Bella Picon

Bella Picon
Jul 17, 2020
Jul 17 at 6:33pm
Discussion 5

I definitely had some strong opinions of the types of love described in class, specifically
the definitions that can be created by the combinations of intimacy (feeling of closeness
and sharing personal information), passion (Physical attraction, desire) and commitment
(the willingness to be in love and the decision you are). Love takes so many forms and
they are all valid but I would consider "Love" not as an emotion itself but as a spectrum
on which many emotions fall. Although I would classify all the types of emotions we
discussed as love but I don't necessarily agree with the assigned definitions. The idea
that romantic love specifically has to have certain components- Intimacy and Passion-
to be defined as such seems to rigid. I believe that your love can be classified as
romantic based on your personal definition of romance. I think romantic Love is too
subjective to be defined through necessary parts.

I think that non love is extremely interesting and actually would still consider this a type
of love. You may not be passionate and physical anymore, you are not there because of
emotional disclosure, but you still feel something connecting you to that person. Love is
not always a positive or cherry emotion sometimes it truly is work but I think the
willingness to put in that work defines it as valid love. I personally can define so many
type of love in my life. Theres the love I feel towards my family, a different love I feel
towards my friends, I have experienced different types of ​romantic ​love with different
people, theres even a type of love you feel towards negative people in your life because
you are still committed to being the negative person in each others life.

Yes love can be considered an emotion because of the temporary nature it can take
on, but I also believe there is the concept of love as a decision that can be defined
through commitment. Take in the example of a married couple who fit the definition of
consummate love (intimacy, passion, commitment). Because emotions are temporary
and reactive, their emotional love is going to change through out their relationship.
Regardless of the levels ranges of emotional love they will feel the decision of love can
keep them together.

Discussion 6
● Pick one type of emotion expression discussed in lecture (laughter, crying, touch).
Explain how you think that expression can convey both positive and negative
emotions. Describe one important next-step for future research in this area.
Crying can express both a positive and negative emotion. Tears well up in my eyes the
second I start to feel truly sad, and when the couple in the hallmark movie finally get
together in the end and I can't help but be happy for them. Crying is one of the most
cathartic feeling activities you can do- which is why I am confused that Rottenberg's
research was inconclusive about the benefits of crying. I believe we need to look deeper
into this natural phenomenon because the emotional effects feel very apparent. There is
a strong sense of relief after one is done crying even if the situation has not yet worked
itself out.

Discussion 7
The everyday example of emotion I chose was anger. Whether mild frustration or
intense anger I notice the physiological changes which occur along side it - specifically
dilated pupils and increased heart rate. I believe this is the direct physiological response
to my cognitive perception of emotion. In personal experience I have rated different
severities of these responses in accordance to the intensity of my perceived subjective
emotion. I believe that this adjustment between emotion and physical effects add
support to the theory of emotion specify as they tend to correlate.
- Response to ​Claire Gould

I really relate to your thinking, I have also noticed physical reactions when I am
not strongly positive of the emotional label it would correspond with. I think this
question can be difficult to answer with out fully understand how the body works
to maintain homeostasis in response to different factors.

Discussion 8

Question 1- Do you agree more with a locationist or psychological constructivist

perspective on emotion in the brain? Explain your choice.

Personally, I agree mostly with the locationist perspective over the psychological
constructivist perspective for a number of reasons. The process of mapping certain
human emotions to differing respected areas of the brain is quite possible and we have
seen this been proven before. There have been studies shown through fMRI and PET
scans where multiple emotions have been linked to certain areas of the brain following
differing tasks. If a task/action were to follow with a fearful emotion, then brain activation
in specific regions would be present. For example, if that fearful emotion were to be
present after that given task/action, the amygdala would most definitely be an area to be
active, since it elicits that emotion. If you were feeling sad, then the subcallosal region of
the brain would then be active instead.