Functions of emotion

Emotions arise in response to changes in our surroundings that could have important consequences. These consequences may be immediate (e.g. being confronted by a mugger) or delayed (e.g. anticipating an examination). Some  emotions are short-lived (surprise, humor) and these often arise when there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens, others are long-lived (e.g., jealousy, hatred). Some emotional responses are hard wired—executed by neural circuits that are genetically specified during  development—such as  the  universal aversive reaction of infants to  bitter-tasting (potentially toxic) foods,  but  most (e.g., love) are probably learnt. Apparently hard-wired responses need not be forever fixed; most adults come to like the bitter foods their culture teaches them is safe (e.g., coffee).

Emotional states have three components:

- A conscious cognitive component

- Visceral sensations arising from autonomic and endocrine events (e.g., feeling a rise in heart rate)

- Motor actions (e.g., characteristic facial expressions)

There are learned associations between visceral sensations and cognitive aspects of the emotional state which make them self-reinforcing. Realization of just how bad or good a situation is drives visceral changes although conscious efforts to stem visceral sensation (e.g. controlled breathing) lessens emotional intensity.

Emotions presumably enhance survival, for several reasons:

1.  They are arousing and direct attention to important aspects of a situation so that it can be assessed as threatening or beneficial.

2.  Emotions are goads to useful action. We generally avoid snakes.

3.  The motor component (e.g. laughing or crying) communicates our emotional state to others, altering their behavior. Before it acquires language an infant can only communicate its needs and desires by expressing its emotions but also in adults emotions act as a powerful form of nonverbal communication. This is crucial for social interactions.

The subjective experience of emotion, mainly that leading to action, is termed affect.