252 Emotions

What Are Emotions?
 Made up of four components:

 Physiological Feelings
 Nonverbal Reactions
 Cognitive Interpretations
 Verbal Expressions
Physiological Feelings
 Strong Emotions trigger bodily
changes
 Increased heart rate
 Rise in BP
 Slowing of digestion
 Physiological messages can offer
clues to your emotions once you
become aware of them
Nonverbal Reactions
 Not all physical changes
accompany emotions
 Easy to tell when one experiences
a strong emotion, but hard to
determine the exact emotion being
conveyed
 Facial expressions mimic feelings
Cognitive
Interpretations
 Our minds play an important role in
determining how we feel
 What we think determines our
particular feeling.
Verbal Expressions
 We cannot always rely on
perceptiveness to make sure the
message is conveyed
appropriately
 Emotional intelligence
Types of Emotions
Emotional Intelligence
 The ability to recognize which
feelings are appropriate in which
situations and the skill to
communicate those feelings
effectively.
Typical Emotions
 Anger
 Anxiety
 Content
 Disgust
 Fear
 Gratitude
 Guilt
Typical Emotions
 Happiness
 Jealousy
 Joy
 Pleasure
 Relief
 Sadness
 Surprise
Influences on Emotion
Major Influences
 Personality
 Culture
 Biological Sex and Gender
 Power
 Social Conventions
 Social Roles
 Fear of Disclosure
 Emotional Contagion
Personality
 Extroverted vs. Introverted
 Neurotic vs. Non-neurotic
Culture
 Universal expression of emotions
 happiness
 sadness
 surprise
 anger
 disgust
 fear
 Situational Differences
 Degree of Expression Differences
Culture Continued...
 Ethnicity
 Blacks
 Asians
 Whites
 Individualism vs. Collectivism
 external display
 internal experience
 Data from study
Biological Sex and
Gender
Women
 more attuned
 better memories of emotional images
 more intense reactions
 larger range of emotions
 Men
 Reveal positive emotions (NOT
negative ones)
 More likely to disclose to women
Power
 The less powerful individual is
more aware of emotions of the
more powerful person
 Intimidation factor
Social Conventions
 direct expression of emotions
 ex. United States
 indirect expression of emotions
 ex. Japan
 Individualism-Collectivism
impacts??
Social Roles
 Emotional usage is decreased due
to acceptable social roles.
 One loses the ability to show
certain emotions when they are
continually repressed.
Fear of Self-Disclosure
 Example: It’s hard for a boss to
admit when he/she is wrong
 Those that disclose can be
misunderstood
 Affection = romantic invitation
 Uncertainty = weakness
 Honesty can cause discomfort
 Honesty can be used against you
Emotional Contagion
 Definition: When one becomes
influenced by the emotions of
others around them.
 Varying degrees
 Fast process with no verbal
communication needed.
Others…
 EVERYTHING influences emotion!!
 Religion, individual personal
experiences etc.
 Regardless of influences on
emotions, there are healthy and
unhealthy ways to express them.
 The next section looks into the
guidelines of healthy emotional
expressions.
Guidelines for
Expressing Emotions
Advice and Techniques for
Effective Emotional
Expression
Effects of Emotional
Expression
 Emotional expression has a
tremendous effect on health and
well-being.
 Physiological effects
 Relational effects
Physiological Effects
 Emotional suppression increases risk of
physical problems such as, cancer,
asthma, heart disease (DeAngelis, 1992).
 Emotional inhibition also causes a
increased risk for psychological problems,
such as, anxiety or depression (Krause et
al., 2003).
 Overly aggressive expression can lead to
high blood pressure and increased stress
(Mayne, 1993).
 A healthy balance is key.
Relational Effects
 Pent-up emotions are harder to control
and more likely to be expressed
violently.
 Lack of expression leads to
relationship stagnation.
 Healthy emotional expression
increases intimacy, promotes
relationship growth, and allows
problems to be fixed before they
escalate.
Steps to Healthy
Emotional Expression
 Recognize Your Feelings.

 Choose the Best Language.
 Share Multiple Feelings.
 Recognize the Difference Between
Feeling and Acting.
 Accept Responsibility for Your
Feelings.
 Choose the Best Time and Place.
Recognize Your
Feelings
 Pay attention to your body.
 Know your “emotional triggers”.
 Don’t underestimate the importance of

feelings.
 Watch your gestures.

Choose the Best
Language
 “Wanting” isn’t the same thing as “feeling”.
 Don’t rely on common adjectives.
 Be specific.
 Use metaphors or examples.
 State the cause of the emotion when

possible.
Share Multiple Feelings
 Feelings are all related.
 Same event can cause many

different emotions.
 Express as many emotions as

possible.
 Don’t be afraid to elaborate.

