1. Are they feelings, or are they more?
What are Emotions?
Are they feelings, or are they more?

2. Psychological Factors
Strong emotions result in bodily changes:
Some psychological changes are recognizable, others aren’t easily detectable
Increased heart rate
Rise in blood pressure
Increase in adrenaline secretions
Slowing of digestion
Dilation of pupils
Churning stomach, tense jaw
Tense muscles

3. Nonverbal Reactions
Not all physical changes are internal, some have observable changes (appearance)
Blushing
Sweating
Facial expressions
Posture
Gestures
Tense muscles
Change in vocal tone and rate
What do the physical changes mean?

4. Cognitive Interpretations
The mind plays an important role in determining emotional states
Often the symptoms are similar to the physical changes, for example fear:
Racing heart
Elevated blood pressure
Perspiration
Tense muscles
Interestingly, these symptoms are also similar to physical changes that accompany excitement, joy, and other emotions

5. Verbal Expression Better at conveying feelings than ideas
Anger
Joy
Fear
sadness
What’s primary in one culture may not be primary in another culture
Shame
Interdependence
Independence
Extroverted
Introverted

6. Influences on Emotional Expression
Personality: extroverted, introverted, neurotic
Culture: Individualism-collectivism spectrum
Gender: Men and women express emotions differently
Women are more attuned to emotions than men
Women react more intensely to emotion-producing stimuli than most men
A third factor is the individual with whom we are communicating (close relationship, less close, strangers, members of our own cultural group, same gender)

7. Social Conventions
We are discouraged in the direct expression of most emotions
Shared emotions tend to be positive
Social rules discourage too much expression, even of positive feelings (hugs and kisses verses handshakes)
Expressions of emotions are shaped by requirements (sales people, teachers, students)

8. Aristotle’s Golden Mean
Moderation is important: neither too much or too little (the mean)
Preferred behavior would fall equally between the extremes
Aristotle urges communicators to moderate their own style:
A person with a hot temper attempts to cool down
A person who rarely expresses him/herself would aim to become more expressive

9. Key Terms Debilitative emotions Emotional contagion
Facilitative emotions
Fallacy of approval (approval of ALL is vital)
Fallacy of catastrophic expectations (Murphy’s Law)
Fallacy of causation (caused by others rather than self)
Fallacy of helplessness (happiness is beyond your control)
Rumination
Self-talk