Emotions seem to us a peculiar coloring of sensations, which characterizes our attitude to a particular quality of the subject, in other words, it is a sensual tone of sensations. Psychology defines emotions as mental processes that take place in the form of experiences and reflect a personal assessment and the significance of internal and external situations for human life. Therefore, the main characteristic of emotions is their subjectivity.
The classification of emotions includes emotions, mood and affect, feelings, emotional stress. All emotional states are reflected in a person’s behavioral reaction.
Types of emotions and their general characteristics
The most powerful form of emotional reaction is affect. Affects seem intense, violently flowing and short-term emotional outbursts, for example, anger, great sorrow, rage, despair, horror. A characteristic feature of this type is the complete capture of the human psyche and induces a person to some action, that is, a physical reaction to the stimulus. In an affective state, a change in all mental processes occurs. Logical thinking, attention, and rationality are inferior to impulsive behavior.
The next group classifies emotions as emotion itself. Unlike affects, they have a long duration, in addition, they can be connected, that is, be a reaction not only to a momentary stimulus, but also to possible or recalled.
Emotions can be expressed not only positively or negatively. Such conditions as tension, relief, agitation, and tranquility are inherent in man.
Taking into account the influence of emotions on human activity, the classification of emotions distinguishes stenic, stimulating human activity, increasing the energy and strength of the subject, and asthenic, causing a passive state, emotional reactions.
The main or basic emotions are:
- joy, that is, a positive state caused by satisfaction.
- shame is an emotional state, which is based on the conscious discrepancy of one’s thoughts and actions not only with good taste, but also with one’s own convictions.
- suffering is a condition caused by the inability to satisfy one's needs.
- fear is a negative feeling associated with the awareness of a possible or real danger.
- anger - a negative state that occurs when there is a sudden obstacle in achieving goals.
- contempt is a negative emotional state associated with the mismatch of the principles or thoughts of two subjects.
- disgust - the state of the psyche of a person with a minus sign caused by various objects, the interaction with which sharply contradicts the moral of the subject.
The main properties of emotions imply their indicative nature, as well as their close relationship with biological processes.
The next species group is feelings. Unlike emotions, feelings have more concreteness and objectivity, and are also associated with the social sphere of the subject's life. In addition, feelings are longer emotional reactions.
Feelings are moral or moral (take place when comparing reality and the norms of society), moral and political (a person’s attitude to the state and its organs), intellectual (arise in the process of cognitive activity of the subject), aesthetic (a person’s relationship to the beautiful).
The next separate group, the classification of emotional reactions, distinguishes moods - the most prolonged emotional state characterizing the behavior of a person as a whole. Mood is associated with physical health and self-esteem of the person, is an unconscious assessment of reality, characterized by a different duration, which depends on a number of factors, both external and internal.
Mood affects the effectiveness of human activity.
The presented classification of emotions or emotional states of a person is generalized. Attempts by scientists, including W. Wundt, to identify common signs for all emotions have shown that the whole system of feelings is similar to three dimensions, each of which has two mutually exclusive polar directions.