Concept of emotions and feelings
Whatever a person does, everything evokes a certain attitude in him, expressed in experiences: he likes something, and something causes dissatisfaction, but it is difficult to find something completely indifferent.
Emotions are a positive value, since human life is impossible without experiences. People who do not show their emotions and feelings are very different from those around them and resemble a machine: they cannot be happy, afraid, angry or love. It is the absence of experiences that distinguishes biorobots from people. Emotions are a person’s biased attitude towards the world around him, towards what happens to him. The experience of this relationship is an emotion or feeling. Emotions express acceptance or rejection of what is happening to a person in a given situation.
Conditions, objects and phenomena that contribute to the satisfaction of needs and the achievement of goals cause positive emotions: pleasure, joy, interest, etc. Situations that are perceived by a person as preventing the satisfaction of needs cause negative emotions: anger, sadness, fear, etc.
Emotions are a mental reflection in the form of direct, biased experience, the vital meaning of phenomena and situations, determined by the relationship of their objective properties to the needs of the subject. (Shapar V.B. Newest psychological dictionary).
Emotions are subjective reactions of a person to the influence of external and internal stimuli, reflecting in the form of experiences their personal significance for the subject and manifesting themselves in the form of pleasure (displeasure).
Emotions are a special class of mental phenomena that occur in the form of experiences that reflect a person’s attitude towards the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of his current needs. (Gamezo M.V.)
Thus, the necessary conditions for the emergence of emotions are:
- presence of needs,
— knowledge about the features of a given situation from the point of view of the possibility of satisfying them.
Emotions are manifested in facial expressions , gestures, voice intonations, motor reactions, speech, etc. (expression is the external manifestation of emotions), as well as in physiological phenomena: changes in breathing, heartbeat, increased blood pressure, etc. (impression is the manifestation of emotions in the internal plane).
An experience is any experienced emotionally charged state and phenomenon of reality, directly represented in a person’s mind and acting for him as an event in his own life.
Feelings are the most stable human experiences that arise when social needs are satisfied or dissatisfied (love, pride, hatred, etc.). (Gamezo M.V.)
A feeling is a person’s expression of his positive or negative, i.e. emotional-evaluative, relatively stable attitude towards any objects (people, animals, things). (Ilyin E.P. Psychology, St. Petersburg, 2004)
Thus the feelings:
- more stable, long-lasting compared to emotions;
- expressed through certain emotions;
— have distinctive features: awareness, objectivity, generalization.
Feelings
Feeling is a human emotional process that reflects a subjective evaluative attitude towards real or abstract objects.
Unlike emotions and moods, the emotional processes described by the concept of “feeling” are tied to objects: they arise in relation to someone or something, and not to the situation as a whole. “I am afraid of this person” is a feeling, and “I am scared” is an emotion.
Here is a small list of feelings that we experience from time to time: love, hatred, fear, gratitude, respect, devotion, friendship.
Feelings vary in characteristics:
- Intensity: This is the strength of feeling. The stronger the feeling, the stronger its physiological manifestations and influence on human behavior. By observing him, you can understand what feelings overwhelm him the most, what is important to him and what he pays attention to.
- Valence: This is tone. Feelings can be pleasant, unpleasant and ambivalent. If everything is clear with the first two, then the last one may be of great interest to you. Why does a person have mixed feelings? Why? What are the underlying reasons? You will have to answer all these questions if you want to create a correct psychological portrait of a person and learn to influence him.
- Content: feelings reflect various aspects, features of the meaning of objects and situations that cause them. People show feelings based on context, so observe them carefully.
- Sthenicity: feelings are divided into sthenic and asthenic. The former encourage active activity, mobilize human strength (hate, love, and others). The latter paralyze or relax (for example, fear).
Feelings manifest differently among people because each person has their own set of personality traits and traits that influence feelings. The same feeling can be experienced and manifested differently depending on the emotional state a person is in at the moment. For example, the feeling of friendship can be accompanied at different times by emotions of joy, interest, resentment, shame and irritation.
Before you make a conclusion about a person, you need to observe him and try to identify both the feeling that he is currently experiencing and its underlying meaning.
Functions of emotions
Table 1
Functions of emotions
| Gamezo M.V. | Ilyin E.P. |
|
|
Let us consider in detail the functions of emotions in the understanding of Gamezo M.V.
The reflective-evaluative function allows you to generally reflect and evaluate an event before it is determined at the level of consciousness (in thinking).
The signaling function consists of notifying the body (nervous system) and other people about the state of the subject’s needs (their satisfaction or dissatisfaction).
The protective function of emotions is to warn the subject about real or imaginary danger (fear, disgust, etc.). These emotions are stored in memory and in a certain situation are extracted from it in order to perform a protective function.
The executive function is expressed in the fact that emotions are internal regulators of any activity. Optimal productivity occurs with an average level of emotions (O. Hebb).
The mobilizing function lies in the fact that emotions can be stimulants (motives) of activity and behavior, and also influence changes in motives. Emotions are a subjective form of existence of motivation.
The compensatory function allows you to compensate for the shortcomings of other mental phenomena. For example, in a teacher’s monologue speech, emotional elements of speech are useful. They not only decorate speech, but also contribute to a deeper understanding of the material.
The disorganizing function of emotions can manifest itself in disruption of behavior, activity, memory, thinking and other processes due to strong emotions, especially negative ones. However, this does not always happen.
Thus, with the help of emotions, we determine the significance of external influences and evaluate our own behavior. All our victories and defeats are emotionally colored. Many life events are remembered precisely because of the emotions experienced. Knowledge of the emotional characteristics of another person contributes to the understanding of his actions and actions, the establishment of adequate forms and methods of communication with him, and the rational organization of activities.
