In this article we are going to be talking about the concept of emotion.
Emotion is a complex state arising from perception, memory or imagination of situation. It always involves memory and imagination which arises from ideas and thoughts.
It affects all areas of the human behaviour, it can result to physical changes, new intellectual perspectives and altered social roles. One can say that it plays an important role in the lives of human beings.
Definition Of Emotion
Emotion can be defined as an outward expressions of inner feelings which are aroused by one’s behaviour or that of others.
it can also be defined as the response of a subject to a situation affecting it’s welfare.
For it to occur, a situation or person-environment relationship must be subjectively evaluated as having certain harm or benefits. It can be positive when a situation is viewed as a challenge, it can also be negative is a situation is evaluated as threatening or harmful.
Categories Of Emotion
1. Negative
this occur when there is a threat to, delay in, or thwarting of a goal or a conflict between goals such as anger, guilt shame, sadness, envy, jealousy.
2. Positive
it occurs when there is movement towards attainment of goals, such as love, happiness, relief
3. Boarderline
This is somewhat ambigious such as hope contentment, empathy, compassion, sympathy.
4. Non Emotion
This connotes emotional reactions that are too ambigious to fit into any of the preceeding category. Eg confidence, confusion, envy and excitement.
Stages Of Emotion
1. Anticipation
this is a change in the person’s relationship, environment, warning of an upcoming harm or benefit. Expectations are created about the outcome that can exacerbate the emotion. Positive expectation increases likelihood of disappointment, negative expectation can negative outcome seem positive.
For instance, a person anticipates a promotion because of the boss’s increased attention, instead the person is reprimanded for unsatisfactory work, he becomes extremely disappointed.
2. Provocation
This is any occurrence in the environment or within a person that is fudged as having changed the person-environment relationship in the direction of harm or benefit.
For instance, an unexpected relative arrives at a opportune d time.
3. Unfolding
This is the flow of emotion within an encounter. It usually involves an interaction with another who in turn get provoked and reacts.
For instance; a jealous husband accuses wife of infidelity, she in turn becomes angry at her husband.
4. Outcome
This is the outcome of what has already happened as it relates to a person’s well being.
For instance; a wife is very sad after a violent argument with her husband.
Characteristics of Emotion
- it occurs as a result of perception, memory and imagination
- it is produced by various circumstances.
- It is parasitical in nature, that is to say that an emotion grows out of instinct. For instance, take away bone from a hungry dog, the dog becomes angry
- It eaves behind a mood attached to it. For instance if you get up in the morning and you are scolded by your parents for neglecting your lessons, you will gent angry.
Conclusion
Emotion is understood to be feelings that have both physiological and cognitive aspects, which influences behaviour that are expressed in a commotion of the body. It plays a role in preparing for actions, preparing for effective response to a variety of situations. It also shapes our future behaviour by prompting learning that will influence fearing, making appropriate responses in the future.
We hope this information was helpful, feel free to ask your questions in the comment section below.