Module 4: Emotions

What are emotions?

Feeling states that include physiological changes, cognitive interpretations and outward expression

Explain the factors of feeling states

1. Physiological changes - strong emotions lead to physiological changes (HR, BP)

2. Cognitive interpretations - reappraisal is rethinking the meaning of emotionally charged events in ways that alter their emotional impact

3. Outward expression - appearance, verbal and non-verbal behaviour

What are 6 influences on emotional expression?

1. Personality - extroverts vs. introverts, neurotic personalities, but personality does not have to govern emotions

2. Culture - same events can generate different feelings in different cultures

3. Gender - women vs. men

4. Social conventions and roles - reluctancy to send messages that are embarrassing of threaten face, people tend to act out rather than express their emotions

5. Social media - people express more emotion via mediated communication than they do in person

6. Emotional contagion - the spread of emotions between people

Define emotional labour

Situations where managing or even suppressing emotions is necessary and appropriate (first responders)

What are the 6 factors needed to express emotions effectively?

1. Recognise your feelings - affective or effective orientation

2. Choose the best language - emotional expression should be centred on specific circumstances rather than the person

3. Share multiple feelings - helps get the full picture

4. Recognise the difference between feeling and acting - just because you feel a certain way doesn’t mean you have to act a certain way

5. Accept responsibility for your feelings - people don’t make you like or dislike them, you are responsible for your feelings

6. Choose the best time and place to express your feelings

What is the difference between an affectively oriented person vs. an effectively oriented person?

Affectively oriented - aware of their emotional states and value their feelings when making decisions

Effective oriented - unaware of their emotional states and consider feelings as useless

Emotionally counterfeit statements

Statements that sound emotional but lack emotional content

What are facilitative emotions

Contribute to effective functioning

What are debilitative emotions?

Hinder or prevent effective functioning

What makes facilitative and debilitative emotions different?

Intensity - certain amounts of anger are constrictive if it stimulates someone to improve unsatisfying conditions. Rage can make things worse

Extended duration - debilitative feelings have an extended duration, you can ruminate on things

Define rumnation

Recurrent thoughts not demanded by the immediate environment

What is the rational-emotional approach?

The key to changing feelings is to change unproductive cognitive interpretations.

What are the 7 fallacies associated with debilitative emotions?

1. The fallacy of perfection

2. The fallacy of approval

3. The fallacy of should

4. The fallacy of overgeneralisation

5. The fallacy of causation

6. The fallacy of helplessness

7. The fallacy of catastrophic expectations

What is the fallacy of perfection?

• a good communicator should be able to handle all situations confidently and with skill

• this should be a goal or inspiration because it is unrealistic to maintain

What is the fallacy of approval?

• it is vital to receive everyone’s approval

• people will go to extreme lengths to achieve it, even betray their own principle

What is the fallacy of should?

• the inability to distinguish between what is and what should be

• “I should be more outgoing” vs “I wish I was outgoing, but I’m not so I’ll do what I’m comfortable with and try my best”

What is the fallacy of overgeneralisations?

• beliefs are based on limited amounts of evidence

• finding one task challenging does not make you unintelligent or incompetent

• “they never listen to me” vs. “they often don’t listen to me”

What is the fallacy of causation?

• people believe they should do nothing that can hurt or inconvenience others because it will cause undesirable feelings

• “I had to visit my grandparents this weekend” vs. “I chose to visit my grandparents this weekend, I’ll choose differently next time” - others are not responsible for your feelings

What is the fallacy of helplessness?

• forces beyond our control determine our satisfaction in life, people view themselves as victims

• “I was born with a shy personality” vs.”I tend to be shy around strangers, but I’m going to try branching out”

What is the fallacy of catastrophic expectations?

• the assumption that if something bad can happen, it priblale will

• can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy

What are 5 ways to minimise debilitative emotions?

1. Monitor your emotional reactions (recognise)

2. Note the activating event

3. Record your self talk

4. Dispute your irrational beliefs

5. Change your self talk