Emotion as a social function

Emotion is a complex construct that has been explored for many years, yet there is still much to be learned regarding this multifaceted phenomenon. Given the pivotal role that emotion plays in our everyday lives, scholars have demonstrated a continued interest in describing and understanding its functional and structural properties. At its most basic level, emotion is referred to as a positive or negative response towards a given stimulus, which is accompanied by cognitive, behavioral, and physiological characteristics (Carlson, 2013). Although emotions are often perceived to be feelings rather than behaviors, it is often the behavioral mechanisms rather than personal feelings that have adaptive and reproductive significance (Carlson, 2013). In essence, emotion serves as a regulatory mechanism of daily interactions and social relations (Algoe, Fredrickson, & Gable, 2013; Keltner & Haidt, 1999).

Emotion as a Social Function

From a social perspective, emotions address the goal of relational survival at the “individual, dyadic, group, and cultural level” (Keltner & Haidt, 1999, p. 505). Primarily, emotion serves a function for the interpersonal relationship; however, emotions may serve a social function on the individual level as well (Keltner & Haidt, 1999). Specifically, emotional experiences allow individuals to assign meaning to their social interactions (Keltner & Haidt, 1999). For example, feelings of love may indicate one’s personal degree of commitment towards another individual (Keltner & Haidt, 1999). In addition to affective appraisal, the cognitive and physiological processes that accompany emotion prepare individuals for necessary action (Keltner & Haidt, 1999). This process begins at the autonomic level and involves c...

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...cial relations (Kimhy et al., 2012). However, because social functioning is directly related to the quality of functional outcome, directing treatment towards emotional regulation may improve prognostic outlook (Kimhy et al., 2012). In particular, theory of mind (ToM) training has shown promise for the management of maladaptive emotional processing (Bechi et al., 2012). For instance, Bechi et al. (2012) conducted a study on individuals with schizophrenia and found that participants undergoing 12 weeks of ToM intervention demonstrated enhanced ToM abilities. Essentially, enhanced ToM is related to improvements in emotional interpretation and contemplation of one’s own mental state (Bechi et al., 2012). As such, ToM training may produce positive changes in the ability to regulate one’s emotions, contributing to improvements in general functioning (Bechi et al., 2012).