Describe basic emotional states. Coursework: Psychology of emotional states

Emotional condition- This is the direct experience of a feeling.

Depending on the satisfaction of needs, the states experienced by a person can be positive, negative or ambivalent(duality of experiences). Taking into account the nature of the impact on human activity, emotions are sthenic(encourage active activity, mobilize forces, for example, inspiration) and asthenic(they relax a person, paralyze his strength, for example, sadness). Some emotions can be both sthenic and asthenic at the same time. Different effects of the same feeling on activity different people due to the individual characteristics of the person and his volitional qualities. For example, fear can disorganize a cowardly person, but mobilize a courageous one.

According to the dynamics of the course, emotional states are long-term and short-term, according to intensity - intense and weakly expressed, according to stability - stable and changeable. Depending on the form of the course, emotional states are divided into mood, affect, stress, passion, frustration, higher feelings.

The simplest form emotional experience is emotional tone, i.e. emotional coloring, a peculiar qualitative shade of the mental process, prompting a person to preserve or eliminate them. The emotional tone accumulates a reflection of the most general and frequently occurring signs of useful and harmful factors of the surrounding reality and allows you to make a quick decision about the meaning of a new stimulus (a beautiful landscape, an unpleasant interlocutor). The emotional tone is determined by the personal characteristics of a person, the process of his activity, etc. The purposeful use of emotional tone allows one to influence the mood of the team and the productivity of its activities.

Mood- these are relatively long-lasting, sustainable mental states moderate or weak intensity, manifested as positive or negative emotional background mental life. Mood depends on social activities, worldview, orientation of a person, his state of health, time of year, environment.

Depression- This is a depressed mood associated with a weakening of excitement.

Apathy characterized by loss of strength and represents psychological condition caused by fatigue.

Affect- this is a short-term, violent emotion that has the character of an emotional explosion. The experience of affect is stage-specific. At the first stage, a person, seized by a flash of rage or wild delight, thinks only about the object of his feelings. His movements become uncontrollable, his breathing rhythm changes, and small movements are disrupted. At the same time, at this stage everyone mentally normal person can slow down the development of affect, for example, by switching to another type of activity. In the second stage, a person loses the ability to control his actions. As a result, he can commit actions that he would not have committed in his normal state. At the third stage, relaxation occurs, the person experiences states of fatigue and emptiness, and sometimes he is not able to remember episodes of events.

When analyzing an affective act, it is necessary to remember that the structure of this act does not have a goal, and the motive is the experienced emotions. To prevent the formation of an affective personality, it is necessary to teach schoolchildren methods of self-regulation and take into account their type of temperament in the process of education. Students with choleric and melancholic temperaments (the latter in a state of fatigue) are prone to affect.

The concept of “stress” was introduced into science by G. Selye. The scientist determined stress as a nonspecific reaction of the human (animal) body to any demand. Depending on the stress factor, physiological and mental stress are distinguished. The latter, in turn, is divided into informational(the emergency worker does not have time to make the right decision at the required pace in a situation of high responsibility) and emotional(occurs in situations of threat, danger, for example, during an exam). The body's response to stress is called general adaptation syndrome. This reaction includes three stages: the alarm reaction, the resistance phase and the exhaustion phase.

From the point of view of G. Selye, stress is not just nervous tension, it is not always the result of damage. The scientist identified two types of stress: distress and eustress. Distress occurs in difficult situations, with great physical and mental overload, when it is necessary to make quick and responsible decisions and is experienced with great internal tension. The reaction that occurs during distress resembles affect. Distress negatively affects the results of a person’s activities and has a detrimental effect on his health. Eustress, on the contrary, is positive stress that accompanies creativity and love, which has a positive impact on a person and contributes to the mobilization of his spiritual and physical strength.

Ways to adapt to stressful situation are rejection of it on a personal level ( psychological protection personality), complete or partial disconnection from the situation, “activity shift”, the use of new ways to solve a problematic task, the ability to carry out a complex type of activity despite tension. To overcome distress, a person needs physical movements that help activate the parasympathetic department of higher nervous activity; music therapy, bibliotherapy (listening to excerpts from works of art), occupational therapy, play therapy, as well as mastering self-regulation techniques.

Passion- a strong, stable, all-encompassing feeling, which is the dominant motive of activity, leads to the concentration of all forces on the subject of passion. Passion can be determined by a person's worldview, beliefs, or needs. In its direction, this emotional manifestation can be positive or negative (passion for science, passion for hoarding). When we're talking about about children, they mean hobbies. Truly positive hobbies unite a child with others and expand his sphere of knowledge. If a positive hobby isolates a child from his peers, then perhaps it compensates for the feeling of inferiority experienced by him in other areas of activity (in studies, sports) that are not related to his interests, which indicates a dysfunctional personality.

Frustration is a mental state caused by the appearance of insurmountable obstacles (real or imaginary) when trying to satisfy a need that is significant to the individual. Frustration is accompanied by disappointment, annoyance, irritation, anxiety, depression, and devaluation of the goal or task. For some people, this condition manifests itself in aggressive behavior or is accompanied by withdrawal into the world of dreams and fantasies. Frustration can be caused by a lack of abilities and skills necessary to achieve a goal, as well as by experiencing one of three types internal conflicts(K. Levin). This is: a) conflict of equal positive opportunities, which arises when it is necessary to choose in favor of one of two equally attractive prospects; b) conflict of equal negative possibilities, arising from a forced choice in favor of one of two equally undesirable prospects; V) conflict of positive-negative possibilities, arising from the need to accept not only the positive, but also the negative aspects of the same perspective.