Physiological basis of emotions and feelings
Emotions are the result of brain activity, the complex work of the cortex, subcortex and autonomic nervous system . The leading role belongs to the cortex. Objects reflected in consciousness cause strong foci of excitation in the cortex, which are transmitted to the brainstem and subcortex, where the centers that control the autonomic nervous system and regulate the functioning of internal organs are located. The subcortex reacts primarily to stimuli, which leads to changes in the rhythm of breathing, cardiac activity, skeletal muscles and body muscles, the work of the external glands (salivary, lacrimal, sweat) and internal secretion .
The cortex regulates the actions of the subcortex, so a person restrains hunger and socially unacceptable impulses. But if the cortex is weakened (due to intoxication, overwork, etc.), then the person loses the ability to restrain himself.
In 1950, D. Olds and P. Milner, in experiments on animals, discovered centers of pleasure and centers of suffering, and later centers of hunger, thirst, etc., which created an emotional map of the brain. At the same time, the centers of suffering, being located in different parts of the brain, form a single system. Therefore, negative emotions are experienced rather monotonously. The pleasure centers of such a system do not form and positive emotions are experienced more differentiated.
Next in the table we will present separately the physiological basis of feelings and the mechanisms of emotions.
table 2
Physiological mechanisms of emotions and feelings
| Physiological basis of feelings | Physiological basis of emotions |
| Leading role: - the cerebral cortex, which has an inhibitory effect on the subcortical centers, regulates the flow and expression of feelings and emotions; - 2nd signal system; word: - a signal for the emergence of feelings, emotions; - the basis for the formation of higher feelings. | Emotions: - are caused by excitation of subcortical centers and the autonomic nervous system; — cause changes: — in the circulatory organs; - in the respiratory organs; - in the digestive organs; - affect thinking, memory, coordination of movements, productivity. |
Abstract on the academic discipline “Psychology”
on the topic: “Emotions and feelings”
Plan
1. Introduction.
2. Definition of the concepts emotion and feeling. Their similarities and differences.
3. Basic theories of emotions.
4. Types of emotions and their characteristics.
5. Factors influencing the formation of emotions.
6. Conclusion.
7. List of references.
1. Introduction.
Emotions and feelings reflect our disposition towards a particular person or event, while emotions are a direct, frank response to something, on an instinctive level, and feelings are largely the result of experiences, thinking, and accumulated experience.
Feelings and emotions have a direct connection with the internal qualities of a person and are a reflection of ongoing internal experiences. It is common for a person to often fear and deny his own emotions, to confuse feelings with emotions, feelings with states.
As such, feelings and emotions are not recognized by a person in themselves, just as their causes continue to remain a mystery to many.
There are a lot of feelings and emotions; there is no finite list of them either in physiology or psychology. The reason for this is that most feelings and emotions are highly social phenomena. The acquisition of a different significance by emotions or the emergence of new emotions is determined by the development of society. A person does not feel most feelings and emotions at birth, but learns them from the people around him. Together, from infancy, they demonstrate and explain to a person what and how he must feel at one time or another.
A person becomes most interesting due to the liveliness and diversity of emotional relationships. He can respond to a variety of phenomena of reality - he is excited by poetry and music, the latest technological achievements and the launch of a satellite into space. The abundance of a person’s own experiences contributes to his deepest understanding of what is happening, the most subtle penetration into the experiences of people and their relationships.
Emotions and feelings help a person to know himself most fully. Experiences contribute to a person’s knowledge of his own shortcomings, capabilities, strengths and abilities. A person’s experiences in a new situation often reveal something new in themselves, in people, in the world of surrounding phenomena and objects.
Feelings and emotions give behavior, actions, and words a certain originality. Positive experiences inspire a person in his daring aspirations and creative searches. Focusing on the meaning of experiences, V.I. Lenin believed that without human emotions there was, is not and will not be a human search for truth.
2. Definition of the concepts emotion and feeling. Their similarities and differences.
During the evolution of the animal world, a unique form of manifestation of the protective function of the brain arose - emotions - I excite, excite. These functions reflect the personally significant role of internal and external stimuli, events, situations for a person, namely those phenomena that excite him and are expressed in the form of experiences.
In psychology, emotions are defined as a person’s experience in the current moment of his own attitude towards something. In addition to this incomplete understanding, the concept of “emotion” is also used in a broad sense, meaning the whole emotional reaction of an individual, containing a psychological element - an experience, as well as peculiar physiological changes in the body that accompany this experience. In this case, we can talk about the emotional state of a person.
Feelings are a person’s attitudes, experienced in different forms, to the phenomena and objects of reality. A person’s life is unbearable without experiences; when a person has lost the ability to experience feelings, the so-called “emotional hunger” begins - he tries to satisfy it by reading an action-packed book, listening to his favorite music. In addition, both positive feelings and feelings associated with suffering are necessary for emotional saturation.
The everyday idea of “feelings” is so vast that it loses its specific essence. This is the definition of sensations - returning after loss of consciousness, pain - “coming to your senses.” Emotions are often called feelings. In reality, the definitely scientific application of this term comes down only to those cases of a person’s manifestation of his own positive or negative, namely, evaluative attitude towards certain objects. At the same time, in contrast to emotions, which reflect short-term experiences, feelings are long-term and can sometimes last a person’s entire existence.
The manifestation of feelings is carried out through certain emotions, due to the situation in which the object finds itself, according to which this person expresses the feeling. In particular, a mother who loves her own child will naturally experience various emotions during the examination session, depending on the result of the exam. When the child goes to the exam, the mother will be quite excited if he reports that the exam has been successfully passed - joy, if he fails - annoyance, anger, disappointment. This example, and similar ones, demonstrate the difference between feelings and emotions.
Thus, there is no direct relationship between emotions and feelings - an unchanging emotion can express different feelings, and an unchanging feeling can be expressed in different emotions. The latest emergence of feelings in ontogenesis, compared to emotions, also seems to confirm their dissonance. Both feelings and emotions can be positive and negative.
3. Basic theories of emotions.
In the 18th – 19th centuries there was no unanimous opinion about the origin of emotions, however, the most popular was the intellectualistic concept of I.F. Herbart - “bodily” expressions of emotions are the result of mental phenomena.
