Basic Emotions

Many psychologists have claimed that certain emotions are more basic than others, often for very different
reasons. According to the PEN Model, emotions arise as aspects of a person's personality. Many Personality
Disorders include problems with emotions, in addition to problems with thoughts and behavior.

Theorists Table

Basic Emotions Basis for Inclusion

Anger, aversion, courage, dejection, desire, despair, fear, hate,
Arnold Relation to action tendencies
hope, love, sadness
Ekman, Friesen, and
Anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise Universal facial expressions
Ellsworth
Frijda Desire, happiness, interest, surprise, wonder, sorrow Forms of action readiness
Gray Rage and terror, anxiety, joy Hardwired
Anger, contempt, disgust, distress, fear, guilt, interest, joy,
Izard Hardwired
shame, surprise
James Fear, grief, love, rage Bodily involvement
Anger, disgust, elation, fear, subjection, tender-emotion,
McDougall Relation to instincts
wonder
Mowrer Pain, pleasure Unlearned emotional states
Do not require propositional
Oatley and Johnson-Laird Anger, disgust, anxiety, happiness, sadness
content
Panksepp Expectancy, fear, rage, panic Hardwired
Acceptance, anger, anticipation, disgust, joy, fear, sadness, Relation to adaptive biological
Plutchik
surprise processes
Anger, interest, contempt, disgust, distress, fear, joy, shame,
Tomkins Density of neural firing
surprise
Watson Fear, love, rage Hardwired
Weiner and Graham Happiness, sadness Attribution independent

Basic Emotions Basis for Inclusion

(This table is taken from Ortony and Turner, 1990.)

Reference
Ortony, A., & Turner, T. J. (1990). What's basic about basic emotions? Psychological Review, 97, 315-
331.

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 Basic Emotions Links
Basic Emotions: Papers Elsewhere
"Controlling Anger--Before It Controls You"
This paper maintains that uncontrolled anger is harmful, and discusses constructive ways to deal with this
natural emotion. By the American Psychological Association.
"The Emotional Brain: Lessons from Fear Conditioning"
This paper discusses the work of neuroscientist Joseph E. LeDoux on the biological basis of fear. By
Mary Lynn Hendrix.
"James, Aristotle, and Sartre on Emotion"
This page discusses three historically prominent theories of emotion. By Jorge Armony.
"What Is an Emotion?"
Here is the full text of the classic article in Mind. By William James.
"What's Your Emotional Intelligence Quotient?"
This is an article in the Utne Reader. By Daniel Goleman.
Basic Emotions: Websites Elsewhere
Emotion Home Page
This website is very informative. By Jean-Marc Fellous and Eva Hudlicka.
Emotion Links on the Web
This links page is a useful jumping off point. By Galen Bodenhausen.
Emotions and Disease
This is an exhibition offered by the National Library of Medicine.
Emotions and Emotional Intelligence
This website discusses a hot topic in emotion theory. By Cheri A. Young.
Geneva Emotion Research Group
This website on emotion research includes many links. By Tom Johnstone.
Basic Emotions: Reference Sources
Emotions
This entry in the MIT Encyclopedia of Cognitive Sciences is written by a leading expert. By Keith Oatley.
Suggested Readings
A list of suggested readings on this topic is also available. By G. Scott Acton.

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Last modified April 1998

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