Emotions. Desperately seeking definition.

Last time, we saw that human beings can convey information about their emotions through their facial expressions and body language. But what exactly are emotions?

I'm not a fan of quotes, but in this case, I'll make an exception. Fehr and Russell say, "Everyone knows what an emotion is, until asked to give a definition!" I chose to share this quote because I want to make you aware that defining the concept of emotion scientifically is challenging.

Let's take a step forward with an example. Imagine you're enjoying a nice walk in the mountains when suddenly a ferocious animal appears before you, and you start trembling. Why are you trembling? The most obvious answer is, "Because I'm scared." So the concept is: I recognize danger, and as a result, my body activates a physiological response.

But what if it's the other way around? Meaning, we see the ferocious animal, start trembling, and then realize that we're scared. So:

• are we trembling because we're scared? In other words, is it the understanding of fear that triggers the trembling? Or,
• are we scared because we're trembling? In other words, does the trembling help us understand that we're scared?

The difficulty lies in understanding what comes first, the bodily response (such as trembling) or the awareness of a situation (such as realizing the danger of facing a ferocious animal).

Experiments on animals have led to two very famous theories:
James-Lange peripheral theory. The term "peripheral" suggests that emotion originates from the periphery of the body. Thus, the body trembles first, and then we understand that we're scared.

Cannon-Bard central theory. The term "central" suggests that emotion originates from the "center." But where is this center located? In a structure called the diencephalon, found in the brain. It's a deep structure that would simultaneously activate both the periphery (trembling) and the conscious experience (understanding that we're in danger).

Sources:
- Fehr, B., & Russell, J. A. (1984). Concepts of emotion viewed from a prototype perspective.
- James, W. (1884). What is an emotion?
- Lange, C. G. (1885). The emotions: A psychophysiological study.
- Cannon, W. B. (1927). The James–Lange theory of emotions: A critical examination and an alternative theory.
- Bard, P. (1928). A diencephalic mechanism for the expression of rage with special reference to the sympathetic nervous system.

What do you think? Does "the heart" come first, or does "the brain" come first?

If you want me to describe a topic in psychology in my own words, please write it in the comments.