Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Feeling Emotional? Show it!

Dr. Lauri Nummenmaa,
Aalto University School of Science

 

As an emotional person, I found the following article "Study Finds Emotions Can Be Mapped to the Body" (by @ Shannon Firth), fascinating.
 
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, was conducted by Finnish researchers in an attempt to determine if emotions cause universal physical reactions.  (A simplistic example: Do most people feel "butterflies in their stomach" when they are nervous?)
 
The study included 701 participants.   Using words, stories, movies, and expressions to illicit emotions, the participants were then asked to highlight their physical sensations on two human -shaped silhouettes. (Note: the sensations were based on a participants' "perceived physical reaction" and were not monitored or confirmed medically.) One silhouette was to be used to depict increasing sensations, the other to depict decreasing sensations.   Body parts colored red indicated the most intense sensations, yellow were strong, blue meant dulled sensations, black equated to absent sensation.  
 
 
Emotions Mapped:

ANGER     FEAR     DISGUST     HAPPINESS     SADNESS     SURPRISE      NEUTRAL

ANXIETY     LOVE      DEPRESSION      CONTEMPT     PRIDE     SHAME     ENVY
 
 
Visit Emotions Mapped to see the results.
 
Find Actual Study Here
 
Feeling Emotional?   Click here for Middle-Stage Mom's version:



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