The dynamics and forms of manifestation of states of frustration vary from person to person. Research shows that intelligence plays a special role in shaping the direction of emotional reactions. The higher a person’s intelligence, the more likely it is to expect an externally accusatory form of emotional reaction from him. People with less high intelligence are more likely to take the blame in situations of frustration.

Higher feelings of a person arise in connection with the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of his spiritual needs, with the fulfillment or violation of the norms of life he has learned and social behavior, progress and results of activities. Depending on the subject area to which they relate, higher feelings can be intellectual, moral and aesthetic.

TO intellectual feelings include experiences that arise in the process cognitive activity person (surprise, interest, doubt, confidence, feeling of something new, etc.). Intellectual feelings can be determined by the content, problematic nature of the activity, and the degree of complexity of the tasks being solved. Intellectual feelings, in turn, stimulate activity, accompany it, influence the course and results of a person’s mental activity, acting as its regulator.

Moral feelings include a moral assessment of an object, phenomenon, and other people. The group of moral feelings includes patriotism, love of profession, duty, collectivism, etc. The formation of these feelings presupposes the assimilation by a person of moral rules and norms, which are historical in nature and depend on the level of development of society, customs, religion, etc. The basis for the emergence of moral feelings are social interpersonal relationships that determine their content. Once formed, moral feelings encourage a person to perform moral actions. Violation of moral standards is fraught with the experience of shame and guilt.

Aesthetic feelings represent a person’s emotional attitude to beauty. Aesthetic feelings include a sense of the tragic, comic, ironic, sarcastic, and are manifested in assessments, tastes, and external reactions. They intensify activities and help to better understand art (music, literature, painting, theater).

Many psychologists believe that there are only three basic emotions: anger, fear and joy.

Anger is a negative emotion caused by frustration. The most common way to express anger is aggression- an intentional action intended to cause harm or pain. Ways to express anger include: direct expression feelings, indirect expression of feelings (transferring anger from the person who caused the frustration to another person or thing) and containing anger. Optimal options overcoming anger: thinking about the situation, finding something comic in it, listening to your opponent, identifying yourself with the person who caused anger, forgetting old grievances and strife, striving to feel love and respect for the enemy, awareness of your condition.

Joy is an active positive emotion that is expressed in good mood and a feeling of pleasure. A lasting feeling of joy is called happiness. According to J. Friedman, a person is happy if he simultaneously feels satisfaction with life and peace of mind. Research shows that people who have families, have active religious beliefs, and have good relationships with others are happier.

Fear is a negative emotion that arises in situations of real or perceived danger. Justified fears play an important adaptive role and contribute to survival. Anxiety- this is a specific experience caused by a premonition of danger and threat, and characterized by tension and concern. The state of anxiety depends on the problem situation (exam, performance) and on personal anxiety. If situational anxiety is a state associated with a specific external situation, then personal anxiety- stable personality trait constant an individual's tendency to experience anxiety. People with low personal anxiety are always calmer, regardless of the situation. Required relatively high level stress in order to trigger a stress response in them.

Glossary

Emotions, feelings, emotional state, positive emotional state, negative emotional state, ambivalent emotional state, sthenic emotional state, asthenic emotional state, emotional tone, mood, depression, apathy, affect, stress, information stress, emotional stress, general adaptation syndrome, distress, eustress, passion, frustration, higher feelings, intellectual feelings, aesthetic feelings, moral feelings, anger, aggression, joy, fear, anxiety, situational anxiety, personal anxiety.

Questions for self-control

1. Compare emotions and feelings. What are their similarities? What are the differences?

2. How does Charles Darwin explain the emergence of emotions?

3. What is the essence of the theory of cognitive dissonance?

4. Name emotional states depending on the form of their occurrence.

5. What is the specificity of affect?

6. How are stress and affect similar? What are the differences?

7. Is passion a feeling or an emotion?

8. What causes the experience of frustration?

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

St. Petersburg State Architecture and Construction

university

Department of practical psychology

EMOTIONS AND EMOTIONAL STATES

Teacher: Antoshkina Yu.M.

Performed by student Kameneva Ksenia TSB-1

St. Petersburg 2014

Introduction

1.1 Definition of emotion

1.2 Sources of emotion

1.4 How to understand emotions

Conclusion

Introduction

A person cannot remain indifferent to the world around him. Objects around him, events of which he becomes a witness or participant, evoke in a person various feelings, or, as they are otherwise called, emotions.

Joy, sadness, good or bad mood, fear, indignation, anger - all these are different emotional processes. They express a person's attitude to reality.

The nature of the experience depends on the meaning various items for a person, how much they satisfy his needs. The more fully an object satisfies a particular need, the stronger the positive feeling it evokes in a person.

1. Emotions and the emotional system

The theory of differential emotions starts from the fact that it recognizes the need to study individual emotions. However, the presence of a dozen fundamental emotions, which, in combination with drives and cognitive processes, form an innumerable variety of affective-cognitive structures, makes it extremely difficult to study human motivation. Izard K. Psychology of emotions. P. 43

1.1 Definition of emotion

The theory of differential emotions defines emotion as a complex process that has neurophysiological, neuromuscular and sensory-experiential aspects. The neurophysiological aspect of emotion is defined mainly in terms of the electrochemical activity of the central nervous system. Facial nerves, muscle tissue and proprioceptors of the facial muscles are also involved in the emotional process. It is assumed that emotion is a function of the somatic nervous system (which controls voluntary movements) and that somatically activated emotion mobilizes the autonomic nervous system (which regulates the activities of internal organs and systems, the state of the body’s tissues), and that in turn can reinforce and strengthen the emotion.