W. Wundt also adhered to this opinion. He believed that emotions are, first of all, changes that are distinguished by the direct influence of feelings on the flow of ideas and, to a certain extent, the influence of flows on feelings, and internal processes are only the result of emotions.
James-Lange's "peripheral" paradigm of emotions. The formation of emotions is determined by external influences that contribute to the formation of physiological changes in the human body. Their consequence was physiological and bodily peripheral changes, defined as the result of emotions.
The Cannon-Bard "thalamic" paradigm of emotions. The emergence of emotions and appropriate signals for stimulation of autonomic functions occurs in the thalamus. Physiological reactions and psychological experiences are formed simultaneously.
Activation concepts and the Papes Circle. Emotion is not a function of various centers, but a consequence of the vitality of a complex network of the brain - the “Circle of Popes”.
Cognitive paradigms of emotions. Reveal the nature of emotions through the mechanisms of thinking.
The paradigm of cognitive dissonance by L. Festinger. Cognitive-psychological circumstances occupy an important position in emotions. Positive emotions are formed as a result of confirmation of a person’s expectations, namely, how specific results of an activity are combined with the assigned project.
Information paradigm of emotions P.V. Simonova. In the form of a symbolic form, a complex of functions is shown that influence the character and formation of emotions: Emotion = P x (In - Is). (In – Is) – probability assessment. P – leading need.
There are different schools, which establishes differences in classifications and definitions.
James-Lange. Psychoorganic paradigm of the origin and essence of emotions. The basis of emotional manifestations was determined by physiological states. They are initial, and emotions accompany them. As a result of the influence of external stimuli, the body changes, emotions appear through a feedback system. A person is upset because he cries, and does not cry because he is upset. This is the basic paradigm for all psychology up to the present time.
Psychoanalysis. Reactions are driven by drives. The educational factor is the discrepancy between the desired and the real.
Behaviorism. Accompanying response to a specific stimulus. Pontius about emotions is ordinary by considering the reinforcers, and not the main element. They are positive and negative, according to this, emotions can also be positive and negative. They do not relate to internal experiences.
Cognitive psychology provides a natural experimental base.
Schechter. The two-factor paradigm of emotions is a development of the James-Lange concept. The emergence of emotions as cognitive appraisals of physiological changes. Circumstances influence: psychological, cognitive.
Lazarus. Three-component paradigm. Circumstances influence: behavioral, psychological, cognitive. Not only physiological changes are assessed, but also the likelihood of behavior in these conditions, the ability to interpret: the emergence of emotions is carried out in the case of a person’s perception of everything as really happening. If you subject everything to rational analysis, the result will be the absence of emotions.
Rubinstein. Emotion is something caused by a certain excitation of specific zones of subcortical structures - a response to a stimulus, and feelings - before the stimulus, something that can be expressed, or has already been expressed, once expressed, therefore, realized. Needs and emotions. Emotions are a mental reflection of the current state of human needs. Emotions are a certain model of the existence of a need, as a result there is a desire for something that contributes to the satisfaction of the need, but then the object brings or does not bring satisfaction, and a person develops a feeling for it. Emotions are distinguished by polarity - “+” or “-“.
Leontyev. The concept of emotions is built on activity. General activity, behavior is directed and stimulated by motive. An activity is a sequence of certain actions that correspond to a goal. The goal is invariably conscious, such a unit of initiative as an action appears only in a person, the goal is the result of the action. Motive is an object of need. Emotion is formed in the form of an assessment of the discrepancy between motive and goal. Emotion contributes to the evaluation of approaching the object of need through an established action.
The considered paradigms of emotions explain only isolated episodes of their origin. This proves the view that it is fundamentally impossible to explain the mechanism of such a complex phenomenon as emotions from the position of one paradigm.
4. Types of emotions and their characteristics.
Due to the individual meaning of experiences, these types of emotions are emphasized.
Altruistic - experiences that arise from the need for help, assistance to other people - a feeling of reliability, sympathy, devotion, the desire to bring happiness and joy to other people, a feeling of anxiety for one’s own fate, empathy.
Communicative - formed on the basis of the need for communication through the expression of feelings of sympathy, the desire to share experiences and thoughts, communicate, affection, feelings of gratitude, the desire to earn the approval of respected and close people, a feeling of respect for someone.
Gloric - combined with the need for fame, self-affirmation - a feeling of narcissism, the desire to take revenge, a sense of advantage, pride, satisfaction with the growth that has occurred, increased value of one's own personality, the desire to achieve respect and recognition.
Practical - determined by the success or failure of the activity, the difficulties of its implementation and completion - a feeling of tension, pleasant fatigue, the desire to succeed at work, passion for work, pleasant satisfaction with the results of one’s own work.
Romantic - revealed in the desire for everything unusual, secret - exciting feelings of perception of the changed world around - everything may seem different, unusual, filled with special significance, mystery; anticipation of the unusual and very good, bright.
Gnostic - combined with the need for spiritual and cognitive harmony - a feeling of misunderstanding or surprise, hesitation, a desire to know the nature of phenomena; a feeling of clarity or confusion of thought; the joy of revealing the truth; feeling that the problem will be solved soon; an uncontrollable desire to cope with contradictions in one’s own judgments, to systematize everything.
Aesthetic - associated with lyrical experiences - a feeling of spiritual growth; the need for beauty, a sense of the majestic, sublime and graceful; a feeling of close, dear memories of the past, a pleasant and bitter feeling of loneliness; a feeling of exciting drama, a poetic-observational, bright state, enjoyment of sounds.
Hedonic - associated with the need for spiritual and physical well-being - enjoyment of the desired physical and spiritual sensations from appetizing food, knowledge, sun, warmth. Spiritual - a feeling of peace, carefree, fun, exhaustion. Physical - thoughtless pleasant excitement, lust.
