The emotion can be defined as a sequence of changes of state playing a role in five organic systems (neurophysiological Cognitif, , Moteur, motivationnel, monitor), in a way interdependent and synchronized in answer to the evaluation of the relevance of an external stimulus or intern compared to a central interest for the organization.

The Définition of any psychological entity represents usually difficulties of size, and the Concept of emotion is far from making exception to the rule. A particular problem in the search of the definition of the emotion comes owing to the fact that, often, the stated S refer only to one aspect emotion. Indeed, the concept of emotion is used in a different way according to whether it is considered in reference to the aspect Stimulus, to the subjective experiment , with a phase of a process, an intermediate variable or an answer.

Another problem which harms progress towards a better precision in the definition of the emotion relates to the Langage by which one expresses it. Indeed, the language of the every day and the scientific language do not have the same aims. Moreover, currently the scientific projections in this field do not offer better a Terminologie.

Certain authors have, however, points out that it can be profitable not to have a too strict definition of “the emotion”, taking into account the developmental stage of this field. Indeed, a definition specifies would result in to raise borders between the Phénomène S. One would take the risk thus to exclude from the analysis of the aspects which could later on appear essential with the comprehension of the whole of the process.

Emotions, through an evolutionary prospect

The evolutionary current , in psychology of the emotions, draws its origin from work of Charles Darwin and from the publication of its book: The expression off the Emotions in Man and Animals in 1872 (Darwin 2001). In this work, Darwin will pose the bases of the expression of the emotions. He will describe them as Inné are, universal them and communicative.

The emotions are a heritage of our ancestors. It is then advisable to wonder why and how they gradually developed. As Orians and Heerwagen (1992) point out it, at the time of the Chasseurs-cueilleurs, the Men were to move constantly to find what to nourish themselves. These displacements confronted them with unexpected phenomena (ic changes Climat, Prédateur S, for example) requiring a fast adaptive answer. According to Tobby and Cosmides (1990), the emotions thus will develop in answer to various whole of recurring situations. To that, one can add the first principle of Darwin, allowing to explain how a reaction first of all voluntary goes, to the wire of the generations, to become innate and reflex.

Another characteristic of the emotions is their expression, facial and vocal. Here, we will approach only briefly the chapter of the facial expressions by leaving side that of the vocal expressions, although this last is also important (Scherer 1986). In a book in homage to Darwin (Ekman, 1973), the research presented, bearing on the facial expressions, confirms its assumption on their communicative utility. Ekman will even say that: “the facial expression is the pivot of the communication between men” (Rhyme and Scherer, 1989). Indeed, knowledge lira on the face facilitates our social relations; in the same way, an erroneous interpretation of a facial mimicry can make us adopt a behavior badly adapted to the situation. For example, at the Monkey S, when a Mâle dominating drives out another male and that this last fact a grimace (expression of fear), the male dominating will stop driving out it. Contrary, if the male dominating made same the grimace, it expects that the subordinate male comes to embarrass it. In this direction, the facial expression makes it possible to inform the individual of our intentions but also of the behavior which one awaits from him. Lastly, the last principle of Darwin will establish the bond between emotion and Nervous system. Unfortunately, there will only remain very descriptive on the subject and it will be necessary to await the theory of the Physiologiste Walter Canon, in the years 1920, to give the nervous system to the center of the emotions (Canon, 1927).

Psychological theories of the emotions

The emotion is a fuzzy concept and it is not easily definable (Alvarado and Al, 2002). It has the effect of being idiosyncrasic, i.e. particular and specific to each individual (Picardy, 2003). So several definitions and roles were given to the emotion (François and Al, 2001; O' Regan, 2003).

Already in 1879, Charles Darwin, founder of the theory of the evolution, define it as this and survival adaptability of the living organism. He sees it like innate, universal and communicative. From a behavioral point of view, the emotion is perceived like a “motivator”, an entity which influences the choice of an individual in answer to an external stimulus or intern. From a sociocultural point of view, the feelings are this answer given to an interaction with ourselves and/or the others. An emotion exists at the same time in the personal and social dimension of the individual. It would be this capacity of adaptation and of change, this bond which forms our relations and puts to us in interaction with the other. Recent studies in neurobiology showed that the emotions are a mixture of several biochemical factors, sociocultural and neurological (O' Regan, 2003). They result in specific reactions: motor coaches (muscular tone, tremors…), behavioral (incapacity to move, agitation, escape, aggression…), and physiological (paleness, reddening, acceleration of the pulse, palpitations, feeling of Faintness…). They would be at the base of our physiological and behavioral reactions.

Taking into consideration these definition, the concept of emotion appears polysemous. It is, indeed, difficult to give a clear and univocal definition of the emotion. However, the specialists agree to say that the plurality of the definitions of the emotion does not deteriorate of anything its central role in any behavioral analysis. It is in close and permanent connection with our decisions and our actions.

The emotions act on our daily behaviors, our choices and our perceptions. They make the communication more effective and confer to him with an high level of impact. Moreover, the emotions play a key function in all processes of training while acting on the storage capacity of learning, on its retention of information and its attention (Alvarado, 2002). During the acquisition of knowledge, the emotions act at various levels on the human spirit. Recent studies showed that the emotions and cognition are closely dependant (Adam and Al, 2005; Chaffar and Al, 2006; Ahn and Al, 2005). This is why, it is difficult to approach the aspect cognition without referring to the emotions.

