Introducing Emotions

What is an emotion? While there exist numerous definitions of ‘emotion’, most researchers agree that emotions, both positive and negative, are best conceptualized as multicomponent response tendencies— incorporating muscle tension, hormone release, cardiovascular changes, facial expression, attention, and cognition, among other changes, that unfold over a relatively short time span. In other words, an emotion is a complex state, involving many different physical and mental processes at the same time. In this lesson, we clarify the nature and function of positive and negative emotions.