Emotions and its charecteristics

We experience in our life various feelings of anger, fear, disgust, repulsion, etc. Emotions largely determine human behaviour and extension workers should learn how to utilise them for the purpose of education of rural people.

The definition for emotions are:

Jersild: Emotions denote a state of being moved stirred up or aroused in some way. Emotions involve feelings, impulses and physical and physiological reactions. These feelings, impulses, physiological reaction etc., occur in an almost unlimited variety of mixtures and gradations.

Rass: Emotions are modes of being conscious in which the feeling element is predominant.

Munn: Emotions are acute disturbances of the individual as a whole, psychological in origin, involving behaviour, conscious experiences and verbal functioning.

Gerow: Emotion is a reaction involving subjective feelings, physiological response, cognitive interpretation and behavioral expression.

Classification of Emotion

There are a number of ways to classify emotional responses and each has its own supporters. Wilhelm Wumdt organised emotions on three interesting dimensions; pleasantness/unpleasantness, relaxation/tension, and calm/excitement.

Carroll Iyard's classification has nine primary emotions. They are fear, anger, shame, contempt, disgust, distress, distress, interest, surprise and joy.

Robert plutchik argues for eight basic emotions of anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, curiosity, acceptance and joy.

Development of emotion

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) serves the smooth muscles, glands, and internal visceral organs. Parasympathetic division of ANS functions to maintain a calm, relaxed state of the organism. Sympathetic division of the ANS is involved in emotional status. Epinephrine (adrenalin) a hormone produced by the adrenal glands are involved in emotional activity, mostly affecting heart activity. Note pinephrine, a harmone secreted by adrenal glands are involved in emotional arosal. Adrenal glands located on the kidneys, part of the ANS, is involved in emotional reactions. Limbic system, a set of small structures located low in the brain is involved in motivational and emotional states. These are the physiological bases for emotion. These emotions are expressed in facial and other expressions. Emotions when controlled effectively help the extension working to achieve their goals of educating the farmers.