Researchers such as Oatley and Johnson-Laird (1987) suggest that the role of emotion is to signal that some ongoing behaviour should be interrupted to take account of a conflicting goal. They argue that animals, including humans, necessarily have many different motivations and goals.

Once a particular plan of action has been started it would normally be the best option to continue it to completion. However, things change, creating new, perhaps conflicting, goals. They suggest that it is the emotional response to the new event that interrupts on-going behaviour to take account of the current situation. For example, giving up the goal (temporarily) of planting next summer’s food crop in favour of running to greet a returning hunting party, or to escape from an attacking lion. Sadness during bereavement, in their framework, is not a maladaptive waste of time, but is seen as having the function of initiating readjustment of the life goals that included the lost person.

Interrupting on-going behaviour makes good sense in the context of the so-called ‘fight or flight’ reactions. The importance of speed in reaction to imminent danger has such unambiguous evolutionary advantages that it is well developed in all vertebrates. Complex and intricate physiological changes take place throughout the body to maximise resources available for its success.

Emotion researcher, Joseph Le Doux has also identified brain pathways capable of generating such a rapid response. He describes brain circuits that provide either a ‘quick and dirty’ or a slow and (more) reasoned route. All information is processed by the cortex where emotional responses can be mobilised, but stimulation from the senses that is either very well learned or instinctive can also pass directly to the emotional centres of the brain after the crude analysis that this route achieves. Via this evolutionary ancient rapid route, a startle reaction can be initiated within thousandths of a second if there is a sudden frightening event. When speed is of the essence, conscious decision-making and control are too slow to be of help. When you escape you’ll react well before being aware of the danger. The slower, cortical, brain routes allow conscious appraisal which can allow us to modify or override the initial response.

One function of emotions perhaps serves to direct or redirect goals, and achieve rapid responses in emergency but what advantage is there to emotional expressions? Why wear the face of fear? The universality of emotion expressions has been much explored since Darwin himself began a pioneering cross-cultural work. Cultures have their own display rules; tears and crying might be common at a funeral in one culture, but another may find polite smiles appropriate. However, the expressions themselves are understood world wide, functioning to communicate emotions across all language barriers. Expressions and body language communicate how we are feeling to others: an angry warning perhaps or a welcoming smile.

  < previous   next > Page 2 of 3

Content last updated: 01/04/2003

About our expert

Dr Bundy Mackintosh is a Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University. Bundy moved to the OU in 2001, having worked for the previous 5 years in Cambridge at the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.
Bundy's research areas include Cognition and Emotion, especially the cognitive process involved in anxiety.

Comments