EMOTION PSYCHOLOGICALLY CONSIDERED.

Shannon News, 7 May 1926, Page 3

EMOTION PSYCHOLOGICALLY CONSIDERED.

A W.E.A. LECTURE. The attendance was good at the fifth lecture given by the Rev. J. D. McArthur to the Levin W.E.A. Mr McAllister occupied thfe chair. The lecturer said the derivation of the word itself should always act as a reminder that the one business of an emotion is that we proceed upon it j that we get to- our feet at its cp.ll. An j emotion is a “stirred-up state of the J individual,” and may he studied both j introspect ively and objectively. The l former is exceedingly difficult as very i few people cat l— especially under any strain —accurately describe their feelings. In anger—what is scarcely, d'escribable to the person angry is seen by the observer only as clenched fists and teeth, flushed face,- laboured breathing, loud voice—oir speechlessness. The one difficulty in dealing with this subject is the fact that states of leel : ing are sometimes only sensations, and at other times largely emotional. Fatigue either muscular or mental, hunger, thirst—'the organic anil ;he emotional merge. That “Krusclieu feeling,” known amongst psychologists as “euphoric,” is just the fatigue state reversed. Every object that excites an instinct excites an emotion as well. The distinction is that the reaction called terminates in the subject’s own body, whilst the instinctive reaction is apt to enter into practical relations with the exciting object. ‘ln both of these memory or imagination nuiy suffice to liberate the excitement. One may get angrier in thinking over one’s insult than one was in receiving it.

The emotions are numerous in' their variety:—Anger, fear, love, hate, joy, grief, shame, pride—these are classed among the coarser emotions because they are coupled with strong bodily manifestations. The finer emotions are the moral, intellectual and the aesthetic feelings and their bodily reactions are usually much less strong. Why do we call .hunger and fatigue —with their opposites, sensations rather than emotion's? Briefly because they can be localised. The emotion can be felt “all over” —at is difficqli to localise it. The lecturer illustrated the organic state of anger by the description of an experiment upon a cat. It was found that her digestive apparatus ceased to function during the time she was angry, but that her heart and diaphragm were much more active and strong. Reference was made to the activity of the various internal glands—the thyroid and the adrenals —and the effect, these have .upon the organism (luring various phases of emotion.

The nervous system immediately concerned in emotional states was described—it was shown that this “autonomic” system had three phase's, the middle seeming to have control over the higher and lower. A question was mooted —whether the “tender emotion”—that of the “mothfeeling.is really an' emotion or an instinct. In some species oi life the both parents care for the young —in some fishes' the male performs the- “mother’s” task, in the higher grades of mammals the task is shared. Gan it be said truly that the male parent can possess the “mothering in stinct?” We can understand the interest a little baby has for a girl or woman, but while men may not be so profoundly interested, few will permit a child to be ill-treated. The James-Lange theory of the ciuo tions' was described and discussed. James stated that we do not tremble because we' are afraid, but that we arc afraid because we tremble. To support his theory lie asks us to attempt to abstract from our consciousness all the feelings oi the bodily symptoms of an emotion and then to considers what is left. Can we imagine a state of” anger in which there is no< ebullition of the chest, no clenching of the teeth, no impulse of vigorous action —in 'their stead ca-lm demeanour and placidity? Panic increases by flight, rage can be “worked up.” Count 10 before you swear and it seems ridiculous to- do so. If we want to. feel miserable we can easily do so by sitting 'all hunched up refusing to speak, sighing dismally and often, with the “pep” feeling. All the same, remarked the lecturer, one 'needed ■some explanation lor a giggling fit m church. , . When an emotion that is good is felt it is well to act upon its suggestion as soon as possible. We must guard' against mere sickly sentimentality which never gets one anywhere. Tire unfinished is nothing and we arc the worse off instead of better if we form a habit of feeling good without exercising it. The lecture closed with a brief description of emotional gestures. As usual, a. very interesting discussion took place at the conclusion <>f the lecture.