Emotionally Evolved

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Abstract

This study was preformed to discuss the relationship between emotions and humans, specifically if emotions and their physiological counterparts have evolved in everyone to show a generalized response under similar situations of stress and to show how negative emotions are more apparent to people then positive and that women detect emotions better than men. The study was performed on 14 Brain and Behavior students at Brock University through a test involving listening to scenarios of relationships and then recording how you would emotionally feel and physically feel, as well as a test involving describing the emotion the person is conveying with just their eyes. The results were that the tests described humans to be more emotionally competent to negative emotions and women to be more emotionally competent then men, and all subjects showed relationships between their physical and emotional descriptors showing generalization of feelings and effects.

Emotions, a feeling everyone experiences, but while unique to everyone shares common similarities that make them both desirable and unbearable. It is not only apparent in humans but in other animals as well, dogs, cats, primates, and even mice show some signs of emotions. These emotions are present during happiness, sadness, anger, fear, or disgust. Like most animals we evolved into emotion, Darwin’s research showed that people all over the world must have evolved with emotions as they all understand the facial expressions of emotions without explanation. Emotions are a universal language which we developed to communicate over time (Zimmer, C. 2008).

This is why animals would need to express emotions to those around them; primates in particular can be very social animals ...

... middle of paper ...

...rol and some freedom. Unfortunately the problems with the study are just that, the constraints on how many physical and emotional descriptors don’t allow for a person to describe the whole experience just a sample of it. The sample size is also lacking, and the sample coming from such a small population also affects the validity of the results. The experiment was also only done with the negative emotions and not positive emotions. In conclusion the study enforces critical information about the relationship between physiological and emotional responses during a stressful incident but has some room for improvement.

Works Cited

Zimmer, C. (2008). The Brain. Discover, 29, 11. 24-27.

Good, D. (2009). Brain and Behavior. Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario.

Poole, G., Matheson, D. H., & Cox, D. N. (2008). The Psychology of Health and Health Care. Pearson, 3rd.

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