"Emotions" - Why are you angry?

about the author

Lisa Feldman Barrett is currently president of the American Association for Psychological Science . Professor Barrett is also a well-known professor in the Department of Psychology of Northeastern University and a TED speaker. She also holds appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital where she conducts therapeutic research in psychiatry and radiation sickness.

about this book

The traditional view of emotions believes that emotions are the product of human evolution, and external activities stimulate our internal emotional responses . So emotions are difficult to control. However, based on years of in-depth research, Professor Barrett, the author of this book, put forward a brand new theory of emotional construction. The author argues that emotion is not innate, nor is it universal. Emotions are not aroused, but created by the individual. Therefore, we can effectively manage and control our emotions through some methods.

core content

First, what are the main ideas of emotional construction theory? Why is it said that emotions are the product of our own initiative?

Second, in terms of emotional management, what enlightenment will Professor Barrett's " emotional construction theory " bring us?

 

 

From a new perspective, this book explains to us how people's emotions are

How can we better control our emotions ?

When you first hear this question, you may think that we are born with various emotions, and when we encounter specific things, our emotions will naturally be aroused. For example, you are watching a horror movie. Although you try to tell yourself to stay calm, as soon as a scary picture appears, the emotion of " fear " will still come to your mind unconsciously. you are very

It could be a racing heart, a stiff body, and if you can't handle it, shaking, screaming, or even unplugging the TV. You see, from the scary scene you see, to the arousing of scary emotions, to a series of specific reactions, this process seems to happen naturally, completely out of your control. From this point of view, it must not be easy to control emotions.

However, this book makes the exact opposite point: Emotions are not innate. Emotions are not passively generated due to external stimuli, but are actively created in our minds. The author calls this view " emotional constructionism " .

We are not researchers in the field of psychology. For us ordinary readers, the significance of understanding this theory is that it can not only broaden our understanding of emotions, but also provide some specific methods to help us better understand emotions . Regulate emotions, control emotions. Regarding the specific content of the emotional construction theory, I will tell you in detail later.

The author of this book, Barrett , is currently the president of the American Association for Psychological Science and a well-known professor in the Department of Psychology of Northeastern University. He has long focused on the pioneering research of emotions. Next, I will divide it into two parts and interpret this book for you.

In the first part, let us focus on what are the main viewpoints of emotional construction theory? Why is it said that emotions are our initiative

The product created?

The second part talks about what enlightenment Professor Barrett's "emotional construction theory" will bring us in terms of emotional management?

first part

Well, let’s talk about the first part first. From the perspective of emotional construction theory, how should we recognize and understand emotions?

Generally speaking, we all think that emotion is a feeling that is aroused when we are stimulated by the outside world. When something happens, our emotions will automatically appear and be displayed through certain facial expressions or body movements. For example, we smile when we are happy, frown when we are angry, and open our mouths and widen our eyes when we are surprised. It's as if each emotion has its own fingerprint, and specific emotions correspond to specific behaviors. Usually, you can tell how a person is feeling at the moment by observing their facial expressions and body language. Scientists call this view an " emotional fingerprint . "

The idea of ​​" emotional fingerprints " is not a concept that scientists came up with based on their subjective feelings, but a conclusion drawn after a lot of experimental research. A psychologist named Tomkins led his research team to conduct such an experiment. Tomkins carefully designed a set of photos of facial expressions representing six different emotions, including anger, fear, disgust, surprise, sadness and happiness. In the experiment, Tomkins asked the people who participated in the experiment to look at a photo first, and then choose a word from the six words that matches the expression of the person in the photo. The results of the study found that the vast majority of people can correctly associate facial expressions with emotions. Later, other scientists went to a tribe on the island of New Guinea, and found the local aborigines, the Far people, to do this experiment. The Farr have almost no connection to the Western world, but in this distant tribe, the matching of facial expressions and emotional vocabulary also shows a high degree of consistency. Through the results of this experiment, scientists have drawn two cognitions about emotions: first, facial expressions are indeed reliable and identifiable " emotional fingerprints " . Second, emotional manifestations are universal across the world. No matter where you grew up or what culture you were in, you can guess what mood the American in the photo is in.

