Transcription
Welcome to this course dedicated to the expression and perception of emotions. Emotions are part of communication, and they are linked to human physiology and behavior. They express themselves in as many ways as there are individuals. Emotions are important because they are essential for socialization and survival. For example, when fear triggers stress in the face of danger.
Let's start with where emotions come from. While it is complex to define an emotion, there are two certainties: our entire life is based on emotions, and they are always subjective. On a psychological level, an emotion is a spontaneous and often uncontrolled reaction to a stimulus. This process is common to most living beings; even animals are subject to it. There are six primary emotions: fear, joy, sadness, anger, surprise, and disgust. Other emotions, such as jealousy or pity, called feelings, stem from those six emotions. You will find a table with more information in your PDF course material.
On a physiological level, emotions arise in the limbic system via the thalamus, the amygdala, hypothalamus, and the orbitofrontal cortex. Lesions in the orbitofrontal cortex alter emotional learning, behavior, and reward sensitivity. What's more, emotional and cognitive reactions are closely linked. It is difficult to separate them because their interactions are permanent. The ability to identify, use, manage, and understand one's emotions, as well as those of others, is called emotional intelligence.
Let's see how it develops. The learning of emotions begins in childhood, from the end of the first month of life, and continues into adulthood. From 5 months, babies react to facial expressions of emotion by adopting the same emotion. This represents their first mode of communication. Psychologists Harris, Pon, and Dudan divide emotional development into three main stages.
From 2 to 5 years old, the child learns to recognize basic emotions and to distinguish more complex ones. They learn cause and effect links between events and emotional reactions. They also become aware that memories can arouse emotions.
From 4 to 9 years old, the child understands the impact of desires on emotions and realizes that beliefs influence emotions. For example, believing that their toy is lost causes sadness. They also understand that it is possible both to simulate or conceal an emotion.
From 8-9 to 12 years old, the child understands that there are emotional consequences of their actions, such as shame when they make a mistake. They become aware of the coexistence of contradictory emotions. They also become able to get out of a negative emotion by using a positive memory.
Some situations trigger similar emotions in most people, but sociocultural influences create distinct behaviors between men and women. Women are more attentive to emotions, sharing them openly, especially joy, but they tend to withdraw into themselves when unpleasant emotions arise. Men, on the other hand, have more difficulty reading other people's emotions and expressing their own emotions. They express their unpleasant emotions but reserve joy for their loved ones. A group, such as a crowd, also exerts its own socio-emotional influence. However, we should not neglect the context. The expression of emotions depends on an individual's personality, age, education, sociocultural environment, and past experiences, as well as what they consider positive or negative. Let's also remember that not everyone is able to perceive the emotions of others.
Exercises can help you learn to decipher emotions, how to react to other people's emotions, and how to express your own. You will find three examples in your PDF course material, intended for children and which can be adapted for teenagers and adults.
Let's let's now look at the notion of emotional capital. This concept is defined by researcher Benedict Jandron as a set of emotional skills constituting a resource inherent to the person. It is influenced by the sociocultural environment and improves over time if the environment is favorable. Indeed, if a child is bullied or humiliated, their discomfort increases, which can lead to physical repercussions and disrupt learning. On the contrary, a supportive and positive environment acts as a protective factor, a resource that can be used in negative situations. A good emotional balance offers the child, future adult, the opportunity to understand themselves, to accept themselves without fear of other people's judgments, to build healthy relationships, to express themselves with confidence, and to defend their interests.
Are you familiar with appraisal theory in psychology? This is a theory whereby emotions are extracted from our evaluations, appreciations, or estimates of events that cause specific reactions in different people. A negative situation will cause discomfort, which will persist into adulthood, and vice versa for a positive situation. For example, a child who loves school will get involved in education even once he/she becomes an adult. An important aspect of this theory is that it nods to the fact that different people can have a variety of emotional reactions to the same event. It analyzes the ways in which emotions arise and appear and their repercussions on personality.
There are two steps in appraisal theory: primary and secondary. The primary appraisal answers the question, "How does this situation serve my needs?" If the motivational relevance is low or if the individual considers the situation to be incoherent overall, he or she will be less inclined to try solving the problem. The secondary appraisal relates to the secondary consequences of the problem. The person is trying to understand if they have enough resources to deal with the situation. Otherwise, they will try to adjust the situation to find an advantage.
Let's end on a positive note with exercises to improve your emotional state. Many of these exercises are presented in your course materials to help you identify your own emotions. Emotions manifest themselves differently in everyone, constituting a nonverbal language that communicates via facial expressions, posture, gestures, tone of voice, rhythm, and volume. Writing style and art also convey emotions. Try this exercise to better understand the emotion of others: for one day, ask only open-ended questions to those around you. These are questions that cannot be answered with a yes or no. Then, think about what this exercise has brought you.
The field of emotions is vast and complex. There is still a lot to learn. In our next video, we will look at the neurophysiology of addictions. See you soon.