1. Emotion as a Way of Knowing

2. - van de Lagemaat
"An emotion that is sensitive to the real nature of a situation is more rational than one that is not.”

3. - Einstein.
"Laws are only reached by non-logical methods.  To make a law one has to have an intellectual love of the subject.” 

4. - Aristotle
"Anyone can be angry, that is easy.  but to be angry with the right person to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not easy.”                                                              

5. What are emotions?
Can be activated by external causes (chased by a hungry lion causes fear)
Can be activated by internal causes (wake up feeling sad but not sure why)
Emotions are reactions or responses related to sense perceptions, internal states, thoughts or beliefs about things or people
Emotions prompt us to reflect more than other WOK.

6. Primary Emotions (universal expressions)- physical reactions (pulse / heart rate)
joy/happiness
fear
surprise
disgust
anger
sadness

7. James-Lange Theory
….discusses the relations between facial expressions and emotions - holds that our emotions are physical in nature, if you removed the physical symptoms then the emotion itself would cease.   The flip side is also held to be true under this theory - if one mimic's the physical symptom (smile or frown) then the emotion will be created. 
Do actors need emotions to act their part?

8. Critics of James-Lange
 The theory ignores the mental aspect of our emotions. 
Our emotions are also affected by our beliefs and ideas. 
Previous experience can lead one to feel fear in some situations.

9. Feelings (Social Emotions)
culturally and environmentally developed responses to circumstances. These arise not just from immediate stimuli but also from future and past event.  Read the handout Emotions and Learning
Worry anticipation
Frustration optimism
Cynicism envy Ambition
Embarrassment Gratitude jealousy
Pride sympathy

10. Emotional Energy
- emotions can provide us with the energy and focus to engage and stay focused on intellectual activities.   Think of this as the "passion" one brings to one's work (academic or otherwise).

11. “emotions shape the landscape of our mental and social lives”
Martha Nussbaum, author of Upheavals of Thought: the intelligence of emotions
Our emotions accompany us throughout our lives
When thinking of experiences and memories it may be difficult to consider sense perceptions and ideas without the inter-threaded emotions

12. How do we know our emotions?
On your own write on a piece of paper the answer to the following three questions:
How are you feeling right now, at this moment?
How do you know?
Why do you think you are feeling this way?
Find a partner (emotion pairs activity)
Write on a piece of paper the answer to the following questions:
What do you think your partner is feeling?
How do you know?
Compare answers: To what extent do you think knowing your own feelings depend on knowing the feelings of others, and the feeling of others depends on knowing your own?

13. So how do you know your own emotions?
Because you feel them
Just as only you know your own sense perception of the world, so too only you know your own emotions directly “from inside”
Your direct experience and personal familiarity with yourself leads you to this conclusion
Question - Can you be wrong when you identify your own feelings? Are there times when someone else can identify what you are feeling better than you?

14. Emotional Intelligence
Interpersonal Intelligence is:
Understanding other people and their motivations and therefore able to work well in co-operation and collaboration
Intrapersonal Intelligence is:
Understanding yourself and what makes you motivated
The importance of emotional Intelligence – Daniel Coleman. What are interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences?

15. Knowing emotion through perception
we perceive someone else’s emotions through:
Sight – body language, actions, slight facial expressions, shuffling of feet
Hearing – tone of voice, pause of silence, sigh
Touch – sudden squeezing of someone’s hand, clammy, “hairs on the back of your neck”
Smell – it is suggested that dogs can smell fear?
Taste – what is meant by “it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth?”

16. Problems of knowing an emotion based on sense perception
Misinterpretation
If we do not know the person well enough
If a person is from a different culture
People can choose to hide their emotions
Game 1: guess the emotion. A volunteer acts out the emotion and the rest of the class have to guess. Are some emotions easier to read than others?
Game 2: Chinese whispers with body language. What can go wrong?

17. Knowing emotion through language
Our ability to name emotions and speak of them allow us to share our emotions
Language and perception together contribute to our understanding
We learn the word by linking the observable behaviour to describe something that is invisible

18. Problems of knowing an emotion through language
How can we be sure that the emotion we experience is the same as what someone else experiences?
Emotions can shift or blend with each other e.g. love and hatred can become jealousy, someone can feel happy and sad at a wedding
Words can be ambiguous
Difference in opinions on naming and classifying emotional responses. Ekman said there are 4: fear, anger, sadness and enjoyment; Weiner and Tomkins said there are 2: sadness and happiness; whereas Tomkins says 9: anger, interest, content, disgust, distress, fear, joy, shame and surprise

19. Problems of knowing an emotion through language
Differences across cultures and languages e.g. Schadenfreude (German – delighting in other’s misfortune) itoshii (Japanese – longing for an absent loved one
Metaphors for emotion e.g. black for mourning in Europe, white for mourning in India.

20. 1. Are all these words emotions?
relief
Wonder
grief
Energetic
empathy
Disgust
Sympathy
stupid
cold
ashamed
hungry
happy
helpless
hopeful
merciful
lucky
content
Pity
guilty
hatred
sleepy
anger
bored
certainty
tired
irritated
dizzy
longing
relaxed
embarrassed
surprised
Amused
excited
annoyed
proud
nervous
joy
love
sadness
anxious
afraid
lust
Envy
gratitude
jealous
confident
compassion
awe
2. Choose three emotions/feelings from the list. Write a description of them. Your partner has to guess which ones you have described. What problems do you encounter?

22. Emotion and the Arts
What do you “read” the woman’s body language to be?
How does the structural composition of the painting heighten the emotional impact?
How does the title of the painting affect the interpretation?
Edgar Degas, l’Absinthe,