The theory of William James & Carl Lange (1887)

Theory of the emotions (1884 -1885). Differentiation of the emotions according to the body modifications: to each emotions corresponds such modifications. The theory of Gun-Hand-barrow refutes this theory.

The theory of Walter Canon and Philip Hand-barrow (1929)

In this theory the emotion is initially a cognitive phenomenon. We cérébralement feel the emotion before having the physiological and somatic effects of them

The theory of Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer (1975)

One interprête an emotion according to the environmental conditions. The individuals interprêtent visceral activation according to the stimulis of the environmental situation and their cognitive state.

Theories known as of the basic emotions

Paul Ekman

  • Joy;
  • Sadness;
  • Dislike;
  • Fear;
  • Anger;
  • Surprised.

NB: The secondary emotions are mixtures of the basic emotions (example: nostalgia). One also speaks about mixed emotions to name the secondary emotions. For example, shame is a mixed emotion, at the base a mixture of fear and anger (blocked or turned over against oneself).

Theories of the cognitive evaluation

According to the theories of the evaluation Cognitive, as called theories of the appraisal , the emotion is the fruit of the cognitive evaluations as the individual made about the event, as it is external or internal, or of the situation, which initiates the emotion.

These theories are distinguished from the theories of the basic emotions in what they suppose of the mechanisms of genesis common to all the emotions. This approach supposes that, to include/understand the emotions, it is first of all necessary to include/understand the evaluations that the individual made about the events of its environment. A cognitive evaluation is defined like a process cognitive, fast, automatic, unconscious, whose function is to evaluate the stimuli perceived on the basis of particular criterion (Magda Arnold, 1960).

The model of the components proposed by Klaus Scherer (1984, 1988,2001) provides a precise definition of the nature of the emotions. Indeed, it defines an emotion as a sequence of changes of state playing a role in five organic systems in a way interdependent and synchronized in answer to the evaluation of an external stimulus, or intern, compared to a central interest for the individual. He proposes to define the emotion as a sequence of changes of state playing a role in five organic systems: Cognitive (activity of the central Nervous system), psychophysiologic (peripheral answers), Motivation nel (tendency to answer the event), Driving (movement, facial expression, vocalization), subjective Feeling .

The majority of the theories of the emotion support the idea that the specific nature of the emotional experiment depends on the result of an evaluation of an event in term of significativity for survival and the good being of the individual. In the theory of Scherer, the set of criteria making it possible to evaluate the event is called “stimulus checks evaluation (SEC' S)”. Following the result of this evaluation, it will be possible to predict the type and the intensity of the elicit emotion by the event. The SEC' S are organized around four main aims which are still subdivided in secondary objectives. The SEC' S major correspond to the types of the most important information which the organization needs to have a suitable reaction. It is about:

1. Is this event relevant for me? It affect directly my person or my social group? (relevance)

2. Which are the implications or the consequences of this event and at which point they will affect my good being or my goals in the short and long term? (implications)

3. With which point am able to face these consequences? (potential of coping)

4. Which significativity has this event compared to my personal convictions like vis-a-vis the standards and statutory values? (normative significativity)

The evaluation of these checks is always done in a subjective way and that it thus depends on perceptions and the inférences which can make an individual of a situation. Moreover, like already suggested by Lazarus and Folkman (1984), the evaluation does not take place that only once, she repeats herself in a process named revaluation (“reappraisal”) which makes it possible to be rehabilitated gradually with the event.

Contrary to the theories of the discrete emotions, the model of the components limiting steps with a restricted number of emotions (anger, joy, fear, sadness, dislike…). On the contrary, the emotional process is regarded as a pattern constant fluctuations of changes in different under systems from the organization making it possible to emphasize a very broad spectrum of emotional states. However, the theory does not reject the fact that there exist more frequent patterns of adaptation at the organizations which reflect results recurring of evaluation of the environment. For example, of the reactions as the combat or the escape is universal and it is not astonishing to note only the emotions which theirs are associated, anger and the fear, is found at all the species. According to the model, it appears very probable that of the same combination of results to the checks of evaluation one can lead to regular patterns of changes of specific states. For this reason Scherer speaks about modal emotions to describe these prevalent results with the SEC' S which are due to general living conditions, constraints of the social organization and similarities in the genetic equipment and which one thus finds in almost all the languages under the term of a short verbal expression, like a simple mot. Cependant, the advantage that has the SEC' S is to be able to provide a great number of various emotional states of intensity different what seems to better correspond felt to individuals.

The theory of the interruptive system

Herbert Simon, Nobel Prize of economy and specialist in cognitive psychology develops a theory in 1967 of the interruptive system of the linear decision. It defines three groups of requirements in real-time for an individual:

  1. needs emerging vis-a-vis dubious events (stimuli of noises or visual sudden) which could announce a danger
  2. the physiological needs which are internal stimuli for example the hunger, thirst, exhaustion
  3. cognitive associations which are strong stimuli coming from mnemic associations, for example, the memory of a fear

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • the emotional brain, by Francoise Lotstra, neurologist. Devoted to the bonds between the brain and the emotions.

  • a file of articles on the emotions
  • Interfacultaire Center in Emotional Sciences
  • Specialized site on shame
    • Video
  • on Antonio Damasio, neurologist

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