association (APA),
emotion is defined as “a
complex reaction
pattern, involving
experiential, behavioral
and physiological
elements.”
Components of
Emotions

• Subjective Experiences
• Physiological Responses
• Behavioral Responses
 Types of Emotions

Basic - Basic emotions are associated with recognizable facial expressions and tend to
happen automatically. Basic emotions, on the other hand, are unmixed and innate

Complex - Complex emotions have differing appearances and may not be as easily
recognizable, such as grief, jealousy or regret. Complex emotions are defined as “any
emotion that is an aggregate of two or more others.” The APA uses the example of hate being
a fusion of fear, anger and disgust
 • Sadness
• Happiness
• Fear
Basic • Anger
Emotions • Surprise
• Disgust
Complex Emotions

• Other complex
emotions include love,
embarrassment, envy,
gratitude, guilt, pride,
and worry, among
many others.
Theories of Emotions

• Physiological theories suggest that

responses within the body are
responsible for emotions.
• Neurological theories propose that
activity within the brain leads to
emotional responses.
• Cognitive theories argue that thoughts
and other mental activities play an
essential role in forming emotions.
Theories of Emotions
• James-Lange Theory
• Developed by William James and Carl Lange in
the 19th century, the theory hypothesizes that
physiological stimuli (arousal) causes the
autonomic nervous system to react which in
turn causes individuals to experience emotion.
• The reactions of the nervous system could
include a fast heartbeat, tensed muscles,
sweating and more.
• According to this theory, the physiological
response comes before the emotional
behavior.
Cannon-Bard Theory

Developed by Walter Cannon and

This theory posits that bodily
Philip Bard in the 1920s, the
changes and emotions occur
Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion was
simultaneously instead of one right
developed to refute the James-Lange
after the other.
theory.

This theory is backed by

neurobiological science that says
that the once a stimulating event is If this holds true, arousal and
detected, the information is relayed emotion are a simultaneous event.
to both the amygdala and the brain
cortex at the same time.
Schachter-Singer Theory

• This theory, developed by Stanley Schachter

and Jerome E. Singer, introduces the element
of reasoning into the process of emotion.
• The theory hypothesizes that when we
experience an event that causes
physiological arousal, we try to find a reason
for the arousal. Then, we experience the
emotion.
• Also known as the two-factor theory of
emotion.
Cognitive Appraisal Theory

• Richard Lazarus pioneered this theory of emotion.

• According to the Cognitive Appraisal Theory, thinking must occur
before experiencing emotion.
• Thus, a person would first experience a stimulus, think, and then
simultaneously experience a physiological response and the
emotion.
Facial Feedback Theory

• The Facial-Feedback Theory of Emotion suggests that

facial expressions are crucial to experiencing emotion.
• This theory is connected to the work of Charles Darwin
and William James that hypothesized that facial
expressions impact emotion as opposed to their being a
response to an emotion.
• This theory holds that emotions are directly tied to
physical changes in the facial muscles.
• Thus, someone who forced himself to smile would be
happier than someone who wore a frown
Key Concepts

Theory Summary

James-Lange Emotions are the result of interpreting physical

reactions
Cannon-Bard Emotions and physical reactions occur
simultaneously
Schachter-Singer Emotions stem from cognitive evaluations of
physical reactions
Cognitive Appraisal Emotions stem from our cognitive appraisals
Facial Feedback Facial expressions influence emotional
experiences
Physiology of Emotions

• Neuroscientific research has shown not

only that emotions have their origins in
neural activity in the brain but that different
emotions display very different patterns of
neural activity.
• The core of emotional brain activity seems
to be the limbic forebrain: the thalamus,
the hypothalamus, the reticular formation,
and the amygdala, all of which are
subcortical (below the cerebral cortex).
 Emotion may also be activated
through a relay of information from
the thalamus to the neocortex (the Thus, there are two neural pathways
outer part of the cerebral cortex), and involved in the activation of
this circuit is the neural basis emotions: cortical and subcortical.
for cognitive appraisal and evaluation
of events.

The activation of emotion via the

thalamo-amygdala pathway explains
how infants and very young children
respond emotionally to pain and why
adults express strong preferences
and make emotional judgments
before they have any conscious
recognition of doing so.
The right hemisphere may be more adept than the left at discriminating
between emotional expressions.

Right hemisphere may be more involved in processing negative

emotions and the left hemisphere more involved in processing positive
emotions.

People who are anxious, angry, or depressed show increased activity in

the amygdala and the right prefrontal cortex.
amygdala

People in positive moods show increased activity in the left prefrontal

cortex, while the amygdala and the right prefrontal cortex remain quiet.
Role of Emotions in Motivation, Cognition and
Learning
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/
fpsyg.2017.01454/full
Emotional Intelligence
• Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to perceive,
understand, and manage one’s own emotions and relationships. It
involves being aware of emotions in oneself and others and using
this awareness to guide thinking and behavior. Emotionally
intelligent individuals can motivate themselves, read social cues,
and build strong relationships
References
• https://online.uwa.edu/news/emotional-
psychology/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psycho
logical,situations%20they%20find%20personally%20significant.
• https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-emotion-2795717
• https://www.britannica.com/science/emotion/The-physical-
expression-of-emotion
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsy
g.2017.01454/full
• https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-frameworks/