Our analysis starts with a definition of emotions and how they work. We illustrate our discussion with examples, primarily related to anger. We devote special attention to the feelings that characterize our emotional experience, relying on ‘alexithymia’, a clinical condition, to argue for a perceptual theory of emotion in which emotional feelings are the means by which we identify and recognize our emotions. Finally, we consider the role of valence in the mechanism of the emotions, i.e. the way in which emotions are generated, lead to the motivation to end/modify a situation that is perceived as negative or to prolong/reiterate a situation that is perceived as positive, and produce behaviours congruent with this motivation. Here we show that because emotions have multiple and ambiguous valences, one cannot rely on valence to determine, in abstraction, what motivation and behaviour a given emotion will trigger.

Anger Issues: The Nature and Complexity of Emotions and Emotional Valence / Pastore, Luigi; Dellantonio, Sara. - STAMPA. - 25:(2021), pp. 233-260. [10.1007/978-3-030-55123-0_14]

Anger Issues: The Nature and Complexity of Emotions and Emotional Valence

Dellantonio, Sara
2021-01-01

Abstract

Our analysis starts with a definition of emotions and how they work. We illustrate our discussion with examples, primarily related to anger. We devote special attention to the feelings that characterize our emotional experience, relying on ‘alexithymia’, a clinical condition, to argue for a perceptual theory of emotion in which emotional feelings are the means by which we identify and recognize our emotions. Finally, we consider the role of valence in the mechanism of the emotions, i.e. the way in which emotions are generated, lead to the motivation to end/modify a situation that is perceived as negative or to prolong/reiterate a situation that is perceived as positive, and produce behaviours congruent with this motivation. Here we show that because emotions have multiple and ambiguous valences, one cannot rely on valence to determine, in abstraction, what motivation and behaviour a given emotion will trigger.
2021
The Dark Side: Philosophical Reflections on the “Negative Emotions”
Switzerland
Springer
978-3-030-55122-3
978-3-030-55123-0
Pastore, Luigi; Dellantonio, Sara
Anger Issues: The Nature and Complexity of Emotions and Emotional Valence / Pastore, Luigi; Dellantonio, Sara. - STAMPA. - 25:(2021), pp. 233-260. [10.1007/978-3-030-55123-0_14]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
PastoreDellantonioAngerIssues&CopertinaIndice.pdf

Solo gestori archivio

Descrizione: Capitolo, indice, copertina e Copyright
Tipologia: Versione editoriale (Publisher’s layout)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 812.21 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
812.21 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/299967
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact