EMO · Emotion · 2017
Theory of Constructed Emotion
by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Emotions are constructed by the brain from interoception + concepts + context.
Summary
Barrett's theory rejects the 'classical view' that emotions are universal, hard-wired modules. Instead the brain predicts the meaning of bodily sensations using learned emotion concepts and cultural context. Emotional granularity—the precision of one's emotion vocabulary—predicts regulation and wellbeing.
For designers
Increase emotional granularity in the language of an incentive system: 'frustrated', 'overwhelmed', and 'discouraged' route to different interventions even though all three feel 'bad'. Cultures and teams can be re-trained on emotion vocabularies.
Components
Affect
Raw valence (pleasant/unpleasant) × arousal (high/low).
Interoception
Sensing internal bodily signals (heart rate, gut, breath).
Concept
Learned emotion category applied to a felt state.
Prediction
The brain's best guess at what the body needs next.
Granularity
Resolution of one's emotional vocabulary.
Cross-dimensional couplings
Sources
- Barrett, L. F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made.