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1. From where come from emotions?

1.2. The ABC of emotional processes 

Jordi Vallverdú

Philosophy Department

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The ABC of emotional processes 

I see dead people

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Some basic concepts:

Appraisal: estimation of the situation

dangerous

Valence: positive, negative, neutral

negative

Elicitation: of actions

try to dodge

Drive: as the pursuit of goals

avoid having philosophy books at home

The ABC of emotional processes 

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Some basic concepts:

Arousal: responses (physiological, subjective,

behavioral)

Skin mechanoceptors (pressure), nociceptors

(pain), hormone activation (epinephrine as

fight-or-flight response),…

Communication: gestures, tone, facial expression

Painful face, yell

Empathy: put yourself in other people’s shoes

To feel the painful hit (you want to help, then)

The ABC of emotional processes 

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Emotional events are categorized according two basic coordinates:

a. Time:

b. Intensity:

Emotional coordinates 

Time

Intensity

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Emotional events are categorized according two basic coordinates? THREE

a. Time

b. Intensity

c. Valence

Emotional coordinates 

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The dynamism of these two basic coordinates:

a. Time: moods, as well as chronic states (such as chronic pain)

b. Intensity: tends to stabilize (homeostatic system). 

Emotional coordinates 

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We can find several aspects that explain the emotional events

These aspects are put into a two-dimensional cartesian axis

structure (time and intensity).

Emotions are dynamic estrategies useful to deal with internal and

external information and then, to allow proper reactions.

End remarks 

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