At the neuromuscular, or expressive, level, emotion manifests itself primarily in the form of facial activity, as well as pantomimic, visceral-endocrine and sometimes vocal reactions.

At the sensory level, emotion is an experience that has direct significance for the individual. The experience of emotion can trigger a process in consciousness that is completely independent of cognitive processes.

Emotion- not just an organismic reaction. It cannot be considered only as an action performed in response to some stimulating event or situation; it itself is a stimulus, or reason, for our actions. This statement seems especially true in relation to the emotion of interest, which plays an unusual role important role in our Everyday life, encouraging us to engage in one activity or another. Be that as it may, any activated emotion does not matter whether it is generated sensory information(for example, a painful sensation) or cognitive processes (evaluation, attribution) or was a response to a certain event - it itself has a motivating, organizing influence on our thoughts and actions. Right there.

Mood- the longest or “chronic” emotional state that colors all behavior. Mood is distinguished from emotions by less intensity, less stability, and less cognitive content. It reflects an unconscious generalized assessment of how this moment circumstances are developing. It is known that the same work in different moods can seem either easy and pleasant, or difficult and depressing. Mood is closely related to the relationship between a person’s self-esteem and the level of his aspirations. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to experience high mood. On the other hand, individuals with low self-esteem have a more pronounced tendency towards passive-negative emotional reactions, associated with the expectation of unfavorable outcomes. It can cause a refusal to act and a further reduction in claims, leading to a refusal to satisfy this need. However, the source that determines this or that mood is not always realized. Granovskaya R. Elements of practical psychology. P. 214

1.2 Sources of emotion

The sources of emotion can be described in terms of neural, affective, and cognitive processes. At the neural level, the origin of emotions can be explained as the result of the activity of certain mediators and brain structures with the help of which incoming information is assessed. At the affective level, emotion activation can be explained in terms of sensory-perceptual processes, and at the cognitive level, in terms of individual mental processes. In addition to cognitive ones, there are non-cognitive (neural, affective) sources of emotions. Izard K. Psychology of emotions. P. 45

Emotion can be caused directly by neurochemical and affective processes without the participation of cognitive ones. There is a genetically determined relationship between a specific emotion and the specific experience accompanying it, and their separate existence in consciousness is acquired. It follows from this that facial expression and a person’s reaction to his own emotion play an important role in the course and regulation of the emotional process.

1.3 Basic physiological signs of emotional states

1. external: change in motor activity (expression or slowing down to the point of hiding); expressive facial expressions; changes in the skin (redness or paleness); external manifestations of changes in breathing rhythm; manifestations of the work of sector glands (tears, sweat, specific odors); sometimes involuntary eruptions of the excretory system.

2. internal: change in breathing rhythm (choking from excitement, heavy or gusty breathing, increased or delayed breathing); change in pulse (heart stops or beats faster); increased blood pressure; increased muscle tone; strengthening the work of endocrine mechanisms (the role of adrenaline and norepinephrine is especially important); outflow of blood from the surface of the body (to reduce blood loss during possible external injuries) and some internal organs (for example, from the digestive tract) and increased blood supply to muscles (to ensure their intensive work).

1.4 How to understand emotions

Why does emotion arise?

On biological level emotion arises as a sensation caused by processes occurring in the nervous and muscular systems. If we look for the causes of emotion at the cognitive level, then perceptual-cognitive processes such as evaluation and attribution should be considered as activators of emotion. We must not forget that emotion is activated simultaneously by neurochemical, neuromuscular, affective, and cognitive processes. Izard K. Psychology of emotions. P. 50

What are the functions of emotions?

The functions of a specific emotion can be analyzed in terms of three levels. Firstly, emotion performs a specifically biological function, for example, directs blood sweat and energy resources from the smooth muscles of internal organs to the muscles responsible for movements, as happens when a person experiences the emotion of anger. Secondly, emotion has a motivating effect on the individual, organizing, directing and motivating his perception, thinking and behavior. The signaling aspect of the vital system of human interaction with other people consists of its emotional manifestations. Right there.

How do we learn to manage our emotions and regulate our emotional manifestations?

This is the main question that arises when studying human emotional development. As we grow up, we achieve a lot in this area, but the problem of regulating emotions remains relevant for us throughout our lives. In critical situations, in situations of chronic stress, when unpleasant events befall a person one after another, his ability to manage his emotions is significantly reduced.

Lazarus was one of the first to note the mediating role of psychological processes in the occurrence of stress and, above all, the processes of assessing both the stressful stimulus (or stressor) and the situation as a whole, as well as the processes of psychological defense, which involve protective processing of threatening information (Lazarus, 1970).

In the Lazarus experiment, the stressor used was documentary about a series of crude ritual surgical operations on the male genital organs during an initiation rite among one of the Australian Aboriginal tribes. During scenes depicting the ritual operations themselves, there was a marked increase in autonomic nervous system activity, as measured by skin conductance (GSR), as well as signs of behavioral stress.

