What is Emotion?
Last week we looked at the CEO of the brain. This week we will change directions and look at emotions.
Except for the very few, we all experience emotions everyday. Some might argue that it is what drives us to do what we do. But what are emotions?
What is an emotion?
While there are several theories look at emotions, here are some characteristics of emotions:
They can either be punishing (we seek to avoid them) or rewarding (we seek to obtain them).
There are transient (as opposed to moods).
They are subjectively disliked (hedonic).
They create a ‘feeling state’ in terms of an internal bodily response (such as increased heart rate or sweating or the secretion of hormones).
The create external movements such as facial expressions.[i]
Emotional Expression from Evolution (Darwin’s theory)
Charles Darwin noticed that animals had common expressions of emotion.
When animals are angry, they all tend to show their teeth, for example.
He also noticed that these expressions enabled other animals to understand their emotion. If an animals sees teeth being shown they can see it is as anger and perhaps an indication of an imminent attack.
Thus, emotion and emotional expressions served as a function that was conserved by evolution.[ii]
What comes first, the expression of the emotion or the emotion itself?
For some this might seem like an odd question but the James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that the expression of the emotion comes before the emotion itself.[iii] For example, we feed sad because we cry.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-james-lange-theory-of-emotion-2795305
While subsequent research has found this is not the cause, it has found that evidence that suggests bodily experiences can enhance our emotional experiences. For example, when participants are injected with adrenaline, they experience more intense emotions.[iv]
The opposing view is called the Cannon-Bard theory and this proposes that emotions are solely accounted for in the brain and that bodily experiences occur after.[v]
The Role of Thoughts
Lastly, Schacter and Singer proposed that thinking, specifically appraisal, is important to emotion.
This theory draws on both the James-Lange theory and the Cannon-Bard theory. It proposes that we fist experience a physical arousal and then label it. This appraisal process is what result sin an emotion.[vi]
For example you may feel the same physiological sensations on a roller coaster (adrenaline, increased heart rate etc) but how you interpret these will determine if you experience ‘fear’ or ‘excitement’.
Lazarus had a similar view on the importance of appraisal but proposed that stimulus is followed by a thought which then leads to the physiological response and emotion [vii]. If you were to see a spider and thought it was a threat, you would feel fear and increased heart rate etc. However, you saw it and thought that it was harmless, you wouldn't experience the same emotion or physiological reaction.
Contemporary Theories of Emotion
Several modern theories of emotion have been suggested but at core set of ideas has stood the test of time.[iv]
Emotions have evolved as something that is adaptive and is common across most species.
Emotions involve unconscious and conscious processes.
Emotions involve an interaction between the autonomic system and the brain.
Emotions, in humans, involve cognitive appraisals (thoughts) and affective mechanisms (feelings).
Next week we will look further into the neuroscience of emotion. See you then.
[i] Ward, J. (2015). The student's guide to cognitive neuroscience. Psychology Press.
[ii] Ward, J. (2015).
[iii] James (1884) cited in Ward, J (2015)
[iv] Schacter & Singer (1962) cited in Ward, J (2015).
[v] Cannon (1927) cited in Ward, J (2015).
[vi] https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-emotion-2795717
[vii] https://www.verywellmind.com/theories-of-emotion-2795717
[iv] Ward, J. (2015).