Ways of Knowing: Emotion Theory of Knowledge Year One

to move, arouse, affect, influence At the core Motivation Emotion Moveo, Moti, Motum Movere (Latin) = to move, arouse, affect, influence Our direct experience with the world has, at its core, our emotions. The words emotion and motivation BOTH derive from the Latin word moveo (mo-v-e-o) meaning to arouse or affect

Emotions shape the landscape our our mental and social lives. Martha Nussbaum, author of Upheavals of Thought: the intelligence of emotion Our emotions accompany us throughout our lives so thoroughly and profoundly that it may be difficult for us, in experiences and memories, to consider sense perceptions and ideas without their inter-threaded emotions.

The Scope and Range of Emotion(s)

What Causes It? External Triggers Emotions can be activated by external causes… Being chased by a lion or a dog, seeing something humorous, sweet or that triggers a memory Even internal causes can trigger emotion (waking up sad one morning and not knowing/realizing why). We also know that different cultures and languages catalogue emotions in different ways. But… there is still not exact, universally agreed upon definition and categorization of emotions… nor is their an agreement about the boundaries between emotions and feelings or moods. Moreover, the relationship between the emotions and our cognitive apparatus—what we know, think, believe, desire and value –is alos the subject of academic discussion and debate (Stanford University Culture & Emotion Lab… doing research on why different cultures produce different emotive reaction and expressiveness)

Differences: A Question of Culture Tahitians, Germans & You Priorities Evoked… or not The non-verbals So what’s the deal? Who decides what “works” and what doesn’t? People in different countries catagorize things differently: Tahatians don’t have a word for sadness, Germans have a word (schadenfreude), indicating joy at someone else’s misfortune… a word that has no English equivalent Different cultures prioritize emotions differently as well: Shame is considered a key emotion in some non-Western cultures, but less likely to be considered a primary emotion in many Western Cultures. Likewise, the same emotion might evoke different responses in different cultures: a pork chop served in Saudi Arabia might evoke disgust to the majority, while its likely to provoke some happiness in the US. Non-verbal expression of emotion differes across cultures, due partly to the fact that different cultures have different “display” rules. (the norms that tell people which, how, what, and when emotion is appropriate for display). In the US male friends do not usually embrace and kiss each other as a form of greeting, such behaviour would likely make an American man uncomfortable. In many European countries, however, acquaintances normally embrace and kiss each other on both cheeks (and avoiding that greeting would be unfriendly). What works? The power of cultural norms determine how and when to show emotion… (think about funeral behavior, wedding behavior, etc.)

Knowing Our Emotions How are you feeling right now, at this moment? How do you know? Why do you think you’re feeling this way? Share it… (but try to guess what your partner is feeling BEFORE he/she says it. To what extent do you think knowing your own feelings depends on knowing the feelings of others and others depend on knowing yours? It is likely that our emotions have prompted us to reflection more frequently that our other ways of knowing: We may be more likely to ask, “Why am I feeling this way?” than “Why am I hearing this way?” Likewise, the perceptual sweetness of honey has provoked fewer songs than the emotional “sweetness” of love. Yet… how do we know our emotions? Before we go on, push your own reflection further by asking four questions—share with the person next to you.

Can you be wrong? Can you be wrong when you identify your own feelings? Can others (parents/friends/ect.) help you identify something you hadn’t realized you were feeling or when you thought you were feeling something else?

Emotional Intelligence 45,900,000 Howard Gardner In recent years, the field of emotional study has expanded. This field looks at our emotions as well as the emotions of others—a Google search for emotion, resulted in 45, 900,000 possible search topics. The topics ranged from brain research and learning to resources for understanding emotional behavior. In 1983, Howard Gardner, put forward in his book Frames of Mind a theory of seven intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, body-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. The last two are the keys (understanding your own emotion and understanding others). Note that within Gardners multiple intelligences are: language, reason, and sense perception…

Knowing through Perception Senses Gather: but can they be wrong? Our senses allow us to gather sensations from outside and inside our bodies and to observe both our own physical responses and the behavior of others. Admittedly, observation does not allow us to see the emotions of others directly: we can perceive a rose’s “redness” but can not directly perceive someone’s “sadness”. However, our senses give us clues about what the emotional stat of others might be, and, if the inquiry is structured into systematic studies our sense can tell us even more…

