Author Question: Explain the difference between the following terms: emotion, mood, and affect. Why do scientists NOT ... (Read 69 times)

evelyn o bentley · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Explain the difference between the following terms: emotion, mood, and affect. Why do scientists NOT use them interchangeably?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Explain how role differentiation satisfies two competing needs for humans as cultural animals.

What will be an ideal response?

mohan · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

a . Emotions tend to refer to conscious states that involve an evaluative reaction to something.
b. Moods tend to refer to a feeling, also conscious, that are not linked to a specific reaction to something.
c. Affect refers to the result of mapping all emotions onto a positive versus negative dimension. For example, joy, bliss, pleasure and happiness all are positive emotions while depression, sadness, and anger are all negative emotions. Affect can be either positive or negative. Positive emotions are good, while negative ones are bad.
d. Although some psychologists do use these three terms interchangeably, one can gain subtle distinctions in the concepts by using the above definitions. For example, emotions are the most specific, as they specify what the feeling is as well as what it is in reaction, too. Moods allow for a feeling that is disassociated from a specific reaction. If you use these terms precisely, it may help define experimental study manipulations with greater precision.

Answer to Question 2

Possible Response Points
Humans have to balance two competing needs--the need for similarity to fit into a group and the need for uniqueness to be identifiable within that group context.
When humans lose the sense of self-awareness and identifiability within a group, they are said to be deindividuated. Research has often associated some fairly negative behaviors with this psychological state of mind.
Role differentiation helps avoid deindividuation. Role differentiation occurs when a person makes a unique contribution within the context of the group. Perhaps it is the role of leader, perhaps it is devil's advocate, perhaps the role of musician, or teacher, or soldier. Whatever the role, the contribution of the individual member occupying the role is distinct and identifiable in comparison to other possible roles within the group's cultural system.
At the same time, the role in the context of the group system helps bond the members occupying those roles to the group. The roles develop in the context of the group to contribute to some need of the group. As individuals occupy and perform different roles, they are still contributing to the common identity of the group.