Active - formed through collecting, interest in accumulation - a pleasant feeling from looking at one’s own collections; desire to save, delight in the growth of savings.
Mobilization - are formed through the need for interest in wrestling, in overcoming danger - passion for risk, the need for thrills, a sense of sports excitement, sports anger, determination, mobilization of one's own mental and physical abilities, a feeling of strong emotional and volitional tension.
Other classifications of feelings and emotions. Human experiences are very diverse, they are divided into types according to content, the nature of the relationship to impartial reality, which turns out to be in them, according to the level of their development, the features and strength of their manifestation. As a result, the entire variety of human experiences is divided into two groups. The first includes a reflection of a person’s attitude to specific objects determined by the situation, the second includes a generalized and stable attitude towards them. The first group of experiences is called emotions, the second - feelings.
Emotions are divided into simple, which are a direct reflection of a person’s relationship with various objects, and complex, with this reflection of an indirect nature. According to the stability, strength and nature of the manifestation, emotions are distinguished between mood and affect. According to the content, aesthetic, intellectual and moral feelings are initially emphasized. Some of them have the ability to accumulate the nature of passions.
Simple emotions. Generated directly by the impact on the body of various objects associated with the satisfaction of its basic needs. Tastes, smells, colors can be unpleasant or pleasant, and can awaken dissatisfaction or satisfaction. Emotions directly associated with feelings are called the emotional tone of sensations. Its emergence occurs during the period of perception of objects associated with the satisfaction of basic human needs. The emotional tone of perceptions and sensations is of significant significance in human activity. He directs her actions, encouraging her to seek out some objects and renounce, evade and defend herself from others.
Complex emotions. In the process of human existence and activity, simple experiences are transformed into complex emotions associated with an understanding of objects and awareness of their actual significance.
Complex emotions are joy, interest, suffering, surprise, grief, shame, depression, contempt, anger, fear, disgust, hostility, shame, anxiety. K. Izard calls them “fundamental emotions”, which have their own range of external manifestations and psychological characteristics.
5. Factors influencing the formation of emotions.
The solution to the issue of emotion formation is determined by many circumstances and factors. The identification of patterns and factors in the formation of the human emotional sphere in most cases is determined by the conceptual and theoretical concepts used by scientists in their identification and search.
There are a number of groups of factors that determine the formation of the emotional sphere - social and biological. At the same time, social factors are considered external, and biological factors are considered internal factors.
It is well known that the biological significance of emotions is determined by their evaluative function, thanks to which the human body tries to quickly and proactively respond to changes in the surrounding world, attracting energy resources needed in the interests of actions aimed at satisfying direct needs. Biological factors are the functioning and formation of specific brain structures, initially limbic formations; changes in the somatic sphere; activity of the endocrine glands; expression of a biological need necessary for life.
Of particular interest are the studies of R. Woodworth, W. Wundt, J. Reikowski, associated with the display of features of the genesis of emotions. The researchers propose a theoretical model - a person has a number of emotions that detect and change slightly during evolution. They are presented as genetically inherited and have a biological basis for their occurrence.
When considering internal factors, there is no doubt that at the first stage of child mental development, biological factors associated with the satisfaction of key needs are predominant. At the same time, emerging and developing emotions are called primary in one case, basic in another, and basal in a third. With the expansion of social factors of influence on the child’s psyche, derivatives from them are formed at the basis of the noted emotions. In addition, a list of derivatives or secondary data that arose at the basis of one emotion - joy, creates a set of other positive emotions.
Internal factors influencing the genesis of the emotional sphere are also associated with the peculiarities of the formation of the processes of memory, thinking, and ideas. This conditioning is clearly reflected in studies carried out under the direction of OK Tikhomirov, where one of the factors in the formation of the emotional sphere is the thought process. The results of the work carried out emphasize the mutual determinism and interdependence of the formation of the emotional sphere with mental processes.
Also, of particular importance is the impact on the formation of the emotional sphere of a person’s personal experiences, formed and recorded in the distinctive character traits, his moral, ethical and ethical qualities. Subsequently, they are the basis for the formation of a person’s emotional sphere, his inner world.
At the same time, human emotions are largely socially determined. Like human actions, they are determined by the norms of law and morality inherent in any socio-economic stage. As a result, the highest forms of emotions are formed on the basis of moral - social and aesthetic - spiritual, intellectual needs.
Social factors that significantly influence the formation and development of human emotions include the peculiarities of the relationships in which the child finds himself, the specifics of private communication with elders and peers, and the circumstances of upbringing in educational institutions.
Also, social factors that directly affect the emotional sphere within the framework of cognitive activity include the means of literature and art, traditions, and rituals.
Thus, in the conditions of the modern world, the formation of children's emotional sphere is significantly influenced by the media, achievements of scientific and technological progress and the culture of different nations. The latter, as a possibility for the manifestation of emotional states among different peoples, has different forms of representation according to actions and content.
For a newborn, significant factors influencing the formation of emotions are direct contact with the mother and the conditions for satisfying leading needs.
During infancy, in addition to the factors mentioned, the conditions of nonverbal communication expressed by parents and the child’s environment are of significant importance. Also, typical influences are manifested by a single emotional comfort in the family and inanimate objects in the form of various toys.
During early childhood, the leading factors determining the formation of the emotional sphere are the conditions for organizing play activities and the peculiarities of communicative interaction between an adult and a child.
During the preschool period, along with the mentioned factors, the leading activity is cognitive, associated with the children's perception of works of literature and art. A particularly significant factor influencing the formation of a child’s emotional sphere is all types of play activities characteristic of a given age.
At primary school age, the range of factors influencing the formation of the emotional sphere expands significantly. The factors of private relationships with peers and the organization of the educational process become significant.
In adolescence, the predominant factors in the formation of feelings, together with the previous period, are biological changes in the child’s body associated with puberty. Actually, they establish the originality and orientation of the manifestation of education and the development of new feelings.