How is someone feeling? Can you read someone’s “body language”? When people communicate, observers can gain information about the conversation from seeing their actions: how they move their hands, sigh, play with their hair, shuffle their feet. Listeners catch tones of voice and pauses. We (if we’re careful) can often catch the subtle cues from the slight constriction of lips or forehead, or the involuntary dilation of the pupils of the eyes. Highly acute observers, often not even conscious of their swift reading of tiny signals, are often considered intuitive in their capacity to “sense” how someone else is feeling. ACTIVITY: The Man, His Wife, and the Other Woman (a Very Short Novel) Handouts Read the text… flat (ask for volunteers to “act” it out… two girls, one boy) Questions to ask: Note: the text does not give the characters feelings. Working with just the dialogue how would you, as a director, tell the actors to play and how would you suggest them to the audience? Is there more than one interpretation of this dialogue/scene? What emotions do you think the character is experiencing? How can emotion affect our perception of our surroundings? How can surroundings affect our emotions?

Knowing Emotion Through Language External Clues Invisible Emotion Our shared language allows us to give names to our emotions and speak them with others. This is indicated by an emotional life shared with others and understood in terms of the classifications given by our own language. Language works with perception to contribute to our understanding: we learn the world as it is applied to observable behavior and use it to describe the invisible emotion. However, applying words from external clues, we can’t be sure that what we experience ourselves is exactly what someone else has experienced and means by the word. It is quite common to wonder if someone is feeling exactly the same as you are... (the “I love you” statement… what does it mean to each partner?

How do you fix not knowing? Dr. Paul Ekman Anger Amusement Disgust Contempt Fear Embarrassment Happiness Excitement Sadness Guilt Surprise Pride Relief Sensory Pleasure Pain Dr. Paul Ekman, a social psychologist, developed the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to taxonomize every conceivable human facial expression. Ekman conducted and published research on a wide variety of topics in the general area of non-verbal behavior. His work on lying, for example, was not just limited to the face, but also to the observation of the rest of the body. Ekman primarily studies facial expression and has named “core” emotions (much like primary colors). The intent in identifying these elements is that these emotions become the basis for other “shades and blends” of emotion. The original list (1972) included: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. However, the list was revised in the 1990s to include: amusement, contempt, contentment, embarrassment, excitement, guilt, pride [in achievement], relief, satisfaction, sensory pleasure and shame. On the updated list though, some of these emotions do not include facial cues. Why would Ekman feel pressure to make additions to the list? In addition, why would he

Knowing Emotion Through Reason Relationship Application Reasoning, enables us to establish a relationship between particular experiences and more broadly, general ones within the world we percieve. We watch patterns of emotion (facial expression, etc.) and draw a conclusion based on the evidence surrounding the reaction. Even actions in a worlds that are less than regular can be placed in the context of a broad generalization—based on patterns of consumerism (being careful of snarling dogs). We also begin to understand our own emotions based on the patterns we observe in others… We begin to regcognize them fall into patterns of human experience: grief or conflict, for example. Reasoning can also help us project consequences and judge whether a reaction “makes sense” based on its context. We might conclude we need to seek help to manage anger, for example, or to combat phobias. However, what “makes sense” is based heavily in (or draws heavily from) our prior beliefs. At least some emotions are cognitively dependent. For example, feeling indignation about something depends on your beliefs about what is and what is not fair or just treatment of others.

Emotion & Reason Opposition or Balance ? There is often the assumption that emotion and reason are the exact opposite of each other. In Western philosophical tradition the further assumption is that reasoning is far superior to emotion. To some extent, a suspicion of emotion seems well grounded. Emotions has the reputation for “clouding” our reasoning, preventing us from “clear” thinking when emotion “floods” over us. To reason clearly is to be able to (theoretically) to exercise control and restraint in our actions, in opposition to being “taken over” by a storm of uncontrolled emotion. (Laughter at the movies spreads quickly, hatred and fear can transform a crowd into a dangerous mob) Many group excesses of emotion are actually transformed by language, not pure emotion. The speed of our emotional response can also put it in opposition to a slower, reasoned response. (Neuronal pathways to the brain allow certain stimuli to shortcut parts of the brain so that the reaction comes more quickly… for example fear…this allows for instant reactions)

