Summary introduction to emotion and concept of emotion.
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Course
PSY100
Institution
University Of Toronto (U Of T
)
it is a typed pdf of the unit emotion which includes organised notes including subtopics- feelings dimensions of feelings , development of emotions components of emotion characteristics of emotion.
UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO EMOTION,
BASIC EMOTIONS AND CONCEPT
OF EMOTIONS
Structure
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Feelings
1.2.1 Dimensions of Feelings
1.2.2 Distinction between Feelings and Emotions
1.3 Emotions
1.3.1 Basic Emotions
1.3.2 Concept of Emotions
1.3.3 General Characteristics of Emotions
1.3.4 Changes in Emotions
1.3.5 The Physiological Changes in Emotions
1.3.6 Development of Emotions
1.3.7 Components of Emotions
1.4 Comparison of Emotions of Children and Adults
1.5 Let Us Sum Up
1.6 Unit End Questions
1.7 Suggested Rreadings and References
1.0 INTRODUCTION
All of us at some point of time or the other in our everyday life feel happy, sad, angry,
love, pity, jealousy, hatred, fear, agony etc. What are these feelings which we experience
in our lives? What makes us feel these? Imagine our lives without these feelings or
experiences? These are actually emotions. Our life would have been absolutely boring
and meaningless without emotions. Our emotions and how we feel about certain things
most often influences our thinking. Even our perception is not always determined by the
outside stimulus but by our internal feelings, emotions, desires, and aversions. Thus
feelings and emotions are dynamics of our behaviour, and thus are very important. In
our practical life, feelings and outside behaviour are closely related. It is therefore very
essential to know the difference between emotions and feelings which are highly inter
related and both together and individually affect our behaviours. Emotions and feelings
often appear just as different stages of one phenomenon.
1.1 OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit, you will be able to:
Explain about the feelings and emotions;
Discriminate between feelings and emotions;
Identify the characteristics of emotions; 5
, Emotions Enumerate the types of emotions; and
Explain about the components of emotions.
1.2 FEELINGS
Feelings is a term which is always used for various kinds of experiences. This term is
generally used when we are not sure of the answer to a particular question. For instance,
when we talk about feelings of pleasure, familiarity, we say I feel fine. These feelings
can be put into various categories. Feelings like displeasure, grief, discontent, sadness
etc. can be categorised under one category characterised by a tone of unpleasantness
and avoidance. Similarly feelings like pleasure, happiness, joy, delight etc., will come
under one category characterised by desirable pleasant feeling tone. In this manner we
can enumerate many more experiences of feelings coming under various categories.
Having known a little about what feelings are, now let us look at the dimensions of
feelings.
1.2.1 Dimensions of Feelings
It has been stated by psychologists that each experience of feelings has three main
characteristics. For instance, each feeling whether anger, pleasure, desire or sadness
can be said to have a certain pleasantness-unpleasantness dimension.
Secondly, all feelings have a certain tone of excitement or numbness. For instance,
pleasure has a tone of excitement. Similarly anger also has a tone of excitement. Sadness
has a tone of numbness. Thus any feeling state has its position on excitement-numbness
dimension.
Thirdly it is also noticed that most feelings have a tone of tenseness also referred as
tone of expectancy or a tone of relaxation. All feelings connected with our waiting for
something to happen or all feelings with anticipation will be characterised by the
expectancy tone. In the same way when our feelings refer to something that has already
happened, then there is a tone of relief or release. The feelings like anxiety and longing
will have expectancy tone and feeling of sadness will have a tone of release since the
sad event has already happened. Thus it can be stated that any feeling has a position on
tension relaxation dimension.
1.2.2 Distinction between Feelings and Emotions
A feeling has also has some characteristics of its own, distinguishing it from experiences
like sensations and emotions. Feeling is an internal experience and not felt in any one
particular part. One may sometimes say that he/she experiences pain in the back of his
leg. Here the individual uses the term feeling in a different sense. It is actually directed
towards perception of part where the pain is sensed.
A pain may be unpleasant but the unpleasant feeling connected with it has no definite
location in any part of the body. In this matter, it is different from sensations.
A visual sensation is experienced at the retina of the eye. It means that the sensation is
localised but the whole organism is involved in feelings.
The feelings need not be strong always, sometimes they are very mild or as dull
background states. This acts as discrimination between feelings and emotions.
The most important difference between a feeling and an emotion is one of degree or
strength. The term invariably refers to a very strong and stirred up feelings or experiences.
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