During adolescence, the leading factors include socio-psychological conditions that influence the self-affirmation of the personality of girls and boys and form the basic principles of their life positions.
The identified factors are not limited to those mentioned and, with a wider range of studies, they can be supplemented with others. In addition, it is important to emphasize that emphasizing leading factors at any further age does not exclude the influence of previous ones.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of studies that focus on the so-called global factors - technogenic, environmental, informational and socio-economic, which have a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on the formation of a person’s emotional sphere.
6. Conclusion.
Feelings and emotions have a number of established functions. Initially, feelings and emotions are a reflection of true reality, but only in the form of experience. Moreover, the definitions of “feelings” and “emotions,” often used “in everyday life” as equivalent, actually mean a variety of mental phenomena, which are, of course, most directly related to each other. Both feelings and emotions reflect human needs, namely, how these needs are satisfied.
Emotional experiences are a reflection of the vital significance of situations and phenomena affecting a person. Namely, emotions are a reflection in the form of a subjective experience of the actual significance of situations and phenomena. Thus, everything that facilitates or contributes to the satisfaction of needs gives rise to positive emotional experiences, and otherwise, everything that hinders them generates negative ones.
A significant difference between emotions and feelings is the emergence of emotions in response to a certain situation, while feelings have relative constancy and stability. The manifestation of a deep connection between emotions and feelings is initially in the experience and disclosure of feelings precisely in specific emotions. In particular, the feeling of love for one’s neighbor can be experienced conditionally due to the situation, as the emotion of pleasure from communication, joy for him, pride in his successes, shame if he has done something unworthy, anxiety if something threatens him. The organization of feeling includes not only direct experience, emotion, but also the most generalized attitude, conditioned by concept, understanding, knowledge.
One of the main functions of emotions is their assistance in orientation in the surrounding reality, evaluation of phenomena and objects, taking into account their undesirability or desirability, harmfulness or usefulness.
The emergence of emotion occurs when there is an inconsistency between what should be understood in order to satisfy a need, and what is actually known.
However, many phenomena of emotional existence do not fit into the psychological formula at all. And this conclusion is not paradoxical - life is invariably richer than formulas. Moreover, it is emotional.
7. Bibliography.
1. A.Ya. Chebykin, I.V. Melnichuk, Genesis of emotional characteristics in children of different ages and gender. - Odessa: YuNTs APN of Ukraine, 2004. - 147 p.
2. K.E. Izard, Psychology of Emotions / Transl. from English – St. Petersburg: Peter, 1999. – 464 p.
3. P.V. Simonov, Emotional brain. Physiology. Neuroanatomy. Psychology of emotions. - M.: Nauka, 1981. – 100 s.
4. V.D. Shadrikov, Introduction to general psychology: emotions and feelings. - M.: Logos, 2002. - 156 p.
5. B.I. Dodonov, Emotion as a value. - M.: Politizdat, 1978. - 272 p.
6. E. P. Ilyin, Emotions and feelings. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2011. – 784 p.
Theories of emotions
Information theory P.V. Simonova : emotions arise when there is a mismatch between a vital need and the possibility of satisfying it (with a lack of information necessary to achieve the goal); A person's awareness of the means to satisfy a need can relieve emotions.
L. Festinger's cognitive theory : positive emotions - if expectations are confirmed. Negative – if expectations are not confirmed
Biological theory P.K. Anokhina : positive emotions arise if the result of an action matches or exceeds the expected result. The discrepancy leads to anxiety and the search for new combinations that would lead to positive emotions.
Classification of types of emotional phenomena
Man is the most emotional creature. He is capable of experiencing tens of thousands of shades of emotions at different periods of his life, but a person’s vocabulary is limited to 5-6 thousand words, which are not enough to express all these shades. There is no single classification of emotions. Let's present the most common classification in psychology (see Fig. 1).
| Types of emotional phenomena (according to the degree of awareness, objectivity, stability and generality) |
| EMOTIONS (according to strength, speed of occurrence and awareness of the causes of occurrence) 1. Sensual tone; 2. Emotions themselves (basic): joy, surprise, interest, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, fear, shame, guilt; 3. Moods; 4. Affects; 5. Stress. |
| FEELINGS 1. Moral; 2. Intellectual; 3. Aesthetic; 4. Practical. PASSIONS |
Rice. 1. Types of emotional phenomena
In Table 3 we give definitions to the emotional phenomena indicated in the classification.