In general, our senses receive external stimuli and naturally produce various emotions. These different emotions have their own unique expressions, movements, or other physiological manifestations . This traditional view of emotion has been the mainstream view of the public and the scientific community for a long time. However, Professor Barrett pointed out that in Tomkins' experiment, the expressions on the photos were posed by professionals, not real emotions. In fact, such so-called " emotional fingerprints " do not exist, and emotional manifestations are not universal. This idea that a particular emotion corresponds to a particular expression is likely an acquired stereotype. There are two studies that illustrate this point well. Let's look at the first one, the research on the existence of emotional fingerprints. Scientists have found that when we judge emotions, it is likely not only through expressions or behaviors, but more often, we tend to get information from the surrounding environment. Specifically, in an experiment, the researchers spliced ​​different expressions on the body performing different movements through PS and other technical means. For example, a frowning, very angry expression is put together with a body holding dirty garbage in its hand, and then let the subjects judge the emotions of the characters in the picture. The answer given by most people is that this person should be

There is a feeling of disgust. This shows that most people make judgments based on information other than expressions and movements, that is, the details of holding dirty garbage in their hands. Rather than identifying specific emotional fingerprints, we tend to speculate on the causes of emotions. This is indeed the case in real life. In many cases, when we notice a person's expression, we will also see his body movements, hear his voice, and you may know what happened to him recently. . It is the addition of all the information that allows your brain to simulate and infer what the emotion of the person in front of you should be. So, there doesn't seem to be a specific facial expression or physical response that matches a specific emotion. Emotional fingerprints are not traits we are born with. Let's look at whether emotional expression is universal. Just imagine, if our emotional displays are indeed universal, then newborn babies from all over the world should be more likely to frown to express anger, curl lips to express sadness, etc., because they are not yet fully developed. Influenced and shaped by local culture, a similar response is more likely to occur when exposed to external stimuli. However, scientists have observed that when babies experience mood swings, the expressions on their faces, as well as their physical manifestations, are not the same or similar. Some scientists, for example, frightened infants with a toy growling gorilla in an attempt to arouse fear in infants; While doing these things, the researchers used a video camera to film the babies' reactions. As a result, the researchers were completely unable to tell from facial expressions when watching the video whether the babies were being frightened by the gorilla toy, were being pinned down by their arms, or were experiencing something else. So, emotional displays don't seem to be universal across the world. Professor Barrett said that people's emotional expression and social culture have a closer relationship. That is to say, the social group you grew up in, the education you received since childhood, the culture around you, etc., jointly shape your perception of emotions and your emotional expression. For example, in Japanese, there is an emotional word called "arigata-meiwaku" , which means

You did not help and caused a lot of trouble, but you still have to express your gratitude, that kind of tangled and helpless mental state. You see, this kind of cognition of emotions has a deep imprint of Japanese culture. In other cultures, it is difficult to find similar concepts of emotions.

In addition, Professor Barrett has also conducted a series of brain science studies to investigate whether specific brain regions are stimulated when people have different emotions. The findings found that no single brain region was responsible for a single emotional activity. For example, when people feel fear, the activity of the amygdala in the brain will be strong. But amygdala activity also increases when a person is in pain, learning something new, or meeting a stranger . Therefore, Professor Barrett believes that even if we put all the current scientific evidence together, we cannot give any definite reason to prove that " emotional fingerprints " do exist. Emotions are also not universal. She further pointed out that emotions are not stimulated after receiving external information, but are created by you actively. This view is the "emotional construction theory" advocated by Professor Barrett.

