Lecture Overview
• How many types of emotion do we have?
• Which emotions would you want to
experience and which ones do you want
to avoid?
• What role do negative emotions serve in
human experience?
Slide 1
Lecture Outline
1. Basic Emotions
2. Dimensions of Emotions
3. Specific Emotions
Slide 2
Basic Emotions
Slide 3
Basic Emotions
How many distinct emotions are there?
ACTIVITY
• BASIC EMOTIONS
Slide 5
Basic Emotions
• Some theorists argue that there are just two
basic emotion states: Positive and Negative
• Others state that there are a small set of
“basic” emotions;
• Yet, others argue that there are uncountable
number of emotions.
Basic Emotions
• Emotion researchers have identified between 5 and 10 basic
emotions including:
– happiness
– sadness
– anger
– fear
– disgust
– Surprise
Basic Emotions
• The corresponding facial expressions of the
basic emotions are recognized across different
cultures
• Most of the basic emotions can be expressed by
babies
• Emotions such as contempt, shame, and guilt,
develop as we get older.
DIMENSIONS OF EMOTION
Slide 9
Basic Dimensions of
Emotions
Emotions can be categorized according to a number
of dimensions
Even though emotion theorists do not agree on the
number of emotions, they all do agree on the
valence of emotions
Emotions are about pleasure/pain,
approach/avoidance
Basic Dimensions of
Emotions
Further, emotions are either active
or passive; and involve low or
high arousal
Basic Dimensions of
Emotions
Emotions can be basic or complex
According to Plutchik (2003) primary
emotions often mix to yield more complex
emotions
Basic Dimensions of Emotions
Basic Dimensions of
Emotions
• Emotions can involve high or low level of
arousal
Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition in Modules
Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers
Basic Dimensions of
Emotions
• Emotion varies in intensity
LESS INTENSE PRIMARY EMOTION MORE INTENSE
Apprehension Fear Terror
Distraction Surprise Amazement
Pensiveness Sadness Grief
Boredom Disgust Loathing/hate
Annoyance Anger Rage
Interest Anticipation Vigilance
Serenity Joy Ecstasy
Acceptance Trust Admiration
SPECIFIC EMOTIONS
Slide 16
Activity
What makes you happy?
List 5 things that contribute to happiness
Happiness
Happiness begins at home
(An Akan Proverb)
(Source: Appiah and Appiah, 2008)
Happiness
Google:
Gross National Happiness
The World Happiness Index
Happiness
Does Money Buy Happiness?
Wealth is like health: Its utter absence
can breed misery, yet having it is no
guarantee of happiness.
Happiness
1. In wealthy societies, people with more
money are happier than people who
struggle for their basic needs.
2. People in rich countries are happier
than people in poor countries.****
3. A sudden rise in financial conditions
makes people happy.
However, people who live in poverty or in
slums are also satisfied with their life.
Happiness
Adaptation-Level Phenomenon: Like the
adaptation to brightness, volume, and
touch, people adapt to income levels
(Myers, 2010).
Happiness
Happiness is not only relative to our past,
but also to our comparisons with others.
Relative Deprivation is the perception
that we are relatively worse off than
those we compare ourselves with.
Happiness
Why are some people
generally happier than
others?
FEAR
Slide 25
Activity
What Do You Fear?
List 5 things you fear most
Fear
What is the function of fear, and
how do we learn fears?
Fear inhibits approach and
motivates escape of protective
behavior (Izard, 2007)
ANGER
Slide 28
Anger
• What is the function of anger?
Slide 29
Anger
Anger makes people talk too
much
(An Akan Proverb)
Anger makes a weak man
violent
(An Akan Proverb)
Required Reading
• Izard, C. E. (2007). Basic emotions, natural kinds, emotion
schemas, and a new paradigm. Perspectives on Psychological
Science, 2, 260-280.
Slide 31
References
• Appiah, P., Appiah, A., & Agyeman-Duah, I. (2007). Bu me
be: Proverbs of the Akans (2nd ed). Oxfordshire: Ayebia
Clarke Publishing.
• Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2011). Psychology: Modules for
Active Learning. Cengage Learning.
• Izard, C. E. (2007). Basic emotions, natural kinds, emotion
schemas, and a new paradigm. Perspectives on Psychological
Science, 2, 260-280.
• Myers, D. (2010). Psychology: Ninth edition in modules. New
York: Worth Publishers.
• Plutchik, R. (2003). Emotions and Life: Perspectives from
Psychology, Biology, and Evolution. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association. Slide 32
