Are they feelings, or are they more? What are Emotions? Are they feelings, or are they more?

Psychological Factors Strong emotions result in bodily changes: Some psychological changes are recognizable, others aren’t easily detectable Increased heart rate Rise in blood pressure Increase in adrenaline secretions Slowing of digestion Dilation of pupils Churning stomach, tense jaw Tense muscles

Nonverbal Reactions Not all physical changes are internal, some have observable changes (appearance) Blushing Sweating Facial expressions Posture Gestures Tense muscles Change in vocal tone and rate What do the physical changes mean?

Cognitive Interpretations The mind plays an important role in determining emotional states Often the symptoms are similar to the physical changes, for example fear: Racing heart Elevated blood pressure Perspiration Tense muscles Interestingly, these symptoms are also similar to physical changes that accompany excitement, joy, and other emotions

Verbal Expression Better at conveying feelings than ideas Anger Joy Fear sadness What’s primary in one culture may not be primary in another culture Shame Interdependence Independence Extroverted Introverted

Influences on Emotional Expression Personality: extroverted, introverted, neurotic Culture: Individualism-collectivism spectrum Gender: Men and women express emotions differently Women are more attuned to emotions than men Women react more intensely to emotion-producing stimuli than most men A third factor is the individual with whom we are communicating (close relationship, less close, strangers, members of our own cultural group, same gender)

Social Conventions We are discouraged in the direct expression of most emotions Shared emotions tend to be positive Social rules discourage too much expression, even of positive feelings (hugs and kisses verses handshakes) Expressions of emotions are shaped by requirements (sales people, teachers, students)

Aristotle’s Golden Mean Moderation is important: neither too much or too little (the mean) Preferred behavior would fall equally between the extremes Aristotle urges communicators to moderate their own style: A person with a hot temper attempts to cool down A person who rarely expresses him/herself would aim to become more expressive

Key Terms Debilitative emotions Emotional contagion Facilitative emotions Fallacy of approval (approval of ALL is vital) Fallacy of catastrophic expectations (Murphy’s Law) Fallacy of causation (caused by others rather than self) Fallacy of helplessness (happiness is beyond your control) Rumination Self-talk