Based on the premise that the stress response depends on the assessment of the impacting situation as threatening, Lazarus proposed that by changing the basis for assessing the degree of harm caused, stress reactions can be eliminated or reduced. The first soundtrack was of a traumatic nature, as it emphasized the harmful aspects of events, the second was of a denying nature (where any harm to the depicted event was denied - “denial”), the third was of an impartial narration nature (“intellectualization”). The degree of threat and physiological indicators of stress generated by the film were then compared in a silent version and in three different sound versions. It was found that the traumatic soundtrack significantly increased the expression of stress reactions compared to showing a silent film, while the other two accompaniments - “denial” and “intellectualization” – significantly reduced the intensity of stress reactions compared to showing a silent film. emotion emotional izard differential

During scenes depicting the accidents themselves, most viewers experienced three distinct moments of increased autonomic nervous system activity. With negative accompaniment, the unreality of the events shown was emphasized, and in the second version the viewer was asked to notice, for example, how clearly and convincingly the foreman sets out the safety rules to the workers.

In his subsequent works, Lazarus complicates his model, talking about revaluations and two fundamentally different types or stages of evaluation. Primary assessment, according to Lazarus, refers to the extent to which the stimulus “affects” the well-being of the individual, including the “picture of the world” and the individual’s system of relationships. Secondary assessment, according to Lazarus, refers to the individual's ability to perform the necessary real or imagined actions in relation to the stimulus, that is, to the extent to which the individual is able to reduce the danger and harm of a threatening stimulus or increase contact with an attractive stimulus.

Goal relevance refers to the extent to which the stimulus or situation being evaluated affects an individual's goals and lifestyle. If it is not there, there is no emotion. Goal congruence and goal incongruity refer to the extent to which the assessed stimulus or situation corresponds or does not correspond to desires, that is, it makes it easier or more difficult to achieve the individual's goals and maintain his lifestyle. If it makes it easier, then we can talk about congruence, and if it interferes, then we can talk about incongruence. The type of self-involvement refers to various aspects of personal and social identity (values, ideals, self-esteem, ideas about other people and their well-being, etc.). The feeling of guilt arises from a disdainful attitude towards moral values, and the feeling of happiness arises from an all-encompassing sense of security and well-being.

In his later work, Lazarus calls his model the cognitive-motivational relational theory (Lazarus, 1991; Lazarus, Folkman, 1986b). In his opinion, the theory of emotions should determine not only the strategy for studying and defining emotional phenomena and their classification, but also integrate biological universals and sociocultural factors, simultaneously explaining many interdependent cause-and-effect processes and variables. At the same time, the theory of emotions must provide a specific description of individual emotions that corresponds to general patterns.

In the title "cognitive-motivational relational theory" the last word for Lazarus means that emotions always represent interactions between the individual and his environment, including the perception and evaluation of harmfulness (for negative emotions) or benefit (for positive emotions), and not simply the impact of an external stressor or the manifestation of intrapsychic processes. “Motivational” means that emotions represent reactions to the possibility of achieving - not achieving life goals and express some trait of the individual or a dispositional variable in the form of a hierarchy of goals, but at the same time are caused by the requirements and opportunities of the environment surrounding the individual, which makes this aspect “interactive” emotions.

At the same time, Lazarus's attempts to find physiological criteria for separating emotional from non-emotional phenomena were not very successful, as well as attempts to separate reflexively caused sensations of pain and pleasure from emotions themselves (Lazarus, 1991).

2. “Fundamental” emotions identified by K.E. Izard

Interest(as an emotion) - a positive emotional state that promotes the development of skills and abilities, the acquisition of knowledge, and motivating learning. Rogov E.I. Emotions and will, 2001, P. 72

Joy- a positive emotional state associated with the ability to sufficiently fully satisfy an actual need, the probability of which until this moment was small or uncertain.

Astonishment- an emotional reaction to sudden circumstances that does not have a clearly expressed positive or negative sign. Surprise inhibits all previous emotions, directing attention to the object that caused it, and can turn into interest. Surprise is short-lived, but an even more important role is played by the fact that in a moment of surprise our mind seems to become empty, all thought processes seem to be suspended.

Suffering- a negative emotional state associated with the received reliable (or apparent) information about the impossibility of satisfying the most important needs of life, which until that moment seemed more or less probable, most often occurs in the form of emotional stress.

Anger- an emotional state, negative in sign, occurring in the form of affect and caused by the sudden emergence of a serious obstacle to the satisfaction of a need that is extremely important for the subject. The adaptive functions of anger are more obvious from an evolutionary perspective than in everyday life. Anger mobilizes the energy necessary for self-defense and gives the individual a sense of strength and courage.

Disgust- a negative emotional state caused by objects (objects, people, circumstances, etc.), contact with which (physical interaction, communication in communication, etc.) comes into sharp conflict with the ideological, moral or aesthetic principles and attitudes of the subject. Disgust, when combined with anger, can motivate aggressive behavior in interpersonal relationships, where attack is motivated by anger and disgust by the desire to get rid of someone or something. Right there. P. 74

Contempt- a negative emotional state that arises in interpersonal relationships and is generated by a mismatch in the life positions, views and behavior of the subject with life positions, views and behavior of the object of feelings. The latter appear to the subject as base, not corresponding to accepted moral standards or aesthetic criteria. The emotion of contempt is associated with a feeling of superiority. From an evolutionary perspective, contempt acted as a kind of means of preparing an individual or group for a meeting with a dangerous enemy.

