Emotions
Many people find it hard to label their emotional states or reactions. This information handout provides a list of emotions, categorizing them as basic, secondary, and tertiary emotions. It can be used as a therapy tool to aid emotional understanding and expression.
Description
Theorists have developed multiple methods for categorizing emotions. Ortony & Turner (1990) compared the ‘basic’ emotions proposed by different theories (below). Shaver et al (2001) used data from a similarity rating task to perform a cluster analyis, the results of which form the basis for this worksheet. Shaver et al’s analysis identifies six ‘basic’ emotions, and organizes secondary and tertiary emotions in a hierarchical structure.
| Reference | Basic emotions |
| Arnold (1960) | Anger, aversion, courage, dejection, desire, despair, fear, hate, hope, love, sadness |
| Ekman, Friesen, Ellsworth (1982) | Anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise |
| Frijda (1986) | Desire, happiness, interest, surprise, wonder, sorrow |
| Gray (1982) | Rage and terror, anxiety, joy |
| Izard (1971) | Anger, contempt, disgust, distress, fear, guilt, interest, joy, shame, surprise |
| James (1884) | Fear, grief, love, rage |
| McDougall (1926) | Anger, disgust, elation, fear, subjection, tender-emotion, wonder |
| Mowrer (1960) | Pain, pleasure |
| Oakley, Johnson-Laird (1987) | Anger, disgust, anxiety, happiness, sadness |
| Panksepp (1982) | Expectancy, fear, rage, panic |
| Plutchik (1980) | Acceptance, anger, anticipation, disgust, joy, fear, sadness, surprise |
| Tomkins (1984) | Anger, interest, contempt, disgust, distress, fear, joy, shame, surprise |
| Watson (1930) | Fear, love, rage |
| Weiner, Graham (1984) | Happiness, sadness |
Instructions
This is a Psychology Tools information handout. Suggested uses include:
- Client handout – use as a psychoeducation resource
- Discussion point – use to provoke a discussion and explore client beliefs
- Therapist learning tool – improve your familiarity with a psychological construct
- Teaching resource – use as a learning tool during training
References
- Ortony, A., & Turner, T. J. (1990). What’s basic about basic emotions? Psychological Review, 97, 315-331.
- Shaver, P., Schwartz, J., Kirson, D., & O’connor, C. (1987). Emotion knowledge: Further exploration of a prototype approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(6), 1061.