Then, from the perspective of " emotional construction theory " , how does emotion specifically arise? Professor Barrett reminds us that the human brain is not a simple machine that only responds mechanically to external stimuli. A core ability of the human brain is to actively predict the future. This ability to predict is an essential ability to ensure human survival. Every moment, your brain is evaluating and predicting what you are doing to calculate how much energy it needs to consume, and to meet your physiological needs by changing indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure. Professor Barrett believes that this ability to predict is the main reason for emotions.

Next, let's use an example in the book to explain how the ability to actively predict builds the emotion of " fear " .

Please imagine such a scene. On a weekend afternoon, after a busy week, you drove to the wild alone, wanting to get in touch with nature and relax. But, luckily for you, you come across a rattlesnake. Past experience tells you that this kind of snake is very poisonous, and you may not survive half an hour after being bitten by it. Please note that at this time, your brain has already started to make predictions related to this snake. You will make up your own mind, if you are bitten by a snake, you will die soon, so the best way is to run quickly. At this time, the brain sends this signal to various regions of the body. As a result, your heart pumps blood faster by dilating your blood vessels to deliver more glucose to your muscles . The process also changes your blood pressure and makes your heart rate increase. You can clearly feel all these physiological changes in your body. Professor Barrett calls this feeling " interoception " . not only in danger

When you are alive, as long as your life continues, you have this inner feeling all the time. We continue to return to the scene of the encounter with the rattlesnake. So far, you still don't have the emotion of " fear " . There is still one link missing, that is, this feeling and

Match the concept of " fear " in your head . Based on your past experience and the education you have received from childhood, you must already know that the emotion of " fear " refers to this kind of rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and extreme nervousness.

Very uncomfortable feeling. At this time, the active prediction of the brain and your actual feelings completely correspond to the concept of " fear " in your mind . At this point, the emotion of fear is really born. Therefore, emotional construction theory believes that our emotions are not spontaneously generated by external stimuli. There are three key elements in the production of emotions: the brain's predictive ability, our body's

Interoception, and the concept of different emotions stored in the mind . The whole process is that we make predictions about what's going on, adjust our systems, and feel intero. When this prediction and feeling matches the pre-existing concept of emotion in our mind, a specific emotion is constructed.

In general, the emotional constructionist view is that:

First, emotional fingerprints do not exist, and each emotion does not have a typical physiological response corresponding to it;

Second, emotional expression is not universal in the world. Your emotional expression is more closely related to your cultural environment and your personal experience;

Third, the generation of emotions is not passive or stimulated, but is actively constructed by our brain through prediction.

the second part

Of course, there are still many studies and theories on the mechanism of emotions, and the " emotional construction theory " proposed by Professor Barrett is only one of them, and it is not the only correct authority and truth. For us, the significance of emotional construction theory is that it provides us with a new perspective and broadens our cognition and understanding of emotions. Not only that, from the perspective of " emotional construction theory" , Professor Barrett also proposed some specific and feasible methods to help us better regulate and control emotions. In the next part, let's talk about how we should improve our ability to control our emotions.

One of the most important methods that Professor Barrett told us is to increase one's "emotional granularity", which is the " grain " of particles .

" Emotional granularity " refers to our ability to distinguish and recognize our feelings in different situations. People with high emotional granularity can be called emotional experts. They can accurately identify and describe their emotions. For example, people with high emotional granularity look at emotions like a professional sommelier tasting a glass of red wine, which can have many levels and details. For example, the same happiness, in the eyes of people with high emotional granularity, can be divided into happy, happy, proud, uplifting, and ecstatic, etc. People with high emotional granularity can express their feelings easily, have a very detailed understanding of their emotions, and can find corresponding solutions more accurately and effectively for their own situations. However, people with relatively low emotional granularity have a much rougher recognition of emotions, without such a detailed layering. For them, emotions may just be a very general and vague feeling. For example, when feeling down, they may only be able to say: " I feel bad " or " I don't feel very happy right now . " Every time they encounter this kind of situation, they seem to feel the same way, and they don't know what kind of emotion they are in now, and of course they don't know how to solve it. This will easily make them fall into a vicious circle, unable to extricate themselves in negative emotions.