Table 3
Types of emotional phenomena
| Concept | Definition of the concept. Purpose of emotion |
| Sensual tone - | - these are positive or negative experiences that accompany certain vital influences (taste, temperature, etc.) and encourage the individual to maintain or eliminate them. Many human sensations have a certain emotional connotation. We don’t just smell or taste something, we perceive it as pleasant or unpleasant. When we feel warm or cold, we simultaneously experience pleasure or displeasure. Images of perception, memory, thinking, imagination are also emotionally charged. A.N. Leontiev called this phenomenon “bias” of reflection and considered it one of the essential features of human cognition. |
| Basic emotions - | - these are emotions that are situational in nature, expressing an evaluative attitude towards developing or possible situations. They are short-term, quite strongly expressed, and the reasons for their occurrence are quite well understood by humans. These emotions have been well studied and 10 main ones have been identified among them (K. Izard). Each basic emotion underlies a whole spectrum of states. Almost all of them can be read by facial expressions. |
| Joy - | - a positive emotional experience associated with the ability to sufficiently fully satisfy an actual need. Serves to establish contacts with people, retain useful thoughts and actions in memory, and eliminate the negative impact of negative emotions. |
| Astonishment - | - an emotional reaction to sudden circumstances that does not have a clearly defined positive or negative sign. Serves to extinguish the existing activity of the nervous system and to prepare the body for activity in a new situation. |
| Interest - | - an emotional reaction to something new, a source of motives for learning and creativity. |
| Sadness (grief, suffering) - | - an emotional signal of the inability to satisfy vital needs. It manifests itself in chained thoughts to the object of sadness, tears, bitterness in the mouth. Sadness slows down the pace of life, gives you the opportunity to look back, see the future, and in this sense is an adequate state. |
| Anger - | - an emotional experience, negative in sign, usually occurring in the form of affect and caused by the sudden emergence of a serious obstacle to the satisfaction of an extremely important need for a person (pain, restriction of freedom, physical influence, etc.). Anger ensures the mobilization of all the forces of the body to fight. |
| Fear - | - a negative emotion that manifests itself when a person receives information about a real or imagined danger; emotional reaction to danger. Fear is a way of activity and protection from strong shocks. |
| Disgust - | - a negative emotional experience caused by objects (objects, people, circumstances, etc.), contact with which comes into sharp conflict with the ideological, moral or aesthetic principles and attitudes of a person. In evolution it arose as a defense against poisoning. |
| Contempt - | - a negative emotion that arises in interpersonal relationships and is generated by a mismatch in life positions, views and behavior with the life positions, views and behavior of the object of experience. Contempt is the rejection of another person. |
| Shame - | - a social emotion that expresses the subject’s awareness of the inconsistency of his actions, thoughts, appearance with the expectations of other people and his own ideas. The experience of shame is an indicator of condemnation of one’s actions and the desire to correct them. |
| Guilt - | - an emotion that arises when moral and ethical standards . Without the individual’s acceptance of social norms, social norms do not arise. Guilt expresses a person’s condemnation of his action and himself, accompanied by a decrease in self-esteem, repentance and a desire to improve. Experiencing the emotion of guilt is similar to experiencing shame. |
| Mood - | - a stable, weakly expressed, relatively long-lasting experience that colors a person’s behavior and activity for a considerable time. The reasons are not always clear to the person experiencing them, but they always exist and can be determined. Mood depends on health, self-esteem, level of aspirations, character, etc. It is an emotional reaction not to the direct impact of certain events, but to their significance in a person’s life in the context of his life plans, interests and expectations. Mood is an individual’s unconscious assessment of how favorable circumstances are for him. Can be joyful and sad, cheerful and depressed, cheerful and depressed, calm and irritated. It indicates that a person is determined and ready to react in a certain way. S.L. Rubinstein believed that, 1) it is not objective, but personal; 2) this is not a special experience dedicated to some particular event, but a diffuse, general state. Other people, their attitude, their attention, care, even just their facial expressions shape a person’s mood. Repeated often, mood can become a stable personality trait (pessimists and optimists). The older a person is, the more stable and constant his mood becomes. Mood leaves a significant imprint on a person’s behavior: it can stimulate or suppress his activity. When a positive mood prevails, a person easily experiences temporary failures and disappointments. Therefore, it is important to be able to manage your mood (through reflection, self-knowledge, introspection, mastery of the means of mental self-regulation). |
| Affect - | - an emotional experience that arises suddenly, quickly takes possession of a person, proceeds rapidly, characterized by a change in consciousness, a violation of volitional control. It occurs in extreme conditions, when a person does not see a constructive way out of an existing situation. The cause of affect is most often a conflict between a person’s strong attraction, desire, desire for something and the objective impossibility of satisfying the urges that arise. When affected, the volume of consciousness narrows and is limited to a small number of ideas and perceptions that are closely related to the emotion being experienced, and all the forces of the body are mobilized. The forms of its manifestation are anger, delight, ecstasy, horror, despair or stupor, stiffness. The affect ends with a loss of strength, fatigue and even fainting, since extremely strong excitement, having passed the limit of the working capacity of nerve cells, is replaced by unconditional protective inhibition, emotional shock. Impaired consciousness can lead to the inability to subsequently remember episodes of the event that caused the affect, or the event as a whole ( complete amnesia ). Expressing emotions in the form of affect is not desirable. With the exception of rare cases of the development of pathological affect, accompanied by deep clouding of consciousness, a person is responsible for his actions committed in a state of passion. It would be wrong to think that affect is completely uncontrollable. Despite the apparent suddenness, it has certain stages of development. And if at the final stages, when a person completely loses control over himself, it is almost impossible to stop, then in the beginning any normal person can do this. Of course, this requires enormous volitional efforts, all the more significant the more the affective state has developed. The most important thing here is to delay the onset of affect, “extinguish” the outbreak, restrain yourself, and not lose control over your behavior. There are special techniques that help a person cope with a strong emotion and prevent it from turning into passion. To do this, it is recommended to notice and realize an unwanted emotion in time, analyze its origins, release muscle tension and relax using the following techniques: breathe deeply and rhythmically; attract a pre-prepared “duty image” of a pleasant event in your life; try to look at yourself from the outside, separate the experience itself from the object that “caused it,” etc. Thus, affect can be prevented, but this requires endurance, self-control, special training, and the development of moral qualities of the individual. Almost all experienced affects are remembered. Their influence on the psyche is so great that often even a memory causes a reaction of trace affect. A person, in his memory, seems to be reliving it. Having studied the mechanism of trace affect, A.R. Luria in the early 1930s. created the first lie detector. Its action was based on the fact that when naming words associated with experienced affect, a person unconsciously exhibits a complex of vegetative and motor reactions. Initially, the lie detector was used to answer questions during the interrogation of defendants and witnesses. Now it is not used in domestic criminology, firstly, for ethical reasons, and secondly, because of the possibility of obtaining unreliable information, i.e. the same type of change in vegetative indicators occurs with different emotions. |
