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Definition of Emotion. There are only rarely sharp definitions of a concept , such as bachelor:. male adult unmarried. Contributor. Definition of Emotion.
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Definition of Emotion There are only rarely sharp definitions of a concept, such as bachelor: • male • adult • unmarried Contributor © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion Unfortunately, there is no such definition for emotion. Therefore, we must find a working definition for the term „emotion“. This includes determining the boundaries to other theoretical concepts, such as mood or affective preferences. To find an exact definition is one of the tasks for research. An exact definition is not necessarily a prerequisite for doing research, but also the result of scientific inquiry. © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion First, we may list states we consider to be an emotion: • Joy • Fear • Anger • Sadness • Fury • Guilt • Pride • Shame • Envy • Pity We now can try do find out what is common to these different states. © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion What are the common features of emotional states? • They are current states, here and now; • They differ in quality and intensity; • They are directed toward an object; • People who come into these states ... • ... Have characteristic experiences or feelings(Experiential component of emotions) • ... Show often physiological changes(Physiological component of emotions) • ... Show characteristic action tendencies(Action component of emotions) © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion Emotion as current state may mean two different things: 1) A person goes through right now an emotional episode; this is a current emotional state. Example: The father is angry right now because his daughter has broken his computer. © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion Emotion as current state may mean two different things: 2) A person does not go through an emotional episode right now, but has a higher tendency to experience an emotion; this is an emotional disposition. Example: After the daughter broke the computer, her father shows a higher tendency to get angry when she approaches his CD-player. © POSbase 2004
Definition of Emotion There are several other concepts that we need to separate from the concept emotion: • Affect • Mood • Affective preference • Cognitive feelings © POSbase 2004