In Barrett's view, different people have different emotional granularity . Some people are inherently sensitive and can easily distinguish between different emotions and accurately identify their own feelings; while others may be relatively slow and not so easy to stratify their emotions. But don't worry, Professor Barrett said that emotional granularity can be continuously improved through acquired training. And the method is not difficult. So, how can we improve our emotional granularity? One of Professor Barrett's suggestions is to master as much vocabulary as possible related to emotional concepts . For example, the same bad mood can include anger, anger, panic, irritability, embarrassment, anxiety and so on. However, it is not enough to just know these words. More importantly, you also need to know what these words specifically mean, and to experience the subtle differences between them . When a similar situation occurs again, you can see which concept is more in line with your current feelings.

The Emotional Intelligence Center of Yale University has also done a study. Every week, the school will set aside 20 to 30 minutes to teach students the concepts and vocabulary about emotions. It was found that just by learning more emotional concepts, children in school can effectively improve their ability to manage their emotions , and their social skills and academic performance have been improved. Regarding mastering more emotional words, you may also feel that the mother tongue is too familiar to us, and we use it every day, but it is not easy to experience the subtle differences between emotional words. What should we do in this situation? Professor Barrett also provides us with an upgraded version of the method, which is to learn the words that express emotions in foreign languages. For example, there is a word in English called wanderlust , which means a strong desire to explore the world. If you are preparing for the TOEFL or IELTS test, preparing to study abroad; or taking time out of your busy work to study and attend lectures, although you are working hard, the emotions and feelings that keep you going may be this kind A strong desire to explore the world. There is also a word called eudemonia , which means the sense of happiness brought about by living an active life because of rationality. Not only learning emotional words in foreign languages, but you can even create some concepts yourself to describe your emotions. Although only you understand what these concepts mean, they are the only ones that best express your unique feelings at this moment. All in all, the more concepts you have about different emotions in your head, the easier it will be for you to identify your feelings and find the appropriate ways to regulate and control them. The higher your emotional granularity, the better your sense of control over your emotions , and the less likely you will be trapped in one emotion. Improve emotional granularity , to a large extent, can make you have a healthier mentality

state. In addition to improving our " emotional granularity " , Professor Barrett also mentioned in the book that there is another very effective way to make our emotions more stable and healthy, that is, to develop good living habits and maintain health physical condition. In fact, this is also very easy to do. It is nothing more than paying attention to food hygiene, taking part in regular physical exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and so on. You may think that these ideas sound uninspired, even trite. But from a scientific point of view, a good lifestyle plays an irreplaceable role in our emotional health. We also mentioned just now that the internal feelings of our body affect our emotional experience all the time. For example, a survey found that most people with chronic diseases have relatively pessimistic thoughts and often feel depressed and anxious. However, when given analgesics, their mood mostly improved as their physical pain lessened. Of course, long-term use of analgesics does not completely relieve pain, and may even become addictive. For most of us, the best way is to try to maintain a good physical condition. When you get up early and stand in the morning sun, your body is relaxed and full of strength, at this time, your emotions must also be relaxed and joyful. Compared with our traditional cognition and understanding of emotions, Professor Barrett proposed the "emotional construction theory " from a new perspective . " Emotional construction theory " believes that emotions are not innate, nor are they universal across the world. Your emotional performance is more closely related to your cultural environment and your personal experience. At the same time, emotions are not generated passively due to external stimuli, but are actively constructed in our minds. From this perspective, Professor Barrett further pointed out that in order to better control our emotions, we can try to improve our " emotional granularity " . The higher your emotional granularity, the better your sense of control over your emotions, and the less likely you will be trapped in one emotion. We can optimize our emotional granularity by mastering more, more accurate and detailed emotional concepts. also,

A regular lifestyle and good physical condition are also very important for emotional stability and health.