| Stress – Physiological stress – Information stress – Emotional stress – Depression – | - neuropsychic stress caused by extremely strong extreme exposure; the state of the necessary total mobilization of the body’s forces and mental activity to find a way out of a very difficult, dangerous situation (Enikeev M.I.). - this is a nonspecific response of the body to any demand presented to it, which helps it adapt to the difficulty that has arisen and cope with it (G. Selye). With the help of stress, the body mobilizes itself entirely to adapt to a situation that cannot be dealt with by ordinary means. Stress is a natural part of human life, and not all stress is harmful. Stress, according to Hans Selye (1907-1982), a Canadian biologist, physician and psychologist, is a nonspecific response of the body to any demand presented to it (adaptation syndrome). It manifests itself in incoherence of speech, confusion, memory impairment, etc. It occurs in three stages (G. Selye): 1) anxiety – mobilization of all the body’s defenses to adapt to a situation that cannot be dealt with by conventional means (eustress). This is manifested in the intensification of the work of internal organs, in improving the volume and stability of attention, and in increasing efficiency. A person is internally ready to overcome obstacles; he is characterized by faith in success. But already at this stage, increased excitation from the centers of the brain spreads to the peripheral parts and internal organs; 2) stabilization - the situation is consolidated, there is an overexpenditure of adaptive forces (distress). All systems of the body, brought out of balance, begin to function at the maximum level. Externally, the behavior differs little from the norm, everything seems to be getting better, but internally there is an overexpenditure of adaptation reserves. If the effect of stress factors continues, the third stage begins; 3) exhaustion, resulting in deterioration in health, illness (nervous or somatic ) and even death. A feature of stress is that a person reacts not only to danger or a real worsening of the situation, but also to the threat of it. For example, stress often arises not only in the situation of job loss or divorce, but also in the fear of losing a job or in anxious anticipation of the breakdown of a marital relationship. Behavior under stress is different from affective behavior. Under stress, a person, as a rule, can control his emotions, analyze the situation, and make adequate decisions. If it lasts for a long time, serious problems arise. People experience stress in different ways (lion stress (danger spurs a person, forces him to act boldly and courageously; activity increases, forces are mobilized, activity efficiency increases) or rabbit stress (can cause disorganization of activity, a sharp drop in its effectiveness, passivity and general braking)). Not a single person manages to live and work without experiencing stress. Everyone experiences severe life losses, conflicts, and stress when performing difficult or responsible work from time to time. Some people cope with stress more easily than others, e.g. are stress resistant. Based on the type of stressor and the nature of its influence, stress is distinguished between physiological and psychological. — the body’s reaction to a threatening situation (pain, blood loss, breathing problems, etc.). Psychological stress is divided into informational and emotional. - a type of stress that occurs in a situation of significant information overload, when a person cannot cope with the task of processing incoming information and does not have time to make the right decisions at the required pace (especially with high responsibility for the consequences of decisions made). This type of stress is characterized by a decrease in the volume and concentration of attention, increased distractibility, inability to concentrate, memory deterioration, an increase in the number of errors and wrong decisions, thinking becomes confused, unable to assess existing conditions or predict results. — a type of stress (R. Lazarus) that occurs when a person is emotionally overloaded; Most authors associate its occurrence with situations of threat, resentment, danger, etc. The consequences of this type of stress are the following. Tension, anxiety, and restlessness increase. Painful suspiciousness appears, the feeling of health disappears. Sleep gets worse. The consumption of drugs and stimulants is increasing. Personality characteristics change: neat people can become slobs, sociable people can become gloomy and withdrawn. Life goals can be abandoned, hobbies abandoned. Depression, feelings of helplessness, or emotional outbursts may occur. Responsibility for what happens is often placed on other people. Thoughts and phrases containing a threat of suicide arise. — an affective state characterized by a negative emotional background, a change in the motivational sphere (decreased or complete lack of interest in the world around us, etc.), cognitive ideas and general passivity of behavior. Ways to reduce the psychotraumatic impact of stressful situations: 1) rationalization of an impending negative event, its comprehensive analysis, reducing the degree of its uncertainty, getting used to it, preliminary adjoining to it, eliminating the effect of surprise; 2) depreciation, reduction in the significance of a stressful situation; 3) extreme mental intensification of possible negative consequences of upcoming events (reality may turn out to be easier than expected crisis situations). |
| Emotional burnout - | — the mental state of healthy people who are in intensive and close communication with clients and patients in an emotionally charged atmosphere when providing professional assistance; manifests itself in emotional and/or physical devastation: a feeling of emotional tension and a feeling of emptiness; in this case, an indifferent and even negative attitude arises towards people served by the nature of their work, the consequences of which are irritability and conflict. Emotional burnout also leads to a decrease in labor productivity, self-esteem competence, increased dissatisfaction with oneself and a negative attitude towards oneself as an individual. Reasons : monotony and monotony of work, inadequate management, lack of conditions for career and professional growth, professional inconsistency, socio-psychological disadaptation, etc. Internal conditions influencing the occurrence of emotional burnout: accentuations of a certain type of character, high anxiety, high aggressiveness, conformity, inadequate level of aspirations, etc. Emotional burnout hinders professional and personal growth and, like stress, leads to psychosomatic disorders. Means of prevention: optimization of working conditions, psychological correction of emotional disorders in the early stages, etc. |
| Anxiety - | - a state of unconscious threat, a feeling of apprehension and anxious anticipation, or a feeling of vague anxiety. |
| Anxiety - | — a person’s tendency to experience anxiety, a state of conscious or unconscious anticipation of the impact of a stressor, frustrator; a fairly stable personality trait. |
| Panic - | - a motivational mental state associated with the manifestation of mass fear of a real or imaginary threat, a state of periodic fear, horror, growing in the process of mutual infection by them. |
| Frustration - | - an extremely emotionally intense negative state associated with the emergence of an obstacle that is insurmountable for a given individual in achieving a goal that is significant to him. (Enikeev M.I.) If the causes of frustration cannot be eliminated, a deep depressive state may occur, associated with significant and prolonged disorganization of the psyche (weakening of memory, ability to think logically, etc.). It manifests itself in unbearably painful, oppressive mental stress, in a feeling of despair, hopelessness, extreme aggressiveness towards the frustrator. The depth depends on the significance of the target being blocked and its proximity. Neuroses and character deformations may also occur: persistent self-doubt, low self-esteem and level of aspirations, rigidity (inability to change behavior programs). The intractability of frustration is due to the fact that a person cannot eliminate the causes of this condition. Therefore, he looks for some kind of compensating outlets, goes into the world of dreams, and sometimes returns to earlier stages of mental development (regresses). A person’s resistance to frustrators depends on the degree of his emotional excitability, type of temperament , and experience of interaction with such factors. What to do? Behave rationally, lower your level of claims, come to terms with difficulties, etc. |
| Euphoria - | - a mental state (mood), which is characterized by carelessness, serenity, complacency, carelessness and at the same time an indifferent attitude towards the serious aspects and phenomena of life. Euphoria is caused by alcohol, drugs, spectators for artists, etc. |
Feelings
Feelings are the most developed and complex form of emotional processes in a person; they are formed under the conditions of his life in society.
