Emotion

Theories of Emotion

What is an emotion or a feeling? Is it a chemical state in the brain? How does the brain know which emotion accompanies a stimulus? Although evidence exists that humans have emotions, the way they work is still somewhat unclear. By definition, an emotion is a state of feeling which involves thoughts, physiological changes, and outward expressive behaviors. But does the thought or the emotion come first? In this interactivity you will explore the three main theories which propose how and why people experience emotions. Click the player to begin.

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Communicating Emotions Through Facial Expressions

Your facial expressions can tell a lot about your emotions. When you are happy, you are either smiling or laughing. When you are angry, you face is scrunched and your eyebrows are most likely raised. Can you look at someone and tell what emotions they are feeling? Mr. Baker opened his class at Woodlawn Heights High School with an exercise in communicating emotions through facial expressions. In this interactivity, observe the conversation that took place between the students and Mr. Baker. Click the player to begin.

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Emotion Review

Now that you have learned about emotions, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player to get started.