What is an Emotion??? EQ: What are emotions, how are they expressed, and why do we feel them?

What is an Emotion?: An emotion is a response to stimulus that is temporarily created by our cognitive assessment of a situation and our learned and reflexive responses to a situation In other words, we react both physically and psychologically

Characteristics of Emotion: Emotion is… -temporary -positive or negative -based on experience -an altered state of consciousness -an action trigger -based on our motivations

Emotion and Mood are Different: Emotions are temporary and can change quickly while moods last for extended periods of time When I see an old friend, for example, my emotion might initially be happiness, but when he explains that his daughter just got diagnosed with cancer, my emotion would change to sadness A mood is when you feel in a certain emotional range (sadness, happiness, anger, etc…) for a period of time, even if you are unaware of what is causing this state of consciousness.

Biology of Emotion: When we “feel” an emotion, it is actually a complex process that involves multiple systems within the body First we must sense the stimulus that is around us Second we must perceive the information Third, we must react by using the appropriate part of the brain Finally, we must express the emotion using our automatic nervous system (ANS) -But wait, there’s more!!!

Biology of Emotion: The Limbic System Within our Limbic System there are multiple organs that help to control emotion The most important of these is the Amygdala This important organ allows us to learn emotional associations, recognize emotional expressions, and perceive emotionally charged words Without our Amygdala, we would not know how to react emotionally in a situation

Biology of Emotion: The Motor Systems Once we have “selected” the correct emotion, we now must be able to express that emotion For most people, the most reliable indicator of emotion is in the face Your pyramidal motor system controls your voluntary expression while your extrapyramidal motor system controls your involuntary motor system

A “Tell”?

Biology of Emotion: The Cerebral Cortex The Cerebral Cortex is involved in our ability to express emotion, but no one is really sure exactly how We do know that people who suffer brain damage, for example, can still understand the humor of a situation, but they will not react emotionally

Biology of Emotion: The Automatic Nervous System: The Automatic Nervous System (ANS) is divided into 2 parts The Parasympathetic Nervous System is involved in releasing hormones that cause a protective reaction The Sympathetic Nervous System is involved in preparing parts of our body for action These two systems can activate our “fight or flight” reaction within our body

Biology of Emotion: The Endocrine System The hormones that are emitted by our endocrine system can drastically change our emotional responses and our mood These hormones make us more susceptible to certain emotions If we have a build-up of serotonin, for example, we may be more susceptible to happy emotions

I Love You!!!

Emotional Study Project: Due 02/29 (25 pts.) You will conduct a survey of your own emotions You do not need to force yourself to feel these emotions since you will have experienced them before For each emotion, you must explain what kinds of stimuli triggers each emotion You must also explain the psychological and physiological reactions that you have to each emotion. Use a chart like the one on the following page and do your work on a separate piece of paper

Emotion Triggers Physiological Psychological Nervous Angry Frightened Happy Unhappy Confused Other???: