Emotions Flashcards
What are the theories of emotional development?
- Differentiation theory
- Distinction theory
- Functionalistic theory
- Behavioural theory
Which theories are the theories of emotional development based on?
Charles Darwin’s theory that emotions are evolutionary adaptive
What does the differentiation theory of emotions say?
It says that humans are first born with just two emotions (satisfaction and discomfort)
These then get more and more distinct/differentiated
This also shows in facial expressions of a child
They go from biological reflex to complex socio cultural cognitive expressions
What does the Distinct emotion theory say?
It says that there are 6 basic emotions:
Interest
Disgust
Grief
Anger
Fear
Joy
At the beginning one has no control of them, but learns that.
Their meaning also changes culturally
These emotions cannot be divided, but can be connected for complex emotions.
Evidence shows that babies can have wildly differing reactions, to situations, but these get more stable later.
What does the behavioural theory of emotions say?
It says that we have emotions which are physiological reactions that then get associated with neutral stimuli.
This leads to response differentiation (aka more complex emotions)
What does the functionalistic theory of emotions say?
It looks at the relation of the person to the object that the emotion is focused on.
It sees emotion as a way to guide the person to either change or stabilize their inner state, their environment or prepare for action.
During a child’s development the objects change.
What are the 7 parts of emotions?
Bodily reactions (Heart frequency, body temperature, Cortisol levels, …)
Expression (posture, gestures, vocalization)
Direction (object)
Action (How emotions direct action)
Understanding of others emotions
Regulation
(conscious) Experience
What role does culture play in emotions?
Culture can influence how emotions should be expressed and which ones.
-> It will lead to reactions otherwise
Tabu emotions will be felt less
In individualistic cultures face2face interaction will mirror back and help the infant understand themselves.
In hierarchical cultures people try to anticipate what the child wants before emotional expression, because that is often shunned.
What are primary, secondary and social emotions?
Primary: Emotions that stem from a situational evaluation (Joy, Fear, anger)
Secondary: Emotions that stem from a self evaluation (Guilt, pride, embarrassment, envy)
Social: Emotions that are directed at others (love, hate, jealousy)
What is an emotion?
A fast physical feeling from an evaluation/reaction of a past/present/future situation.
What is the difference of an emotion to a feeling?
An emotion is a physical experience and a feeling is a cognitive experience
What are the types of smiles?
A reflexive smile
A social smile
When are reflexive smiles triggered in babies?
(And when do they appear?)
When the baby is in comfort and perceives (sees/hears) something familiar or exciting
They are a reflex since birth
When are social smiles triggered in babies? (And when do they appear and what can delay them?)
When the baby is in emotional comfort.
They appear after 6 weeks.
After 8 weeks the baby only smiles, when the attachment figure looks back
Sight issues can delay the social smile up to 6 months of age
When do babies begin to laugh and why?
At 3 months usually because of physical stimulation. This changes later on during life.