Higher feelings are a special form of experience associated with more complex spiritual needs, which contain all the richness of truly human relationships. The objects of these feelings are individuals, groups of people, cultural objects, works of art and literature. The education of higher feelings is of a cultural and historical nature, associated with the awareness and acceptance of universal human values, knowledge of national characteristics, folk traditions and rituals (MSPU).
Types of emotions
The most ancient and primitive type of emotional states are states of pleasure and displeasure, which are classified as the simplest organic sensitivity. These experiences are associated with the satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) of natural needs and are felt by a person even more physiologically than psychologically. For example, when, after a long and tiring day spent on your feet, you sit down in a soft, comfortable chair.
But most of our emotional states are “humanized,” that is, they are conscious in nature and associated with activity and social relationships.
Moods
This is the most generalized type of emotional states. Moods, on the one hand, are weakly expressed, and on the other hand, they create the background of all our activities, as if coloring our life at one stage or another.
The mood is quite stable. Changing it depends not only on the situation, but also on personal characteristics. In people with a mobile nervous system, moods are less stable and change frequently.
The most important characteristic of mood is its non-objective character. This emotional state creates a background, but is not associated with a specific subject. Although a person may well be aware of the circumstance that spoiled his mood, the emotion itself extends not only to this circumstance, but also affects activity (everything falls out of hand, you want to quit everything, etc.) and interpersonal relationships. Often we take our bad mood out on those who have nothing to do with it, or share our joyful well-being with the whole world.
Emotions
Actually, emotions (in the narrow sense) and feelings are quite close and similar, and psychologists are still arguing which of these emotional states can be attributed to a higher level and which is more primitive. But this is important for science, but does not play a role in everyday life.
Emotions themselves are more short-lived than moods, but also more clearly expressed. The power of expression of emotions is also much higher than that of mood. Emotions are more conscious of a person, and he clearly differentiates them: joy and anger, fear and hatred, pleasure and hostility.
But the main difference between emotions and moods is that they are objective and aimed at a specific object or situation. These emotional states are social in nature, that is, they are part of the communication process; a person conveys his emotions (with the help of facial expressions, pantomime, intonation, gestures) to other people and is able to perceive them, empathize, and sympathize with others.
Emotions have another unique feature - we are able to experience them in relation not only to a real situation, but also to an imaginary one. Memories and adventures of the heroes of books and films can also evoke emotions.
Feelings
This type of emotional state, just like emotions, is associated with certain objects. We love or hate very specific people, phenomena and situations. It is generally impossible to love, to experience feelings of respect or hostility. But feelings are longer lasting, more stable than emotions, deeper and more varied. And we can also say that feelings are more socialized and depend on a person’s interaction with the people around him. Therefore, feelings are varied, and there are several types of them:
- objective feelings are the largest variety of feelings associated with various aspects of human existence; these include, for example, admiration and disgust, feelings of the sublime and a sense of humor (comic);
- moral feelings are associated with relationships in society (love, hatred, sense of duty, friendship, envy, etc.);
- intellectual feelings are associated with cognitive needs (curiosity, inquisitiveness, a sense of mystery, doubt, confidence, etc.);
- aesthetic feelings arise in response to the perception of the beautiful or ugly in nature and art; in general, they can be characterized as the experience of pleasure or displeasure, pleasure or disgust, etc.
This classification, of course, is not entirely accurate and complete, since any feeling is essentially subjective. But it reflects quite well the diverse and colorful palette of human feelings.
Affect and stress
Affect is a very strong and vivid emotional response to a sudden situation that threatens a person’s health and life. The effects are short-lived, but they are expressed in a sharp activation of all the protective functions of the body. We can say that all the strength and hidden reserves of a person are directed towards getting rid of the cause of such strong negative emotions.
Cases are described when, in a state of passion, people jumped over four-meter fences and climbed tall trees. There was even a case recorded when a woman, saving a child from under the wheels of a car, was able to turn it over into a ditch by hitting the side of a small truck with her hands.
The peculiarity of affect is that it is accompanied not only by a powerful release of physical and emotional energy, but also by a state of altered consciousness. It manifests itself in a person’s loss of rational control over his actions. The subject seems to fall out of reality, and then cannot remember what he did in a state of passion. In criminology, murders committed in this state are classified as special types of crimes, since the person is not aware of his actions and does not control them.
After the affect comes a “rollback” - having used up all his strength, even internal reserves, a person feels weak, his hands tremble, his legs become “wobbly,” and sometimes he even loses consciousness.
Stress is similar to affective states in that it occurs as a response to a traumatic or threatening situation. But it is less strong and longer lasting. What is important is that stress is not accompanied by a change in consciousness and a shutdown of rational control. Although a person immersed in the cycle of his problems may not realize that he lives in a state of stress.
Stress also activates the body’s strengths, not only physical, but also intellectual. But in the initial stages this is felt as increased tone and a kind of stimulation of activity, and internal reserves are not spent. Only prolonged stress is harmful to a person, which leads to overload of the nervous system, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even depression.
