Understanding Emotions PDF

Chapter 2 Understanding Emotions Prof. Bernardo Fernandez II EMOTIONS  Learning objectives! The definitions of emotions and mood. The science behind positive affectivity and neuroscience. The power of the ‘positivity ratio’. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. T...

Chapter 2 Understanding Emotions Prof. Bernardo Fernandez II EMOTIONS  Learning objectives! The definitions of emotions and mood. The science behind positive affectivity and neuroscience. The power of the ‘positivity ratio’. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. The influence of genetics and personality on emotions. Two main theories within emotional intelligence KUMUSTA KA TODAY? When was last time you felt ‘really happy’? Stop for a minute and reflect upon the last time you felt ‘really happy’. Have you done this? What did you think of? How do you now feel?  EMOTION An emotion can be defined as a ‘psychological state defined by subjective feelings but also characteristic patterns of physiological arousal thought and behaviours’ (Peterson, 2006: 73). Emotions tend to focus on a specific event or circumstance during the past, present or future. However, emotions are likely to be short lived and we are aware of them at the time of occurrence.  MOOD Moods, on the other hand, are different from emotions as they are ‘free floating or objectless, more long-lasting and occupy the background consciousness’ (Fredrickson and Losada, 2005: 121). Thus moods, unlike emotions, tend to be unfocused and enduring. Paul Ekman (2003), a leading researcher on the study of human emotions and expression, posits that there are six basic human emotions found throughout the world, across gender, age and culture. These include: anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise. Carroll Izard theorized that each emotion was an intra-individual process or a conscious feeling state marked by its neurobiological activity and expression pattern like distinct facial expressions. Izard's theory of emotion is also called differential emotions theory. His theory postulates ten primary emotions: interest, joy, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, fear, shame and guilt. Broaden and Build Theory by Barbara Fredickson A theory associated with the field of positive psychology that explores the function of positive emotions in building resiliency. This theory is based on the notion that positive emotions can have the effect of broadening awareness and response to events as well as building resiliency and coping skills. The basis for Fredrickson’s (1998) broaden-and-build theory states that individuals who engage in more positive thinking and behaviors are better able to adapt to their environments, elicit more fulfilling lives, engage in greater personal resource development, and that this engagement can enhance factors that would promote health longevity.  Fredrickson’s positive emotions lab has repeatedly tested the broadening effects of positive emotions. The Broadening They propose that when we experience one of the main positive emotions, our minds tend to open up – or broaden – and we are able to think ‘outside the box’. Effect This is important because when we broaden our thinking patterns we tend to get a bird’s-eye view of our situation, which can help generate alternative solutions to the tasks at hand. We also become more creative, with positive emotions being found to enhance verbal creativity tasks The Building Effect Positive emotions do not only open our mind to alternative strategies – research has shown that the experience of positive emotions coupled with the broadening effect has the ability to build personal resources, which we are able to dip into when needed. These include intellectual resources (problem solving, being open to learning), physical resources (cardiovascular health, coordination), social resources (we can maintain relationships and create new ones) and psychological resources (resilience, optimism, sense of identity and goal orientation). As these develop, they induce more positive emotions that continue building the resources in an upward spiral Love is the most experienced human emotion.  Mind–body dualism Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato discussed the human self in terms of three separate entities: the mind, body and the soul. It wasn’t until René Descartes came along in the seventeenth century, with his famous quote ‘I think therefore I am’ that society began a longstanding debate between the existence of the immaterial mind (consciousness, self-awareness) and material body (brain-intelligence) (eventually know as Cartesian dualism). According to scientists, the separation debate is considered outdated, with research showing that it is a complex interaction between both – the body and the mind affecting each other. Within the brain, researchers have identified that the primary somatosensory cortex is responsible for the transference of sensory information from the body to the brain (Ratey, 2001). Brain The brain Within our magical, wonderful brain there are several systems that are linked to the experience of happiness. The brain can be separated into three categorises including: Reptilian: the oldest part of the brain structure, which we share with our ancestors. It controls basic functioning such as temperature regulation, sleeping and waking. Paleomammalian: this section includes the limbic system and also controls movement for survival, as well as some elements of emotions. Neomammalian: also known as the cortex, this is the latest evolutionary component in the brain, which enables abstract thinking, planning, and control of lower functioning skills (Ratey, 2001). Specific parts of the brain responsible for the regulation of happiness include: The reward system: this is responsible for inducing feelings of pleasure. The pleasure system: this recognizes what the person is doing, seeing or listening to is good. Dopamine: this is the key neurotransmitter involved in the pleasure centre. Limited levels of dopamine can subdue levels of motivation whereas high levels of dopamine can lead to mania (Ackerman, 2009). Ventral tegmental area (VTA): in collaboration with the substantia nigra, the VTA is the key area of the dopamine system. Nucleus accumbens: this component of the brain is a very important player in the reward system of the brain. Part of the limbic system, it is thought to be ‘the pleasure centre as it holds the highest concentration of dopamine neurotransmitters’. Addictive drugs (for example, cocaine) target this area. Prefrontal cortex: this area of the brain is responsible for working memory. Orbital frontal cortex: this is the area of the brain where decisions are made. Looking to our brains Looking to our brains  Positive emotions and other people When we feel positive emotions, we feel connected to others and actually allow ourselves to open up and include others into our sense of self. Positive emotions make us feel less as two and more as one. This inclusion side effect has tremendous impact on personal relationships with others. Not only do we see others as part of our self-concept but we are also more likely to understand other people’s complexities and perspectives, which in turn will enhance the relational bond. Cross-cultural research shows that feeling positive emotions is not a selfish endeavour. In fact, by experiencing positive emotions we are able to take a broader perspective, recognizing others’ viewpoints and not just our own, thereby developing stronger relationships with others. This connection to others expands beyond people that we already know. In fact, Fredrickson has found evidence that inducing positive emotions can help with combating and almost eliminating own-race bias. Own-race bias is the psychological phenomenon that people are not good at recognizing members of other races, which can feed racism and segregation. Furthermore, there is also evidence that suggests that positive emotions can affect cross-cultural perspective taking, with people who feel higher levels of positive emotions being able to take a larger perspective and exhibit greater feelings of sympathy and compassion for someone from a dissimilar cultural. Attenuation to positive emotion Personality and Positive Emotions  Non- Duchene Duchene Smile Smile  Emotional intelligence (EI) is a widely used phrase within pop psychology. Salovey and Mayer (1990: 189) define EI as the ‘ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.’ Emotional Ultimately, researchers believe that emotions have use and are not present for idle purpose. intelligence Our emotions are good at sending us messages to let us know how we feel about people and situations. Emotional suppression can be detrimental to our wellbeing, thus attempts to become more aware of emotions are important (Mayer and Salovey, 1993; Mayer et al., 2001, 2004). MSCEIT MODEL The Bar-ON model of Emotional-Social intelligence (ESI) Thanks for your attention