PS358 - Emotion Theories and Research

Periods of distress and sadness are normal. Emotion becomes disordered when it leads to some inability to cope with everyday life. These behaviours can be described as abnormal.

DSM-5 is used as a diagnostic aid by practitioners. It makes use of classification codes. It classifies over 200 mental disorders and is defined by observable symptoms.

Diagnostic classification have some limitations

  • Focussed on Western societies
  • Strictly categorical classification
  • Variability of symptoms
  • Variability of intensity

Emotional disorders historically focussed on depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders.

"Normal" sadness may be caused by manifestation of or reaction to emotional pain, feelings of disadvantage, loss, helplessness or sorrow. Temporary sadness is low mood, chronic sadness is depression.

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being. Abnormal happiness is mania and is the positive component of bipolar disorder.

Fear is a basic survival reaction to specific threat. Reactions include fight, flight or freeze. A phobia is an anxiety disorder characterised by enduring, disproportionate fear response. This can include

  • Extreme avoidance behaviour
  • Irrationality
  • Stressor tolerated

Three types of phobia are classified under DSM-5, specific, social and agoraphobia.

Anger is a psychological sense of being wronged, offended or denied. It is a normal, emotionally-mature response to perceived provocation.

Surprise is a brief emotional response to being startled.

Anxiety is distinguished from fear as there is a lack of direct eliciting stimulus. It is a normal response to a stressor. Healthy anxiety can be seen as concern or worry. Pervasive and maladaptive anxiety is dysfunctional. There are four domains of anxiety symptomology

  • Somatic
  • Affective
  • Cognitive
  • Behavioural

Disgust is primarily associated with extreme aversion and withdrawal. It has an adaptive function for protection from pathogens. There are gender and cultural differences to disgust and this can be extended to symbolic socio-cultural stimuli.