Emotion

Emotion

A brief state involving coordinated physiological, subjective, and behavioural responses.

Key features of Emotion

Brief duration, physiological changes, subjective feelings, and behavioural expression.

Emotion-inducing stimulus

An internal or external event that triggers an emotional response.

Physiological arousal

Bodily changes such as altered heart rate, breathing, and hormone levels during an emotional response.

Subjective experience

The personal feeling of the emotion, including its quality and intensity.

Behavioural expression

Observable signs of emotion, such as facial expressions, body language, and actions.

Common stimuli for Anger

Perceived injustice, blocked goals, threats to self-esteem.

Common stimuli for Fear

Physical danger, uncertainty, potential harm.

Common stimuli for Sadness

Loss of something important, helplessness.

Common stimuli for Disgust

Exposure to unpleasant stimuli or perceived violations of social norms.

Common stimuli for Surprise

Unexpected events or novelty.

Common stimuli for Happiness

Goal achievement, pleasant experiences, social connection.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

Regulates involuntary bodily functions involved in emotional responses.

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)

Activates the fight-or-flight response, preparing the body to respond to threats.

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

Promotes rest-and-digest functions and helps restore the body to a balanced state after arousal.

Fight-or-Flight Response

A rapid set of physiological and behavioural changes that prepares the body to deal with perceived threats.

Amygdala

Detects emotional significance, especially fear and threat.

Hippocampus

Links emotions to memories and contextual information.

Hypothalamus

Regulates hormonal and physiological responses associated with emotion.

Insula

Processes internal bodily awareness and emotions such as disgust.