Fear- a negative emotional state that appears when the subject receives information about a possible threat to his life well-being, about a real or imagined danger. In contrast to the emotion of suffering, caused by direct blocking of the most important needs, a person, experiencing the emotion of fear, has only a probable forecast of possible trouble and acts on the basis of this (often insufficiently reliable or exaggerated) forecast.

Shame- a negative emotional state, expressed in the awareness of the inconsistency of one’s own crafts, actions and appearance not only with the expectations of others, but also with one’s own ideas about appropriate behavior and appearance. The experience of shame is accompanied by an unexpected and heightened self-awareness. The power of this self-awareness is such that it takes away all resources, deprives a person of the ability for cognitive activity, interferes with understanding the situation and increases the likelihood of inadequate reactions to it.

3. Affect

The most powerful human emotional reaction is affect. Affect is a strong and relatively short-term emotional state associated with abrupt change important life circumstances for a person and accompanied by pronounced motor manifestations and changes in the functions of internal organs. Affect arises as a reaction to an event that has already occurred and is, as it were, shifted towards its end. For example, grief at loss loved one, anger at betrayal, joy at success - all this is experienced as if after what has already happened.

Any feeling can be experienced in an affective form. If emotion can be called “spiritual excitement,” then affect is a squall, a storm. Seized by passion, horror, confusion, delight, a fit of uncontrollable laughter or despair, a person perceives the world differently, controls himself and expresses his feelings. Affect speaks of a very strong experience. This includes cases of affective delight at the performance of a favorite ensemble, and affective anger of fans at the stadium, dissatisfied with the quality judging, etc. Right there. P.76

Affect occurs sharply, suddenly in the form of a flash, an impulse. At the same time, attention and perception change. A person can keep in the field of his attention only those objects that are associated with experience, as if forming a common complex. Everything else is not sufficiently realized, and this is one of the reasons for the practical uncontrollability of this state. In addition, thinking changes: it is difficult for a person to concentrate and foresee the results of his actions, so appropriate behavior becomes impossible. A distinctive feature of affect is the weakening of conscious control, the narrowness of the field of consciousness.

Affects have a negative impact on human activity, sharply reducing the level of its organization. In passion, a person seems to lose his head, his actions are unreasonable, committed without taking into account the situation. This condition is caused by strong excitation of certain centers of the diencephalon and the cerebral cortex. Possessing the properties of a dominant, affect inhibits mental processes unrelated to it and imposes one or another stereotypical method of “emergency” resolution of the situation. Since these methods (numbness, flight, aggression) developed in the process of biological evolution, they justify themselves only in appropriate biological conditions.

Extremely strong excitement, going beyond the limit of performance nerve cells, is replaced by unconditional protective inhibition - emotional shock occurs. As a result, the affect ends in loss of strength, fatigue and even fainting. Impaired consciousness can lead to an inability to subsequently remember individual episodes and even complete loss of memory of events.

3.1 Main areas of the nervous system

In normal situations, the cerebral cortex has a regulatory effect on the subcortex, mainly inhibitory. Thanks to this, external manifestations of feelings are restrained. In extreme situations, when the cortex is overexcited (excessively strong stimuli, overwork, drug exposure), its regulatory function is disrupted. As a result of irradiation (from Latin - to shine, to emit rays), the subcortical centers are overexcited and normal restraint disappears, a person loses control over himself (affective states). Sometimes the opposite effect is observed when, as a result of strong shocks, extreme inhibition of the cortical systems occurs and the person “disconnects” from outside world. Thus, the brain centers are protected from possible destruction.

The significant role of the subcortical centers of the brain has been proven by cases (in the clinic and in experiments) when, even when significant areas of the cortex are damaged or excluded from functioning, emotional processes in a person are still preserved. Direct stimulation of these centers (without mediation by the influence of the cortex) causes strong negative or positive emotions. The work of the centers of suffering and pleasure is a powerful, and perhaps the main, reinforcing factor in the development conditioned reflexes, and consequently, temporary connections in the cerebral cortex, which are the basis of perception, thinking, memory, imagination, the formation of skills, habits, attitudes, stereotypes.

An important role in mental regulation in general and in emotional regulation in particular is played by a special subcortical network-shaped formation - the reticular formation. It is not a specific organ that controls any area of ​​mental life, but actively participates in the work of the psyche, performing the functions of a kind of filter and activator. Nerve impulses entering it along the conductive paths of sensory systems (analyzers), depending on the significance of the signal that caused them, are either delayed or passed into the cortex, leaving part of their energy in the reticular formation. Thus, acting as a kind of energy accumulator, the reticular formation is capable of “on command” of the cortex to send accumulated energy to areas of the brain that are actively working at the moment and thereby reduce or increase the activity of the brain as a whole and its individual parts, strengthen, weaken or inhibit responses (including emotional responses) to relevant stimuli.

Conclusion

The emergence of emotions and feelings is determined by human social existence. In other words, emotions are social in nature. Feelings and emotions are based, first of all, on the needs that arose in the process social development human and related to relationships between people.

The word “feeling” has many meanings. When they say “sense organs,” they mean the organ of hearing or the organ of vision. In the phrases “feeling of love” or “feeling of joy,” the word “feeling” takes on a different meaning. In the terms “sense of humor” or “sense of beauty” there is another semantic connotation, denoting a complex mental reaction.

