Lesson 5: Emotions and moods
1. What are emotions and moods?
affect
a broad range of feelings that people experience
emotions
intense, discrete, and short-lived feeling experiences that are often caused by a specific
event
moods
feelings that tend to be longer-lived and less intense than emotions and that lack a
contextual stimulus
the basic emotions
-cultures have norms that govern emotional expression, so the way we recognize an
emotion isn’t always the same as the way we show it
-six universal emotions: anger, fear, sadness, happiness, disgust, and surprise
moral emotions
our responses to moral emotions differ from our responses to other emotions
moral emotions
emotions that have moral implications
moral disgust
the disregard we feel about violations of moral norms
the basic moods: positive and negative affect
-emotions can’t be neutral
-when grouping them into positive and negative categories they become mood states
positive affect
a mood dimension that consists of specific positive emotions such as excitement,
enthusiasm, and elation at the high end
negative affect
a mood dimension that consists of emotions such as nervousness, stress, and anxiety at the
high end
Lesson 5 1/7
, experiencing moods and emotions
-an individual’s experience of emotions appears to be culturally shaped
-a difference in the value of negative emotions between collectivist and individualist
countries
positivity offset
the tendency of most individuals to experience a mildly positive mood at zero input (when
nothing in particular is going on)
the function of emotions
do emotions make us irrational?
our emotions make our thinking more rational
do emotions make us ethical?
-moral judgments are largely based on feelings rather than on cognition
-our beliefs are shaped by the groups we belong to, which influence our perceptions of the
ethicality of certain situations, resulting in unconscious responses and shared moral
emotions
-we tend to judge outgroup members more harshly for moral transgression that ingroup
members, even when we are trying to be objective
2. Sources of emotions and moods
personality
moods and emotions have a personality trait component
affect intensity
individual differences in the strength with which individual experience their emotions
time of day
-moods vary by time of day
-levels of positive affect: peak in the late morning at around 10am to noon and remain at
that level until early evening at around 7pm, drops 12h after waking up
day of the week
weather has little effect on mood for most people
illusory correlation
the tendency of people to associate two events when in reality there is no connection
Lesson 5 2/7
1. What are emotions and moods?
affect
a broad range of feelings that people experience
emotions
intense, discrete, and short-lived feeling experiences that are often caused by a specific
event
moods
feelings that tend to be longer-lived and less intense than emotions and that lack a
contextual stimulus
the basic emotions
-cultures have norms that govern emotional expression, so the way we recognize an
emotion isn’t always the same as the way we show it
-six universal emotions: anger, fear, sadness, happiness, disgust, and surprise
moral emotions
our responses to moral emotions differ from our responses to other emotions
moral emotions
emotions that have moral implications
moral disgust
the disregard we feel about violations of moral norms
the basic moods: positive and negative affect
-emotions can’t be neutral
-when grouping them into positive and negative categories they become mood states
positive affect
a mood dimension that consists of specific positive emotions such as excitement,
enthusiasm, and elation at the high end
negative affect
a mood dimension that consists of emotions such as nervousness, stress, and anxiety at the
high end
Lesson 5 1/7
, experiencing moods and emotions
-an individual’s experience of emotions appears to be culturally shaped
-a difference in the value of negative emotions between collectivist and individualist
countries
positivity offset
the tendency of most individuals to experience a mildly positive mood at zero input (when
nothing in particular is going on)
the function of emotions
do emotions make us irrational?
our emotions make our thinking more rational
do emotions make us ethical?
-moral judgments are largely based on feelings rather than on cognition
-our beliefs are shaped by the groups we belong to, which influence our perceptions of the
ethicality of certain situations, resulting in unconscious responses and shared moral
emotions
-we tend to judge outgroup members more harshly for moral transgression that ingroup
members, even when we are trying to be objective
2. Sources of emotions and moods
personality
moods and emotions have a personality trait component
affect intensity
individual differences in the strength with which individual experience their emotions
time of day
-moods vary by time of day
-levels of positive affect: peak in the late morning at around 10am to noon and remain at
that level until early evening at around 7pm, drops 12h after waking up
day of the week
weather has little effect on mood for most people
illusory correlation
the tendency of people to associate two events when in reality there is no connection
Lesson 5 2/7
