EMO · Emotion · 1980
Wheel of Emotions
by Robert Plutchik
Eight primary emotions arranged in four polar opposites.
Summary
Plutchik organized emotions on a wheel of eight primary affects—joy/sadness, trust/disgust, fear/anger, surprise/anticipation—each varying in intensity and combining into dyads such as love (joy + trust) and contempt (anger + disgust).
For designers
Use the wheel to design *emotional dyads* into experiences: pair anticipation with trust to create optimism; combine fear with surprise to create awe. Avoid stacking opposite emotions on the same touchpoint—they cancel into confusion.
Components
Joy
Ecstasy → Joy → Serenity (intensity gradient).
Trust
Admiration → Trust → Acceptance.
Fear
Terror → Fear → Apprehension.
Surprise
Amazement → Surprise → Distraction.
Sadness
Grief → Sadness → Pensiveness.
Disgust
Loathing → Disgust → Boredom.
Anger
Rage → Anger → Annoyance.
Anticipation
Vigilance → Anticipation → Interest.
Cross-dimensional couplings
Sources
- Plutchik, R. (1980). A general psychoevolutionary theory of emotion.