10 psychological facts about feelings and emotions

Human beings are emotional beings, and for that reason we can come to seem irrational at times.

In fact, our most emotional part influences us even in making important decisions. Antonio Damasio already said: “the emotion it is a necessary ingredient in almost every decision we make ”. The truth is that strong emotions and feelings are capable of moving the world. Therefore, today's post is dedicated to this topic.

10 psychological facts about human feelings and emotions

1. Without realizing it, the mood of other people affects us

Almost without realizing it, we are deeply affected by other people's moods. Experts call this phenomenon "emotional contagion." This is a natural process in which mirror neurons participate, and that allow us to reflect the emotions of other people as concluded by a research by Ginger Blume carried out in 2007.

2. Emotional pain hurts just like physical love

In recent years, neuroimaging studies have shown that the regions involved in the processing of physical pain overlap those related to emotional pain and social anguish (Jaffe, 2013).

3. There is a phobia of falling in love: Philosophobia

The fear of being in love is called Philophobia. This condition is part of the anxiety disorders and it affects the social and emotional life of the person who suffers it. In severe cases, the philophobic may not only avoid potential love affairs, but may also stop associating with co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family.

• To learn more about this disorder, you can visit our article: "Philphobia or the fear of falling in love”

4. When we hug, we release oxytocin

Do you know why hugs feel so good? Because when we hug, we release a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone is very important in building trust and plays an important role in social interactions. Reptiles release oxytocin during sex, but mammals produce it all the time. That is why reptiles stay away from other reptiles except when mating, while mammals form attachments with relatives, litters, or herds.

5. Different daily experiences can deplete one's ability to resist moral temptations

Do we always act the same when faced with temptations? It seems it is not the case. A study (Kouchaki, 2013) states that people are more likely to have less self-control when they are tired. On the other hand, another study concluded that people have less self-control as the workday progresses (Barnes et al. 2014).

These results could be linked to another study, from Florida State University, which states that restoring glucose to an optimal level tends to improve self-control. And it turns out that in 2009, the Stanford University School of Medicine found that circadian rhythms are directly related to the mechanism that processes sugar in the blood. For this reason, fatigue could be associated with a decrease in willpower in the face of immoral temptations.

This could happen both ways. That is, people would tend to immoral behavior when they are tired due to lack of self-control. But a lack of self-control can also affect people, causing them to lower their guard and succumb to immoral temptations.

6. Parental emotional desensitization can be bad for children

The desensitization is defined as decreased emotional responsiveness to a negative or aversive stimulus after repeated exposure the same. In a recent study, it was shown that when parents desensitize themselves to violence and sex in movies, they become more permissive about their children's exposure to these types of movies (Romer, 2014).

7. Chocolate is the drug of love

Chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac, but it has also been dubbed the drug of love. And it is not precisely because we are used to giving chocolates along with some flowers to show love to our partner. But then what is the motive? Well, chocolate contains tryptophan, a chemical that helps produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter related to happiness, and plays an important role in mood, emotional well-being, and the correct balance of appetite and sleep.

In addition, chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a neurotransmitter that participates in promoting attraction, and stimulates the areas of the brain related to pleasure. In heartbreak, the levels of these two substances drop. So, when a sentimental partner leaves us, we gorge ourselves on chocolate to make up for this deficit.

8. Psychological science affirms that emotions are four and not six

Ever since American psychologist Paul Ekman first proposed that there were a total of six basic emotions, this has been popular belief. According to Ekman, the emotions were: sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust.

Now a study published in Current Biology and carried out by researchers from the Glasgow University, in the United Kingdom, affirms that there are 4 basic emotions.

• To learn more about this study, in this article by the psychologist Bertrand Regader we explain it to you: “Study shows that the basic emotions are four, and not six as previously believed”

9. Mirror neurons are related to empathy

Mirror neurons are key to harmonizing individuals with the environment, as they allow us to capture the emotions of others, not through conceptual reasoning but through direct experience. The cause that you blush when you see someone when they are being humiliated, or that you identify with a person when they are crying, is because of mirror neurons. Ramachandran states that these neurons give us the ability to empathicIn other words, it makes us feel what others feel.

10. Laughter and humor are a form of therapy

There are many types of psychological therapy that exist. One of them is laughter therapy, an alternative therapy that consists of creating situations that promote laughter and humor. In this way it is possible to relieve physical and emotional tensions. The benefits of laughter therapy are many.

• For you to know better this form of therapy, you just have to click on this link: "Laughter therapy: the psychological benefits of laughter”

Bibliographic references:

• Gadenne, V. (2006). Philosophy of psychology. Spain: Herder.
• Papalia, D. and Wendkos, S. (1992). Psychology. Mexico: McGraw-Hill
• Triglia, Adrián; Regader, Bertrand; García-Allen, Jonathan (2016). Psychologically speaking. Paidos.