The case for basic emotion theory – contrasted with anthropological and historical perspectives

2020 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Jeffrey Martin

Keyword(s):

Effect Sizes ◽

Emotional Expressions ◽

Basic Emotion ◽

Emotional Experiences ◽

Theoretical Support ◽

Emotion Theory ◽

World Ranking

The goal of this study was to determine if emotional expressions at the end of swimmers’ 2016 Paralympic races varied according to medal won and if their race wins and losses were close or not close. Using FaceReader software, videos of 46 races of medal-winning Paralympic (M age = 24.6; SD = 5.4) swimmers’ faces (78 males and 60 females) from 22 countries were analyzed. Silver medalists were angrier and sadder than gold medalists and angrier and more disgusted than bronze medalists. Swimmers who swam slower than their 2015 best time were angrier than Paralympians who swam faster. Paralympians who finished lower than their 2015 world ranking had more neutral emotions and were less happy than Paralympians who finished higher. Gold medalists who narrowly defeated silver medalists were less happy and more fearful than gold medalists who won easily. Bronze medalists with close wins had fewer neutral emotions and were happier, less angry, and more surprised than bronze medalists with not-close wins. All medalists with close wins were more surprised than medalists with easier wins. Bronze medalists with close losses to silver medalists were happier and less angry than bronze medalists who lost more easily. Effect sizes ranged from d = 0.27 to 1.01. These results provide theoretical support to basic emotion theory and confirm the anecdotal observations that Paralympic competition generates wide-ranging and diverse emotions.

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The Behavioral Ecology View of Facial Displays, 25 Years Later

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190613501.003.0005 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alan J. Fridlund

Keyword(s):

Facial Expressions ◽

Behavioral Ecology ◽

Basic Emotion ◽

Externalist View ◽

Facial Displays ◽

Emotion Theory

This chapter documents the twin origins of the behavioral ecology view (BECV) of human facial expressions, in (1) the empirical weakness and internal contradictions of the accounts proposed by basic emotion theory (BET) and particularly the neurocultural theory of Paul Ekman et al., and (2) newer understandings about the evolution of animal signaling and communication. BET conceives of our facial expressions as quasi-reflexes which are triggered by universal, modular emotion programs but require management in each culture lest they emerge unthrottled. Unlike BET, BECV regards our facial expressions as contingent signals of intent toward interactants within specific contexts of interaction, even when we are alone and our interactants are ourselves, objects, or implicit others. BECV’s functionalist, externalist view does not deny “emotion,” however it is defined, but does not require it to explain human facial displays.

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Introduction to a Special Section on Basic Emotion Theory

Emotion Review ◽

10.1177/1754073911411606 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 363-363 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

James A. Russell ◽

Erika L. Rosenberg ◽

Marc D. Lewis

Keyword(s):

Special Section ◽

Basic Emotion ◽

Emotion Theory

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Understanding Multimodal Emotional Expressions

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190613501.003.0004 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dacher Keltner ◽

Daniel T. Cordaro

Keyword(s):

Social Interactions ◽

Emotional Expression ◽

Emotional Expressions ◽

Basic Emotion ◽

New Science ◽

Communicative Functions ◽

Recent Advances ◽

Tactile Communication ◽

Emotion Theory ◽

Different Cultures

In this chapter we review recent advances in basic emotion theory, which holds that humans have evolved a limited set of emotional expressions that serve important communicative functions within social interactions. Our review highlights recent evidence showing that a much wider array of emotions than previously thought—up to 15—have distinct displays that are recognized across different cultures. The new science of expression reveals that new modalities—tactile communication and vocalization—likewise signal a variety of emotions. Our review also brings into focus how emotions may be signaled in specific modalities, and likely sources of cultural accents in emotional expression.

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