This article includes an analysis of what emotions are according to some good authors. Your concepts and examples will be described in the best possible way so that you can understand it, so you can analyze the sequence of events that begins with the occurrence of a stimulus and ends with a conscious emotional experience.
For some authors the answer to define the word emotion encompasses the determination or ability that develops and possesses the human being to determine feelings, because these are responses to bodily changes caused by perceived emotional expressions. That is to say, emotion is differentiated from other mental states because it will be accompanied by physical responses that give rise to internal bodily sensations.
Emotion has the peculiarity of being a physiological response that accompanies a state in which physical energy is used. There is an author who believed that the physical responses that constitute the emergency reaction were produced by the action of the autonomic nervous system, since before a stimulus nerve impulses transport information to the cerebral cortex where the thought is processed and the thalamus who regulates the physical change.
The study of the theories of emotions has a considerable historical trajectory, where the emotion of different aspects is analyzed in order to be able to explain the stimulus-feeling sequence.
Finnish researchers carried out field studies with 700 volunteers and concluded that the body sensations perceived by thermal images are closely related to feelings and emotions and show that they play a key role in the process of experiencing emotions, they managed to relate the emotions that are shown in the picture with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
If, for example, we were not afraid, how would we know when we are in danger? We would not react. Among other examples, it can be indicated that having fear, there is an accelerated heart sensation, which makes us think of an imminent danger, obtaining in response an escape or confrontation to the particular situation. If we are sad we notice heaviness in the body, we think negatively about ourselves or others and the most natural reaction is to stop doing things.
The physical responses we experience make emotions different from other non-emotional states of the mind. All emotions help us face the situations that occur daily in the world and in our lives. All are important and useful when it comes to fulfilling their function. Emotions are the most human component of people, which makes us different from other animals.
As children grow up, they manage to experience the different emotions that adults, therefore, it is essential to guide them and teach them correctly about the function that each of them fulfills, so that they do not feel confused and are able to face them. correctly, that is why it is recommended not to try to avoid unpleasant emotions or that we do not like.
According to the emotions, we can perceive diversity of objects, things, situations and we evaluate it many times unconsciously and the conscious experience of the emotion that we feel in any of those moments, makes us give an answer, produces a reaction in us. Besides being very complicated, it is also unnatural. If we know and accept the different emotions, we will be able to learn to handle them correctly.
Emotions quickly organize the responses of different biological systems, including facial expressions, muscles, voice, activity of the SNA and the endocrine system, and may aim to establish an optimal body environment for the best and effective behavior.
However, there are many emotions that a child can have throughout the day. And the first thing you should know is how they are and what they are for. And just as important is to teach him that they are not dangerous and that he should not fear them.
In this stage the social part is emphasized in the recognition of emotions, in this sense the self-evaluation develops from the interaction with others. Additionally, they already consider that all emotions are acceptable. That is why it is recommended to use a table as shown in the image, as part of the child's training, when talking with their parents about daily emotions, which will allow them to know and differentiate them. This table was developed by the Andújar Orientation staff and is considered very helpful when reflecting on the child's emotions.
The different responses or reactions that provoke emotions can be good or bad; that's why, between 11 and 15 years old, you recognize your own emotions and those of other people, as well as the rules of expression; however, at this stage, problems in the management of emotions are experienced.
In adulthood, it is expected that the subject has the ability to identify and recognize their own emotions and those of others, as well as exercise appropriate control of these, taking into account emotional intelligence.
In short, with the passage of age, various changes of emotions are generated, and these impact on the conception of the self and the environment, in that sense, during emotional development, culture and society have great influence on the emotions, since they regulate their expression.
According to James and Lange (1884) emotions are a sequence of events that begins with the occurrence of a stimulus and ends with a conscious emotional experience.Some of the emotions expressed as human beings are currently represented graphically, such is the case of the faces with expressions identified as emoticons, so how is it always good to ask the why of things, why do they exist? What are they? what are they for? And so get to discover things that can be very useful throughout our lives. There are many hypotheses about what emotions we feel as human beings, and that throughout life, since we are born we begin to discover and experience. Emotions will always depend on the context of the environment or place where we are and the circumstances or experiences we may have during our life cycle. If you ever had the opportunity to see the comic series "The big bang Theory", you can see the main character "Sheldon", who according to does not express any emotion, however there are chapters in which if you express emotions, but they depend on the context, environment and experiences acquired. Our body is stimulated and reacts always according to the environment or simply to our own organism. Such is the strength of emotions, that it would be best to define them as experiences or emotional states, because they encompass a whole series of responses that can be prolonged over time, they also manage to mark the experience of coming experiences, learning from them. That is, emotions are differentiated from non-emotional states of mind by the presence of evaluations in their causal sequence, and also, different emotions are differentiated because the different tendencies caused by different actions, which give rise to feelings. From the moment we are born we begin to have this type of responses or bodily reactions in our body, all the emotions help us to face the situations that occur to us daily in the world and in our life. All are important and useful when it comes to fulfilling their function, so it is necessary to understand that we should not try to avoid emotions that we do not like. The human being learns from their experiences, motivated by their ability to feel, reacting in one way or another. And this we do from very little ones. First, a good emotional education includes teaching that there are no "good" or "bad" or "harmful" and "dangerous" emotions. Each and every one of the emotions are necessary. They are innate and natural to the human being, and we need them because they all fulfill their function, including the so-called negative emotions.
The various emotional states are caused by the release of neurotransmitters (or neuromediator) or hormones, which then convert these emotions into feelings and finally into language. The emotions expressed through our behavior establish our position with respect to the environment, and they impel us towards certain people, objects, actions, ideas and distance us from others. Emotions also act as a repository of innate and learned influences. They have certain invariable characteristics and others that show some variation between individuals, groups and cultures (Levenson, 1994).There are many emotions, and in various situations each person can react in a different way, however, to better identify the citizen Plutchik created the Wheel of Emotions in 1980, which consisted of eight basic emotions and eight advanced emotions, each composed of two basic emotions. It shows the interrelation of human emotions. Among these different emotions we can mention the following, known as the most elementary:
- Happiness: happiness has also been said to relate to life satisfaction, appreciation of life, moments of pleasure, but overall it has to do with the positive experience of emotions.
- Anger: anger can occur when a person feels their personal boundaries are being or are going to be violated. Some have a learned tendency to react to anger through retaliation as a way of coping.
- Sadness: sensation of despair, melancholy, pessimism, etc., in the face of a loss. It helps us to indicate that we need some time for ourselves, to think about what happened and to process it properly. Also, it is a sign that shows that we need support from others.
- Fear: alarm response to a real or anticipated threat or danger. It serves to put us on alert and focus our attention on the best possible solution.
- Surprise: astonishment or bewilderment at something unexpected. It helps us to situate ourselves and focus on what we should do.
- Disgust: aversion to something that we dislike. It helps us to learn to recognize what we do not like, and thus move away and reject it.
- Confidence: is the belief that a person or group will be able and willing to act appropriately in a certain situation and thoughts.
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