The importance of feelings and emotions in human life and activity is very great. They encourage a person to be active and help overcome difficulties in learning, work, creativity, and everyday life. Feelings often determine a person’s behavior and the setting of certain life goals.

List of used literature

1. Breslav G.M. Psychology of Emotions. M.: Meaning; Publishing center "Academy", 2004. 544 p.

2. Granovskaya R. Elements of practical psychology. 5th ed., rev. and additional St. Petersburg: Rech, 2003. 655 p.

3. Izard K. Psychology of emotions. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2003. 464 p.

4. Nikandrov V.V. Psychology: textbook. M.: TK Velby, Prospekt Publishing House, 2007. 912 p.

5. Rogov E.I. Emotions and will. M.: Vlados, 2001. 240 p.

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Emotions - psychological process medium intensity. Distinctive features and formulas of emotions. Features and characteristics of emotional experiences. Facial manifestations of emotions. Psychological theories of emotions. Criteria for assessing emotional response.

Emotional states are mental states that arise in the process of a subject’s life and determine not only the level of information and energy exchange, but also the direction of behavior. Emotions control a person much more powerfully than it seems at first glance. Even the absence of emotions is an emotion, or rather an entire emotional state, which is characterized by big amount features in human behavior.

According to their influence on human life, emotions can be divided into two groups:

sthenic - increasing the vital activity of the body and

asthenic - lowering them.

An emotional state in which sthenic or asthenic emotions predominate can manifest itself in a person in any type of activity and become his characterological trait.

His life, his health, his family, his work, his entire environment depend on a person’s emotional state, and a change in a person’s emotional state leads to fundamental changes in his life.

In everyday life, people are stratified into groups based on similar emotional states. Various groups They understand each other poorly, communication is worse, but within the group things are somewhat better. As a rule, a whole, formed group belongs to the same emotional state.

Each person is unique and has his own personal opinion about life, but his point of view is not determined by reasoning or education, but by his emotional state.

There is a set of unchanging reactions corresponding to each emotional state. All people's emotions change in a strictly defined order. This pattern is applicable to all people without exception, it is the same and unchanged in appearance for everyone.

The sequence of human emotional states is as follows:
1. Active life zone:

a) Enthusiasm.

b) Fun.

c) Strong interest.

2. Zone of conservatism:

a) Conservatism.

Average interest, moderate interest.

Satisfaction, satisfied, weak interest.

Lack of interest.

Monotony, monotony.

3. Zone of antagonism:

a) Antagonism, open hostility.

Hostility, enmity, strong dislike.

4. Anger Zone:

a) Anger (anger, rage).

Hatred.

Indignation.

5. Fear Zone:

a) Lack of emotions.

b) Hidden hostility.

Despair.

Numbness.

d) Sympathy.

d) Appeasement, the need to appease (reconciliation).

6. Zone of grief and apathy:

a) Grief (sadness).

b) Making amends, atonement for guilt.

c) Victim.

d) Apathy.

Briefly, the main emotional states identified in psychology:

1) Joy (satisfaction, fun)
2) Sadness (apathy, sadness, depression), 3) Anger (aggression, bitterness),
4) Fear (anxiety, fright),
5) Surprise (curiosity),
6) Disgust (contempt, disgust).

Usually a person knows his emotional state well and transfers it to other people and throughout his life. The higher a person’s emotional state, the easier it is for him to achieve his goals in life. Such a person is rational, reasonable, therefore he is happier, more alive, more confident. The lower his emotional state, the more a person's behavior is controlled by his immediate reactions, despite his education or intelligence.

