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Function of Emotions - Coggle Diagram
Function of Emotions
Intrapersonal Functions
- Emotions prepare the body for an action
Emotions allow us to make quick decisions with minimal thinking
We move straight to reactions
Ex. When your body immediately reacts when you get scared of something
- When we are afraid, our bodies:
Shut down temporarily unneeded digestive processes, resulting in saliva reduction (a dry mouth)
Blood flows disproportionately to the lower half of the body so you can run
The air is breathed in, all preparing the body to flee
- Emotions influence thought
They influence our attitudes, values, and beliefs.
They influence our thinking
- Helpful: Facilitate function
- Unhelpful: distracting concentration
- Why it may be difficult for people to remember happy thoughts in a state of anger
Emotions serve as the neural glue that connects disparate facts and our memories of them in our minds
It’s easier to remember happy thoughts when happy, and angry times when angry
- Emotions motivate behaviors
We strive for good-feeling emotions and avoid negative-feeling emotions
When might someone prefer a negative emotion: When they want to motivate themselves, to stay alert or cautious, to process/reflect, to set boundaries
Interpersonal Functions
- Emotional expressions (verbal and nonverbal)
- Emotional expressions
Signal the nature of interpersonal relationships
Facial expressions give insights into relationships that can predict the success for the relationship long-term
Provide incentives for desired social behavior
Regulate our social interactions
- Social Referencing
- Individuals look to others to understand how to react in a given situation
- Visual Cliff Studies
- Mothers were placed on the far end of the cliff from the infant
- Mothers first smiled to the infants and placed a toy on the top the safety glass to attract them; infants variably began crawling to their mother
- When the infants were in the center of the table, however, the mother then posed an expression of fear, sadness, anger, interest, or joy
- The results were clearly different for the different faces
- No infant crossed the table when the mother showed fear
- Only 6% did when the mother posed anger
- 33% crossed when the mother posed sadness
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- Some emotions are easier to recognize than others.
- Some expressions might even look different across different cultures.
Why we have emotions
- They are an important part of our lives
- They help to:
Reflection 1: Understanding why we have emotions has given me a deeper appreciation for how they shape my identity and social life. Emotions are more than reactions asthey inform me about who I am and how I relate to others. For example, feeling nervous before a presentation isn’t just discomfort, it’s a sign that I care about doing well and connecting with my audience. Emotions guide my behavior in countless ways, helping me make decisions, build relationships, and navigate the social world with greater awareness.
Reflection 2: One of the most fascinating things I’ve learned is how emotions prepare our bodies and minds to react quickly. There have been times when I’ve made fast decisions in stressful situations, like swerving to avoid an accident without consciously thinking about it. That’s my emotions at work, triggering a response before my brain has time to analyze. I’ve also noticed how emotions like anger or happiness affect my thoughts and memories, either helping or distracting me. This knowledge has made me more mindful of how I regulate my emotions, especially when it comes to staying focused and making thoughtful choices.
Reflection 3: Growing up in a multicultural environment has shown me how culture shapes emotional expression. I’ve noticed that in some cultures, showing strong emotion is a sign of openness, while in others, restraint is valued as a form of respect. Learning about cultural display rules helped me understand why I sometimes feel conflicted about how much emotion to show in different settings. It also made me realize how much of my emotional habits come from early family and cultural experiences. This reflection has encouraged me to respect emotional diversity and adapt more thoughtfully to different social and cultural environments.