Understanding Human Emotions

Definitions and Characteristics of Emotions

Emotions are complex physical and mental states produced by neurophysiological and psychological changes. They are associated with subjective feelings, thoughts, behavioral responses, physiological activity, and varying degrees of pleasure or displeasure. Because emotions involve several interacting components, there is no single scientific definition accepted by all disciplines. They may arise in response to significant internal or external events and can be brief, such as anger or panic, or enduring, such as grief or hostility. Key characteristics of emotions include subjective experience, cognitive appraisal, bodily or physiological changes, expressive behavior, action tendencies, and neural activity. Emotions can vary in intensity, may be functional or dysfunctional, and are influenced by biological, cognitive, social, cultural, and personal factors. They are related to, but distinct from, feelings and moods: feelings are an individual's subjective awareness of an emotional state, while moods are generally longer-lasting, less intense states that may not have a clear triggering event.

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The Multicomponent Nature of Emotion

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