Its Complementary Recent Research (classical—Phineas Gage) Our Decision Making Capabilities Recent research indicates that reason and emotion are much more complementary than we originally though—the trick is that reason and emotion keep each other in balance. The classical case of Phineas Gage (1848) who suffered brain damage to the frontal lobes which prevented him from making and decisions and from feeling anything) ** STORY: Phineas Gage—tamping iron, approx. 4ft long & 13 lbs, went straight through (landed 25-30 ft. behind him) his skull under left cheekbone and through top of the head, destroying frontal lobes of the brain. He felt well enough to return to work 10 wks later, but the once competent, effcient and reliable foreman (a shrewd business man) was fitful, irrevrent, grossly profane, showing little deference for his fellow workers. He was impatient and obstinate, capricious, vacillating and unable to settle on any of the plans he devised for future action. Gage’s case is often cited to demonstrate the close connection between our emotional and reasoning centers. Recent studies also show that many of our decision-making capabilities (from choosing food to solving a mathematical problem, from forming grammatical phrases to making ethical choices) are based on emtion, possibly on the desire to maximize pleasure **THIS IS PROFOUND ONE… I’m SURE THEY WILL WANT TO DISCUSS/DEBATE

Would you agree with the assertion that reasoning can guide emotion? Think about: A time when you were really scared or really angry (did your fear or anger subside when you got more information) Have you ever been “madly” in love with someone you were very attracted to, but upon spending more time with him/her and getting to know him/her you concluded that you were better off without him/her?

What about the converse? The belief that emotion can guide reason What are the criteria you are applying to choose your path after you earn your IB diploma? Questions… “What university should I attend?” or “How many years should I give to education before I find a job?” Are all of the criteria you use for decision making rational or are you bringing in concepts such as “like”, “dislike”, “passion”, “interest”, “motivation”, or “enjoy” Imagine that you’re not pressed for time and are working on a research paper, a painting, a letter to a friend, a musical composition, a video… something with which you could spend tons of time on without trying. At some point, you decide that what you’ve done is good enough. Is this always a rational conclusion or is there a feeling that tells you when to stop working on something?

Emotion & Belief Justify your beliefs… Can you? What do you use? rational argument (define rational) self-evident Some of our beliefs can be justified with rational argument. Others are considered self-evident, so pervasive in our cultures that we consider to be self evident, so pervasive that we never question them. Lets find out to what extent each of us is emotionally invested in patriotism (more generally in the idea of loyalty for a particular group, be it national, ethnic or religious) What are your feelings toward your country? Do the words you used to describe these feelings have positive or negative connotations? Are these your feelings (developed independently) or have you learned them (as you learn customs, manners, language)? If you say learned… that means taught Do you think others feel the same way you do?

The Big Picture: Wyoming Richard Osborn, 74, lives in a quite town (Natrona, pop.6) but carries a loud message. He stood his ground with a dozen protesters as mourners attended the October 16 (1998) funeral of Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old gay student beaten to death in Laramie. Photographed by M. Nanette Martin

Emotional Education What shapes us? What is acceptable? The “right” attitudes and actions *we’ll talk about “right” in the Ethics section  What are we trying to educate? What shapes us: family, sports organizations, school systems & education, community groups, religion… WHAT ELSE? What is acceptable: we receive guidance about what emotions are acceptable to display and which should be kept within us (as well as which are appropriate for boys to display and what are appropriate for girls. (shown what is “right” through experimental learning and emotional experiences) HOWEVER, exactly what we are trying to educate as we expose, teach, or train carries the uncertainty over whether emotional intelligence can be measured or taught and the familiar ambiguity of language and interpretation of culture.

For Example Apathy Sympathy Empathy Define each and decide Discuss Empathy: (this proves how complicated emotional education really is) Gardner’s interpersonal intelligence, the Dalai Lama’s loveing kindness to others, Jesus Christ’s teaching to love thy neighbor as thyself and many similar teachings in other religious traditions all emphasize the relationship between oneself and others… What might be difficult about trying to be empathetic to others? (No one can be someone else and know an experience from the “inside”. Working by analogy to ourselves, moreover, we are limited in the degree to which we can genuinely imagine experiences of someone else base on our own)

Where is Emotion Important Which subject upholds emotion as the most important way of knowing? Where do you know other things by knowing your own emotions and the emotions of others?

Emotion & our AoK The Arts Natural [hard] Science Human [soft] Science History Mathematics Ethics What is the role of emotional response, imaginative engagement, and empathy in treating the literature of Language A1? What is their role in learning foreign language (Lang. B)? What role do emotions play in our Group3 subjects? Are they part of the human subject matter being discussed/studied or part of the human method of study? In your group 4 science course and your mathematics of group 5, to what extent have you entered an emotion-free zone? Consider the creation and communication of knowledge in addition to the subject matter. In your group 6 subject of art/music, what is the role of emotion as the subject matter or method? Which of your other subjects is most like it, and most unlike it in use of emotion as a way of knowing?