Emotions (from Latin emovere - to excite, excite) - special kind mental processes or human states that manifest themselves in the experience of any significant situations (joy, fear, pleasure), phenomena and events during life. Any, including cognitive need, given to a person through emotional experiences. For a person, the main significance of emotions is that, thanks to emotions, we better understand those around us, we can, without using speech, judge each other’s state and better tune in to joint activities and communication. It is remarkable, for example, that people belonging to different cultures are able to accurately perceive and evaluate the expression human face, determine from it such emotional states, such as joy, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise. This fact not only convincingly proves the innate nature of basic emotions, but also “the presence of a genetically determined ability to understand them in living beings.” This refers to the communication of living beings not only of the same species with each other, but also of different species with each other. It is well known that higher animals and humans are capable of perceiving and assessing each other’s emotional states by facial expressions. Not all emotional and expressive expressions are innate. Some of them have been found to be acquired during life as a result of training and upbringing. Life without emotions is just as impossible as without sensations. Emotions, according to Charles Darwin, arose in the process of evolution as a means by which living beings establish the significance of certain conditions to satisfy their actual needs. Emotions act as an internal language, as a system of signals through which the subject learns about the need-based significance of what is happening. “The peculiarity of emotions is that they directly deny the relationship between motivations and the implementation that corresponds to these motives of activity. Emotions in human activity perform the function of assessing its progress and results. They organize activities, stimulating and directing them.” IN critical conditions, when the subject is unable to find a quick and reasonable way out of a dangerous situation, a special type of emotional processes arises - affect. Thanks to timely emotions, the body has the ability to adapt extremely advantageously to environmental conditions. He is able to quickly, with great speed, react to an external influence, without yet determining its type, shape, or other particular specific parameters. Emotional sensations are biologically, in the process of evolution, established as a unique way of maintaining the life process within its optimal boundaries and warn about the destructive nature of the lack or excess of any factors. The more complexly organized a living being is, the higher the level on the evolutionary ladder it occupies, the richer the range of emotional states that an individual is capable of experiencing. The quantity and quality of a person’s needs corresponds to the number and variety of emotional experiences and feelings characteristic of him, and “the higher the need in its social and moral significance, the more exalted the feeling associated with it.” Almost all elementary organic sensations have their own emotional tone. The close connection that exists between emotions and the activity of the body is evidenced by the fact that every emotional state is accompanied by many physiological changes body. The closer to the central nervous system the source of organic changes associated with emotions is located, and the fewer sensitive nerve endings it contains, the weaker the subjective emotional experience that arises. In addition, an artificial decrease in organic sensitivity leads to a weakening of the strength of emotional experiences. The main emotional states that a person experiences are divided into actual emotions, feelings and affects. Emotions and feelings anticipate the process aimed at satisfying a need; they are, as it were, at the beginning of it. Emotions and feelings express the meaning of a situation for a person from the point of view of the currently relevant need, the significance of the upcoming action or activity for its satisfaction. “Emotions can be caused by both real and imaginary situations. They, like feelings, are perceived by a person as his own internal experiences, transmitted to other people, and empathized with.” Emotions are relatively weakly expressed in external behavior, sometimes from the outside they are completely invisible to an outsider if a person knows how to hide his feelings well. They, accompanying one or another behavioral act, are not even always conscious, although all behavior is associated with emotions, since it is aimed at satisfying a need. A person's emotional experience is usually much broader than the experience of his individual experiences. A person’s feelings, on the contrary, are outwardly very noticeable. “Emotions usually follow the actualization of the motive and before the rational assessment of the adequacy of the subject’s activity to it. They are a direct reflection, an experience of existing relationships, and not their reflection. Emotions are capable of anticipating situations and events that have not yet actually occurred, and arise in connection with ideas about previously experienced or imagined situations.” Feelings are objective in nature and are associated with a representation or idea about a certain object. Another feature of feelings is that they are improved and, developing, form a number of levels, starting from immediate feelings and ending with your feelings related to spiritual values ​​and ideals. Feelings play a motivating role in a person’s life and activity, in his communication with people around him. In relation to the world around him, a person strives to act in such a way as to strengthen and strengthen his positive feelings. For him, they are always connected with the work of consciousness and can be voluntarily regulated.

Emotions are mental processes in which a person experiences his attitude to other phenomena of the surrounding reality; Emotions also reflect various states of the human body, his attitude towards his own behavior and his activities.

Emotions have the following characteristics.

Subjective nature. The attitude that is expressed in emotions is always personal in nature and differs from the awareness of objective connections between things that are established in the process of learning about the world around us. Looking out the window, we see that the street is covered with snow, and we establish a connection between the appearance of snow and the time of year “winter has come.” This connection is established by us in the process of thinking. Having reflected this objective connection through thinking, one person can experience a feeling of joy that winter has come, and another a feeling of regret that summer is over. These various feelings express the subjective, personal attitude of people to objective reality: some people like a given object and gives them a feeling of pleasure, while others do not like the same object and causes displeasure. Extreme variety of quality features. The following, rather incomplete, list of emotional states, since they are expressed in human speech, allows us to judge the extremely large number and variety of emotions:

Feelings of hunger, - thirst, - pleasant taste, pleasure, - disgust, a feeling of pain, - lust, possession, - sexual feeling; - a sense of self-satisfaction, - ambition, - arrogance, - shamelessness.

Plastic. For example, joy or fear can be experienced by a person in many shades and degrees, its causes, objects or activities with which it is associated. A person can experience joy when meeting a friend, in the process of work that interests him, admiring majestic pictures of nature, etc. - but all these manifestations of joy are very different in their quality and degree. Connection with intraorganic processes.

This connection is twofold: 1) intraorganic processes are the strongest stimulators of many emotions; 2) all emotions, without exception, in one form or another find their expression in bodily manifestations. The close connection between emotions and the vital processes of the body was noticed a long time ago.

Connection with the direct experience of one's own “I”. Even the weakest emotions capture the whole person as a whole. Since in his relationships with the environment a person experiences poorly the changes caused in him external influences, his emotions acquire the character of emotional states; when emotions are associated with active manifestations of personality and are expressed in activity. And emotional, relationships and emotional states are always experienced by a person as his direct experiences. Emotions and feelings are unique mental states that leave an imprint on a person’s life. The emotional state is determined mainly by the external side of behavior and mental activity, while feelings influence the content and internal essence of a person’s experiences. Emotional states include: moods, affects, stress, frustrations and passions. Affect- a quickly arising and rapidly occurring emotional state that negatively affects the psyche and behavior of a person. If we compare affect with mood, then mood is a calm emotional state, and affect is a lot of emotions that suddenly came and destroyed the normal state of mind person. Affect takes over the human psyche. This entails a narrowing and sometimes even a shutdown of consciousness. For example, when very angry, many people lose control over themselves. Their anger turns into aggression. The person begins to scream, blush, wave his arms, and may hit the enemy. Affect occurs abruptly, in the form of a flash, an impulse. Managing and coping with this condition is very difficult. They negatively affect human activity, sharply reducing the level of its organization. In the heat of the moment, a person loses his head, he is delusional, his actions are unreasonable, committed without taking into account the situation. If a person gets objects, he can throw them in a rage, push a chair, or slam the table. It would be wrong to think that affect is completely uncontrollable. Despite the suddenness, affect has certain stages of development. The most important thing is to delay the onset of affect, “extinguish” the affective outburst, restrain yourself, and not lose power over your behavior.

