Types and functions of emotional states in psychology

Concept and meaning

Emotions are elementary experiences. They can occur under the influence of external or internal stimuli. The nature of the manifestation depends on the degree of satisfaction of one’s own desires and expectations.

Emotions play a huge role. Depends on your emotional state:

• career advancement;
• development of personal interests;
• communication with family;
• physical health.

If a person is depressed, health problems may begin and physical activity will decrease.

Interaction with other people

A little attention needs to be paid to this topic.
The formation of emotional stability depends not only on awareness, reflection and acceptance of your feelings. It is also important to learn to detect all similar manifestations in other people.

Of course, reading other people's emotional reactions is much more difficult. But this is just the beginning. It is enough to remember that we are all human. If one person somehow definitely reacts to a particular situation, why can’t another respond to it in the same way? It is enough to show a little observation and empathy, and over time the skill of understanding other people will come.

Communication will become much clearer and clearer. A person will notice how his connections with people (especially loved ones) are transformed. After all, it is emotions that connect us to each other.

And relationships with other people, it should be noted, directly affect the notorious stability and social success. How exactly? It's simple. The more strong, well-established, high-quality connections a person has, the more stable he is. He simply has people with whom he can share his impressions, be sad or happy, and ask for participation and help. This is support. It strengthens and makes you stronger. And, accordingly, more stable.

Types and characteristics

Psychologists distinguish several types of manifestations - emotions, affects, feelings, moods, stress, frustration. Each of them has certain characteristics.

Emotions

Complex mental phenomena. The most significant are stress, feelings, moods. Emotions can be distinguished from affects by their duration. Affects are short-term manifestations. Emotions can change your mental state for a long time.

Affects

Affects are powerful manifestations of psychological reactions. They can be compared to emotional outbursts that change the mental state for a short period of time. Examples of affects:

• horror;
• rage;
• anger;
• deep grief;
• wild joy;
• despair.

When affects arise, they completely take over the psyche. Such outbursts completely suppress the will. Affects are irresistible; they force a person to take some action, which often has bad consequences.

Feelings

Feelings are emotional processes that last longer than affects, but are less intense. They can manifest themselves in relation to any object, animal, or other person. Feelings motivate a person to take any action.

Moods

Moods are emotional processes that last longer than affects. The intensity is extremely weak. Such manifestations include boredom, neutrality, indifference, dissatisfaction, satisfaction.

Stress

Stress is an emotional state that arises as a reaction to various events and extreme influences. They arise due to failures, losses, a series of difficult life moments, conflict situations, and trials.

Stress is familiar to people who are engaged in responsible work and develop a business. They are constantly nervous and tension builds up, causing a nervous breakdown.

One of the well-known emotional states that is similar to prolonged stress is emotional burnout.

Frustration

Frustration occurs when plans are systematically destroyed, upset, or deceived. More often caused by insurmountable difficulties, barriers, difficulties that arise when achieving a certain goal.

Frustration is accompanied by negative feelings. They are capable of destroying activity and consciousness. Kinds:

• external, internal aggression;
• depression;
• bitterness;
• grief;
• dissatisfaction.

Frustration intensifies if failures constantly arise in different areas of life, others reproach the person for this, blame, humiliate, criticize.

How to become more calm?

Greater emotionality can bring no less difficulties to a person than coldness and detachment. There are no exercises to become less passionate; ordinary common sense will help you here. Excessive expressiveness is appropriate on the stage or in a home environment with people who know you well. But a strong manifestation of your mood and inner experiences will not be approved by your colleagues or boss. “Filter” what and how you say, how you behave.

Become an observer of yourself, as it is even more difficult to transform from a very open person to a reasonable person than the other way around.

Functions

Psychologists identify a number of functions that emotions perform:

1. Mobilization. This function manifests itself at the physiological level. The main manifestations are the release of adrenaline into the blood, dulling of sensations, narrowing of consciousness. The described manifestations help to discard unnecessary thoughts and act according to a specific situation.
2. Grade. With the help of emotions, you can instantly assess the current situation or external stimulus. The emotional assessment appears before a detailed answer is composed. The first impression of a new person is extremely difficult to destroy.
3. Compensation. Emotions can be called the highest order of intelligence. They do not go against reason. Psychologists call them a resource for solving various problems. For example, with the help of positive emotions you can strengthen needs, and with the help of negative ones you can reduce their effectiveness.
4. Trace formation. Situations often happen when emotions appear too late, when everything is over, nothing serious can be changed. The created emotional effect is fixed in memory and will arise when similar situations arise.
5. Communication. Emotions have an expressive component. They are transparent to society. For example, when one person expresses pain, the bitterness of loss, those around them have an altruistic motivation, a desire to help. Often such manifestations lead to new acquaintances, which can play a significant role in life.

results

What is the result of this test technique? Emotional stability can be of four levels:

• High (up to 7 points). The person has a stable psyche. It is unlikely that he is afraid of at least some emotional stress. This is not bad, but it is still recommended to keep your nervous system in the same condition.
• Average (8-9 points). The person is quite balanced and knows how to respond adequately to the vast majority of situations that cause stress. Most people have this level.
• Low (15-20 points). Excessive emotionality distinguishes a person - it would not hurt him to acquire mental self-regulation skills. It might even be worth taking calming herbal remedies.
• Critical (21-25 points). People with this indicator are characterized by an extreme degree of excitability. They have very low psychological defense, and their nerves are “naked.” Tranquilizers are often indicated for such individuals. Many people go to psychotherapists.

