Emotions can be short-lived, such as a flash of annoyance at a co-worker, or long-lasting, such as enduring sadness over the loss of a relationship. But why exactly do we experience emotions? What role do they serve?
Where Do Emotions Come From?
Emotions are influenced by a network of interconnected structures in the brain that make up what is known as the limbic system. Key structures including the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the limbic cortex play a pivotal role in emotions and behavioral responses.
The Three Components of Emotion
In order to truly understand emotions, it is important to understand the three critical components of an emotion. Each element can play a role in the function and purpose of your emotional responses. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Since you experienced a particular emotion, you had the motivation to take action and do something positive to improve your chances of getting a good grade. You also tend to take certain actions in order to experience positive emotions and minimize the probability of feeling negative emotions. For example, you might seek out social activities or hobbies that provide you with a sense of happiness, contentment, and excitement. On the other hand, you would probably avoid situations that might potentially lead to boredom, sadness, or anxiety. He suggested that emotional displays could also play an important role in safety and survival. If you encountered a hissing or spitting animal, it would clearly indicate that the creature was angry and defensive, leading to you back off and avoid possible danger. Emotions can also prepare the body to take action. The amygdala, in particular, is responsible for triggering emotional responses that prepare your body to cope with things like fear and anger. Sometimes this fear can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, which leads to a number of physiological responses that prepare the body to either stay and face the danger or flee to safety. Researchers have also found that people with certain types of brain damage affecting their ability to experience emotions also have a decreased ability to make good decisions. Even in situations where you believe your decisions are guided purely by logic and rationality, emotions play a key role. Emotional intelligence, or your ability to understand and manage emotions, has been shown to play an important role in decision-making. In other cases, it might involve directly stating how you feel. When you tell friends or family members that you are feeling happy, sad, excited, or frightened, you are giving them important information that they can then use to take action. It allows you to respond appropriately and build deeper, more meaningful relationships with your friends, family, and loved ones. It also allows you to communicate effectively in a variety of social situations, from dealing with an irate customer to managing a hot-headed employee.
Why are emotions an important part of decision-making?
Emotions can help a decision-maker determine which aspects of a decision are the most relevant to their specific situation. They may also help people make faster decisions.
What is the appraisal theory of emotion?
This theory suggests that emotions step from the cognitive evaluations that people make about specific events. In other words, it implies that people must think about a situation before having an emotional response.
A Word From Verywell
As you have learned, our emotions serve a wide variety of purposes. Emotions can be fleeting, persistent, powerful, complex, and even life-changing. They can motivate us to act in particular ways and give us the tools and resources we need to interact meaningfully in our social worlds.
