Chapter 7: Emotions
Learning Objectives
In this chapter, we will:
- Define affect and emotion.
- Describe the physiology of emotions, including the actions of the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, and the amygdala.
- Differentiate the basic and secondary emotions and explain their functions.
- Explain the concept of emotional intelligence.
- Describe emotional awareness and its importance to interpersonal communication.
- Review the known about cultural differences in the experience and expression of emotion.
- Define stress.
- Identify types of stressors.
- Recognize the impact of acute and chronic stress on the body.
- Describe the general adaptation syndrome and how stress influences the HPA axis and the release of hormones.
- Review the negative outcomes of stress on health.
- Explore four different approaches to reduce the impact of stressors.
- Review a model of workplace stress.
- Summarize individual and organizational techniques for coping with stress at work.
- Appreciate the role of positive affect and emotional intelligence in stress and conflict management.
In this chapter, we will begin to considering the role of affect on behaviour, discussing the importance of emotional intelligence. Then we will consider how emotions and stress influence our mental and physical health. We will discuss how the experience of long-term stress causes illness and impacts behaviours at work. We will explore individual and organizational strategies for managing stress. Finally, we will turn our attention to research on positive thinking and what has been learned about the beneficial health effects of more positive emotions.