Application of the Abraham Hicks scale to assess the condition

To create an accurate psychological description of a person’s emotional states and identify disturbances in the emotional sphere, you can use the Abraham Hicks scale. It can be used to describe a wide range of feelings - from negative to positive. Feelings on the scale are divided by color.

It is important to remember the feature of the scale. It is impossible to move along the scale from one side to the other without passing through intermediate stages. For example, it is impossible to go from suffering immediately to joy. Colors go from red to purple. The neutral zone, which is located in the center, is indicated in green.

Red zone

Manifestations:

• hopelessness;
• impotence;
• depression;
• despair;
• uncertainty;
• bitterness;
• envy;
• misfortune;
• humiliation;
• fear;
• shame;
• abandonment.

To move through the negative zone, you need to experience negativity, try to express it in order to move towards positive emotions.

Orange

The orange zone is less negative, but the sensations remain bad:

• fright;
• detachment;
• indignation;
• undervalued;
• anger;
• revenge;
• guilt;
• mistrust;
• resentment;
• hatred;
• discouragement.

It is important to be patient when navigating the different zones of the scale. To get rid of negative feelings, you can use natural psychological defense mechanisms, for example, shifting the blame to others. This helps to free yourself from negativity.

Yellow

This is an area of ​​disappointment. Feelings:

• anxiety;
• sadness;
• disappointment;
• irritation;
• doubt;
• self-pity;
• loneliness;
• depression;
• anxiety;
• regret.

When passing through this and the next zone, psychologists recommend retuning to positive thoughts.

Green

Neutral zone. The main manifestation is boredom. Feelings become mixed as there is a transition between positive and negative emotions. The subject is unable to accurately describe his condition. He's not good, but he's not bad either. To him:

• boring;
• empty;
• Fine;
• indifferent.

At this stage, it is important to relax and try to renounce any feelings. You will feel temporarily tired. The person does not know what to do next. The main thing is not to give in to negativity. You need to try to rest.

Blue

At this stage, the subject begins to have hope. Characterized by:

• trust;
• value;
• nobility;
• fun;
• acceptance;
• interest.

Blue

With each stage the feelings will get better. At this stage, self-confidence appears. Its goal is to move from hope to faith. It is important to have the right mindset so that only good things happen. The blue zone is characterized by:

• confidence;
• approval;
• respect;
• anticipation of interesting events.

At this level a person feels security and satisfaction. He develops enthusiasm and strength to achieve his goals.

Purple

The last zone is purple. This stage is characterized by a feeling of invincibility. To feel global positive changes, you need to stay in this zone for at least three days in a row. If this condition persists for a month or more, your life position and train of thoughts will change. Most likely, material changes will occur - changing jobs, moving to a new place of residence, moving up the career ladder.

Changing your thinking

Within the framework of the topic concerning the stability of the emotional state, we need to talk about the fact that without transforming one’s own perception it will not be possible to strengthen this quality.

A person who wants to become “stronger” must realize: if he cannot change circumstances, then he can change the attitude he feels towards them.

Let's say while walking he noticed a dog barking at someone. The person will not become irritated - he will simply pass by, because after 1-2 minutes the barking will stop reaching him. It’s the same with difficult situations. He must stop perceiving them as something that is happening to his personal detriment. They simply have the right to exist.

When a person allows events to go as “planned by Fate,” they just pass by. If he “clings” to everything, the situation gets worse. This is a philosophical approach, it is not close to everyone, but for many it is suitable.

Also, a person’s emotional stability depends on the conditions in which he lives. If he has a naturally reactive type of nervous activity, then it is better for him to lead an intense lifestyle. Without the opportunity to throw out their energy, such a person will be very uncomfortable. And a person’s psyche is stable only when his lifestyle corresponds to his natural predispositions.

It is also very important to systematically unload your nervous system. This is especially important for people employed in jobs that require increased emotional stability (teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, rescuers, etc.)

d.). Constant pressure has a negative impact on the psyche. The consequence is constant fatigue, nervousness, irritability. This greatly weakens the nervous system. And when any stressful situation happens (even a minor one), a person is unable to cope with it.

Personality emotionality

The structures of the emotional sphere are individual for each person. The individual and personal manifestation of emotions in each individual person is designated by the concept of “personal emotionality.”

