PSYC 389 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Emotion Classification, Bernard Weiner, Appeasement

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 389
• Professor: Nichole Scheerer

Document Summary

Emotions are an ongoing "readout" system --> ever-changing motivational states and personal adaptation stat. Innate system - biologically-driven; automatic and involuntary. They indicate how well or how poorly personal adaptation is going. Emotions read out a person"s everchanging motivational states and personal adaptation status. Positive emotions signal things are going well. Negative emotions provide a warning that all is not well. What is the difference between emotions and moods: emotions emerge from significant life events. They emerge from processes that are ill-defined and are oftentimes unknown: moods occupy the background of consciousness whereas emotions are at the forefront, emotions mostly influence behavior and direct specific courses of action. Moods influence cognition and direct what the person thinks about: emotions are briefer whereas moods last longer. What are the two reasons for why emotions end: the significant life event is removed, emotions generate coping behavior/can change or alter the emotion. Emotions end upon the removal of the significant life event.