Stress- an emotional state that suddenly arises in a person under the influence of an extreme situation associated with a danger to life or an activity requiring great stress. Stress, like affect, is the same strong temporary emotional experience

No person manages to live and work without experiencing stress. Every person experiences severe life losses, failures, trials, conflicts from time to time. Stressful conditions affect people's behavior in different ways. Some, under the influence of stress, show complete helplessness and are unable to withstand the effects of stress, others, on the contrary, are stress-resistant individuals and perform best in moments of danger and in activities that require the exertion of all forces. An emotional state close to stress is the “emotional burnout” syndrome. This condition occurs in a person who experiences negative emotions for a long time. Emotional burnout manifests itself in indifference, avoidance of responsibility, negativism or cynicism towards other people. As a rule, the causes of emotional burnout are monotony and monotony of work, lack of career growth.

Frustration- a deeply felt emotional state that arose under the influence of failures. It can manifest itself in the form of negative experiences, such as anger, frustration, apathy, etc. Frustration is accompanied by a whole set of negative emotions that can destroy consciousness and activity. In a state of frustration, a person may become angry and depressed. For example, when performing some activity a person fails, which causes him negative emotions - grief, dissatisfaction with himself. If in such a situation the people around you support and help correct mistakes, the experienced emotions will remain only an episode in a person’s life. If failures are repeated, and significant others reproach, shame, call him incapable or lazy, this person usually develops an emotional state of frustration. The level of frustration depends on the strength of the factor, the person’s condition and his existing forms of response to life’s difficulties. A person’s resistance to frustrating factors depends on the degree of his emotional excitability, the type of temperament, and experience of interaction with such factors. Passion- a deep and very stable emotional state that captures a person completely and completely and determines all his thoughts. The object of passion can be various types of things, objects, phenomena, people that a person strives to possess at any cost. Passion is a strong, persistent, all-encompassing feeling that determines the direction of a person’s thoughts and actions. The reasons for the emergence of passion are varied - they can be determined by conscious beliefs. Passion is usually selective and objective. For example, a passion for music, for collecting, for knowledge, etc.

Passion captures all the thoughts of a person, in which all the circumstances related to the object of passion revolve, which imagines and ponders ways to achieve the need. What is not related to the object of passion seems secondary, unimportant. For example, some scientists who are passionately working on a discovery do not attach importance to their appearance, often forgetting about sleep and food. The most important characteristic is its connection with the will. Since passion is one of the significant motivations for activity, because it has great power. In reality, assessing the meaning of passion is twofold. Public opinion plays a big role in evaluation. For example, the passion for money and hoarding is condemned by some people as greed, acquisitiveness, while at the same time within another social group it can be considered as thriftiness and prudence.

Which occurs in a person as a result of a reaction to some object or situation. They are not static and have different strength expressiveness. Such states are determined and depend on the data of his character and psychotype.

Basic emotional states: characteristics

Emotions are characterized by three parameters:

1. Valence. This is the so-called tone of emotions: they can be negative and positive. An interesting fact is that there are much more negative emotions than positive ones.
2. Intensity. Here the strength of the emotional experience is assessed. External physiological manifestations are more pronounced, the stronger the emotion. This parameter is closely related to the central nervous system.
3. the parameter affects the activity of human behavior. It is presented in two variants: sthenic and emotions contribute to the paralysis of actions: the person is lethargic and apathetic. Stenic ones, on the contrary, encourage action.

Kinds

Human emotional states are divided into 5 categories, which are identified by strength, quality and duration of manifestation:

1. Mood. One of the longest lasting emotional states. It affects human activity and can occur either gradually or suddenly. Moods can be positive, negative, temporary and permanent.
2. Affective emotional states. This is a group of short-term emotions that suddenly grip a person and are characterized by a vivid manifestation in behavior. Despite the short duration, the influence of affects on the psyche is very great and is destructive, reducing its ability to organize and adequately assess reality. This state can only be controlled by individuals with developed will.
3. Stressful emotional states. They arise when a person falls into a subjective point of view. Severe stress can be accompanied by affect if great emotional damage has been suffered. On the one hand, stress is a negative phenomenon that has a detrimental effect on the nervous system, and on the other hand, it mobilizes a person, which sometimes allows him to save his life.
4. Frustration. It is characterized by a feeling of difficulties and obstacles, putting the person in a depressed state. The behavior is characterized by anger, sometimes aggressiveness, as well as a negative reaction to ongoing events, regardless of their nature.
5. Emotional states of passion. This category of emotions is caused by a person’s reaction to material and spiritual needs: for example, a strong desire for something causes in him a desire for an object, which is difficult to overcome. Activity is observed in behavior, the person feels an increase in strength and most often becomes more impulsive and proactive.

Along with this classification, there is also a more detailed one, which divides all emotions into 2 categories.

Psychologists identify 7 main emotions:

• joy;
• anger;
• contempt;
• astonishment;
• fear;
• disgust;
• sadness.

The essence of basic emotions is that they are experienced by all people who have had harmonious development without pathologies from the nervous system. They manifest themselves in the same way (albeit in varying degrees and quantity) from representatives different cultures And social environment.

This is due to the presence of certain brain structures that are responsible for a particular emotion. Thus, a certain set of probable emotional experiences is inherent in a person from the very beginning.