Definition.
Emotionality of a person is a quality of personality that characterizes the content, qualities and dynamics of his emotions and feelings.
The substantive aspects of emotionality reflect phenomena and situations that are of particular significance for the subject. They are inextricably linked with the core characteristics of the individual: personality orientation, motivation, value and ideological orientations.

The qualitative properties of emotionality characterize the individual’s attitude to the phenomena of the surrounding world and are expressed in the sign and modality of the dominant emotion. For specific individuals, either positive or negative emotions can dominate. The structure of emotionality may be dominated by one or several emotions at the same time. If the emotion of joy predominates, then such people, as a rule, are cheerful, responsive to any pleasant excitement, calm about negative phenomena, and optimistic. If the emotion of fear dominates, then the person is characterized by depression, isolation, anxiety, nervousness, intense anxiety, and a low emotional background. If the emotion of anger dominates, a person is characterized by aggressiveness, irritability, and excitability.

On the dynamic properties of emotionality

include features
of the emergence, course and cessation
of emotional processes and their external expression.
Among the dynamic properties of emotionality, at least the following three features
:

1. Impressionability

- a person’s ability to perceive various situations as emotional. The same events leave one person indifferent, slightly excite another, and cause strong emotions in a third.

2. Emotional stability

— personality quality, which characterizes the speed of transition from one emotional state to another, is closely related to the temperamental characteristics of the individual.

3. Emotivity

- a personality trait that characterizes the strength of emotional reactions inherent in a person.

Development of emotions

It is impossible to answer unequivocally the question of whether a person’s emotional sphere develops throughout life or not. There are several points of view.

1. According to the first point of view, emotions are innate characteristics of the body

, since they are related to its functioning, nervous, humoral and expressive processes.

2. Another point of view expresses the opposite opinion that the emotional sphere of a person

, like all mental processes,
develops
.

3. Modern research shows that these points of view are compatible with each other

. Elementary emotions, as subjective manifestations of organic states, are truly innate and change little during a person’s life. However, already in relation to higher emotions and feelings, this statement is false.

Development of higher emotions and feelings

occurs as the individual becomes socialized and develops
in several directions
:

Firstly, in the direction associated with the inclusion of new objects, objects, events, and people into the sphere of a person’s emotional experiences.

Secondly, by increasing the level of conscious, volitional control and control of feelings on the part of the individual.

Thirdly, towards the gradual inclusion of higher values ​​and norms in moral regulation: conscience, decency, duty, responsibility, etc.

Further:

4. States of mental tension
Up:
Topic 5. Emotional sphere
Back:
2. Types of emotions

What is the state category in a sentence?

Compound nominal predicate. Always. Compound nominal - that is, it has a nominal part - this very category of state - and also a linking verb “to be”. In the present tense, this connective is omitted, but appears if the tense is past or future:

1. I'm too lazy to learn Russian.
2. Yesterday I was too lazy to learn Russian.
3. Tomorrow I will be too lazy to learn Russian.

Even if the present tense copula is omitted, you are still saying that the word laziness is a compound nominal predicate.

About the subject

If a sentence contains a state category word, it does not have a subject. It simply doesn't exist. Either the subject or the category of the state. Remember this.

Management methods

There are 3 most reliable and proven techniques with which you can effectively control emotional states.

Psycho-emotional regulation

This method of controlling the emotional state involves activating memories of good or bad events that were experienced previously. For example, to suppress feelings of anger, irritation, rage, it is enough to think about a life situation in which there was an excessive amount of positive emotions, a feeling of happiness, joy.

Regulation of mental process

This method of managing emotional states is more complex, as it requires control over the thought process and consciousness.

The implementation of this method is carried out as follows:

• it is necessary to distract your thoughts from the negative events that occur in the environment;
• switch attention to other objects and objects that do not cause negative emotions;
• from each situation you should choose only that emotional component that does not cause stress;
• always adhere to the principle of a positive interpretation of any event;
• to attach insignificant significance to the current situation, as if it does not have any impact on life processes.

It is always recommended to redirect negative emotional impulses into various areas of life and professional activity.

Bodily regulation

This type of control over the emotional state involves performing distracting actions that do not allow you to focus on the feelings and emotional excitement that have arisen.

For example, counting beads located on hand rosaries. In this case, tactile contact of the fingers occurs, which creates a distraction effect. At the same moment, due to constant counting, attention dissipates.

An emotional state is a set of feelings, sensations, and emotional disturbances that are experienced over a long or short period of time. In psychology, scientists P.V. studied the psycho-emotional states of a person. Simonov, K.E. Izard, A.N. Leontyev.

Changes in emotional state occur under the influence of positive or negative environmental factors, and its forms of manifestation are closely related to all types of life processes. A person’s psycho-emotional states are filled with good and bad experiences, situations that influence his personal development and motivation to act.