Emotional Guidelines Set by Nico Frijda
In the realm of psychology, German researcher Nico Frijda dedicated his life to understanding emotions. His seminal work, "The Laws of Emotion," published in 1988, outlines a series of principles that describe how emotions function, especially in relation to appraisal and action readiness.
According to Frijda, the first law of emotions, the law of situational meaning, suggests that emotions derive from situations as they are appraised by the individual. The second law, the law of worry, posits that emotions arise from having goals, concerns, or interests in what happens to ourselves or others. The third law, the law of apparent reality, states that things that seem real can trigger an emotional response.
The laws of lightest load and greatest gain explain that the emotional impact of a situation or event is based on how it is interpreted. For instance, a negative event might be reinterpreted as positive, a phenomenon known as the law of greatest gain. Conversely, the law of hedonic asymmetry states that we do not enjoy gains as much as we suffer losses.
Frijda's laws emphasise that emotions are not simple reactions but involve appraisal processes linked to personal goals and readiness for action. The laws of change, habituation, and comparative feeling explain why we react more significantly to changes than to experiences we are accustomed to.
The law of concern states that emotion is always related to something that matters to the individual. The law of temporal organization suggests that emotions unfold over time in a dynamic process. The law of reappraisal states that new information or changing appraisals can modify the emotional experience.
The law of feedback explains that emotions influence cognition and behavior, which in turn influence the emotional state. The law of potency states that emotions prepare the individual for certain types of actions, called "action readiness." The law of concatenation suggests that sequences of emotions can be triggered by related appraisals, creating emotional episodes.
The law of frustration explains that when the desired goal is blocked or frustrated, emotions such as anger or sadness arise. The law of conservation of emotion suggests that emotional levels tend to build up or decay somewhat predictably. The law of unpredictability states that the exact appraisal and emotional response can vary with context, personality, and other factors.
Frijda's work groups the twelve laws into nine points, highlighting their interconnectedness. In 2006, he published a work titled "The Laws of Emotion" where he tried to establish fixed patterns in emotional interactions.
Interestingly, emotional energy does not dissipate and events can maintain their emotional impact for years, unless experienced again or resignified. Emotions can direct us down a single path until another emotion takes control of us and sends us in the opposite direction. We are able to change our emotions according to their consequences.
The closure law states that intense emotional states usually lead to immediate and absolute actions. People try harder to change their perception of a negative situation. These laws provide precise patterns for how we react to events, offering valuable insights into the complex world of emotions.
- Nico Frijda, a German researcher, expounded on the intricate workings of emotions in psychology, particularly in relation to appraisal and action readiness, through his seminal work, "The Laws of Emotion."
- Emotions, according to Frijda, are rooted in personal appraisals of situations and are often tied to goals, concerns, or interests, as outlined in his second law, the law of worry.
- Frijda's laws highlight the complexity of emotions, emphasizing that they involve appraisal processes linked to personal goals and readiness for action, rather than being simple reactions.
- The laws of unpredictability underscore the variability in emotional responses, suggesting that the exact appraisal and emotional response can vary with context, personality, and other factors, demonstrating the intricate blend of science, health-and-wellness, mental-health, and sports in understanding emotions.
