The role of emotions is critical to help a person understand himself/herself, his/her relationship(s), and his/her social situations. The intrapersonal function of emotions prepares a person for action, influences a person's thought and memory, and motivates a person's behaviour. The interpersonal function of emotions is expressed through facial expressions, through social referencing, and through emotional communication between people.
Culture also influences emotion by affecting how we view the world and the cultural rules that govern the display of emotions through which people express their emotions. Also, emotional intelligence can help people understand and appropriately manage their emotional responses. The visual cliff experiment is an example of how an emotional response may guide behaviour and decision-making.