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Image | Theories on the Origin of Emotions
Traditional theories of emotion formation came to different conclusions.
08.09.2011
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- Glossary
Basic emotions
Some theories assume that all emotions can be broken down into a few basic emotions. These are also referred to as primary emotions. According to Ekman, these classically include fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, and surprise. Primary emotions arise very quickly in response to an event and sometimes subside just as quickly. Over time, they can transition into secondary emotions (e.g., shame, guilt, or pride).
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- Glossary
Emotions
Neuroscientists understand "emotions" to be complex response patterns that include experiential, physiological, and behavioral components. They arise in response to personally relevant or significant events and generate a willingness to act, through which the individual attempts to deal with the situation. Emotions typically occur with subjective experience (feeling), but differ from pure feeling in that they involve conscious or implicit engagement with the environment. Emotions arise in the limbic system, among other places, which is a phylogenetically ancient part of the brain. Psychologist Paul Ekman has defined six cross-cultural basic emotions that are reflected in characteristic facial expressions: joy, anger, fear, surprise, sadness, and disgust.
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Theory of emotions
Emotions still pose many questions for researchers today: Are there primary and secondary emotions? Are there universal emotions? Are there connections between individual emotions? Different theories of emotion seek answers to questions like these.
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