Lecture 2: Understanding Affective States

WHAT IS AN EMOTION?
‘…a kind of shorthand, an abbreviated way to refer to a package of events and processes…antecedent events, the physiological and motor responses, the memories, thoughts, images, and information processing, and the mobilisation of efforts to cope with the source of emotions. All of these may be implied when someone says, “He looks angry”  (Ekaman, 1989).
EMOTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

The way we process emotion is influenced by gender, genetic makeup and some personality traits.
The environmental influence on emotional processing is also strong.  That is, we learn to process.  That is why, the way children deal with emotions is different from that of adults.
This learning process could be largely determined by early exposure to strong emotional stimuli without accompanying support. Certain way of expressing emotions in a particular context (family) learnt as a child may be difficult in dealing with in another context (school/community) as an adult.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY & AFFECTIVE […]

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Handling Emotions: a Workshop

Nairobi, 15 April 2011
I facilitated a two day formation seminar for the Junior Sisters of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters) on the theme “Handling Your Emotions”.  It took place at the FMA Provincial house at Hurlingham from 13th to 15th April 2011.
The input part of the workshop targeted the following themes: clarifying various affective states; the difference between moods and emotions; the difference in the way men and women process emotions.
The training attempted to impart  following skills: naming one’s feelings; journalling as a way of handling emotions; assertive communication of emotions; examen of conscience.
The liturgies and some prayer moments offered reflections on the role of emotions in spiritual life, namely, God moves us from within us, and we can get in touch with these movements by getting in touch with our feelings.

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