Recognize the
Difference Between
Feeling and Acting
 Don’t try to be a hero.
 Don’t pretend to feel something you don’t.
 Simply acting on feelings does not always

alleviate them.
 Feelings do not always have to lead to

action.
Accept Responsibility for
Your Feelings
 Don’t blame others for your
feelings in your expression, even if
they are the cause.
 Don’t try to hide or cover up your

feelings to please someone else.
Choose the Best Time
and Place
 Give yourself some time to prepare.
 Plan out what you are going to say;
write it down if you like.
 Don’t have an emotional discussion
when you are tired, sick, or under
severe stress.
 Devote the necessary time.
 Make sure the other person is
prepared to listen.
When Not to Express
Emotions
 If you are sure you will have
difficulty controlling your emotions.
 If the other person is unable to
listen at that moment.
 If the consequences might be
worse than dealing with the
emotions (authority figure).
 Look for an indirect route.
 Enlist a third party or mediator.
Expressing Positive
Emotions
 Most people associate emotional
expression with problems or difficulties.
 Happiness is also an emotion.
 Feel free to express happiness,
confidence, success and contentment.
 Praise and complement your significant
other when you are proud of them.
 Surround yourself with people who will
be happy for you.
 Must be aware of the time and place!
Summary
 Emotional expression is healthy and
necessary for good relationships.
 Know how you feel and why you feel
it.
 Express your emotions calmly and
specifically.
 “Acting out” isn’t necessary.
 Choose your time and place carefully.
 Don’t be afraid to express positive
emotions!
 It is true that healthy emotional
expression can be more difficult for
certain emotions
 The next section involves a wide
range of feelings that affect our
communication skills.
Managing Difficult
Emotions
Facilitative and
Debilitative Emotions
 Facilitative Emotions- emotions
that contribute to effective
functioning
 Debilitative Emotions- emotions
that hinder or prevent effective
performance
Characteristics of
 Intensity
 Duration
Irrational Thoughts That
Can Lead to Debilitative
Emotions
 Fallacy of Perfection- A
communicator should handle all
situations well
 Very inspiring, but unrealistic
Emotions
 Fallacy of Approval- A
communicator has to constantly
obtain everyone’s approval
 Communicator sacrifices their own
principles and/or happiness
Emotions
 Fallacy of Should- A communicator
doesn’t distinguish between what
is and what should be
 Communicator often wants others
to behave differently
Emotions
 Fallacy of Overgeneralization- A
communicator doesn’t distinguish
between what is and what should
be
 Communicator often wants others
to behave differently
Emotions
 Fallacy of Causation- A
communicator feels they shouldn’t
do anything to hurt or
inconvenience others
 Often communicator’s needs are
overlooked
Emotions
 Fallacy of Helplessness- Forces
beyond a communicators control
determine their satisfaction
 Causes the communicator to feel
like a victim
Emotions
 Fallacy of Catastrophic
Expectations- A communicator
believes if something bad can
happen, it will
 Causes ruminations of thoughts
and feelings
How to Minimize
 Monitor your emotional reactions
 Note activating/triggering events
 Specific people
 Specific events
 Dispute irrational events
 Why they are irrational events
 Why your have them
References
 Adler, R.B., Rosenfeld, L.B., & Proctor, R.F. (2004).
Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal
Communication (9th ed.). New York: Oxford University
Press.
 DeAngelis, T. (1992). Illness linked with repressive style

of coping. APA Monitor, pp. 14-15.
 Krause, E.D., Mendelson, T. & Lynch, T.R. (2003).

Childhood emotional invalidation and adult
psychological distress: The mediating role of emotional
inhibition. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27(2), p 199-214.
 Mayne, T.J. (1999). Negative affect and health: The

importance of being earnest. Cognition and Emotion,
13(5), pp. 201-236.

252 Emotions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

252 Emotions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Read this document in other languages

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

252 Emotions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Are Emotions?

 Made up of four components:

 Recognize Your Feelings.

 Know your “emotional triggers”.

 Don’t underestimate the importance of

 Watch your gestures.

 Don’t rely on common adjectives.

 Use metaphors or examples.

 State the cause of the emotion when

 Same event can cause many

 Express as many emotions as

 Don’t be afraid to elaborate.

 Don’t pretend to feel something you don’t.

 Simply acting on feelings does not always

 Feelings do not always have to lead to

 Don’t try to hide or cover up your

 DeAngelis, T. (1992). Illness linked with repressive style

 Krause, E.D., Mendelson, T. & Lynch, T.R. (2003).

 Mayne, T.J. (1999). Negative affect and health: The

You might also like