chapter 4-Experiencing and Expressing Emotions

emotion is:

• Triggered by our perception of outside events

• signified by physiological arousal

• determined by our awareness/labeling

• governed by preexisting norms

• reflected in verbal and nonverbal displays

Emotion-sharing

Involves disclosing emotions, talking about them, and pondering them

emotional contagion

occurs when the experience of the same emotion rapidly spreads from one person to others

feelings

“small emotions” that generate only limited arousal

moods

low intensity states that typically last longer than feelings or emotions

what are 6 primary emotions?

suprise, joy,disquest,anger,fear,sadness

blended emotions

experiencing 2 or more primary emotions simultaneously ei jelousy

personality shapes-

our experince and expression of emotions

3 OCEAN traits strongly influence emotion:

extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

rational emotive behavior therapy

helps neurotic patients purge themselves of negative beliefs

how does gender shape emotion?

• Contributes to our experience and expression of emotion

• In Western cultures, gender differences in emotion in part derived from the way men and women orient to interpersonal relationships

emotional intelligence:

ability to interpret your own and others emotions accuratley

emotionally intelligent people:

• Understand their own emotions

• Possess empathy

• Constructively manage their own emotions

• Harness their emotional states in positive ways

what are two terms for managing emotions after they happen

suppression and venting

Suppression

inhibiting thoughts, arousal, and outward behavioral displays of emotion

Venting

Allowing emotions to dominate our thoughts and explosively expressing them

4 strategies for preventing emotions

• encounter avoidance

• encounter structuring

• attention focus

• deactivation

encounter avoidance

• Understand their own emotions

• Possess empathy

• Constructively manage their own emotions

• Harness their emotional states in positive ways

encounter structuring

intentionally avoiding specific topics

attention focus

intentionally devoting your attention only to aspects of an event or encounter that you know will not provoke an undesired emotion.

deactivation

decide that they no longer want to feel anything. The result is an overall deadening of emotion.

Reappraisal

actively changing how you think about situations so their emotional impact is changed

anger

Driven largely by the perception that you have been improperly or unfairly blocked from reaching a goal 

chronic hostility

Near-constant state of 

arousal and negativity, resulting from suppression

online communication drawbacks

• Lack feedback

• Are less likely to perspective-take

• Are less likely to feel empathic concern

how to alleviate online conflict

• Invest effort into perspective-taking and empathic concern.

• Communicate empathy to online partners.

• Expect and tolerate aggressive messages.

passion

Passion is a combination of surprise and joy coupled with several other positive feelings.

grief

• ntense sadness following substantial loss

• To manage your grief, use emotion-sharing.

• To help others manage their grief, engage in supportive communication.