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View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository

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It still has to be resolved whether hormones cause changes in emotions or<br />

whether emotions cause changes in hormones.<br />

THE HUMAN EMOTIONS THAT ARE DISTINGUISHED IN STANDARD REFERENCES<br />

Emotions can be described as "basic" or "primary" emotions and "non-basic "<br />

or<br />

"secondary" emotions. These terms are used interchangeably by authors like<br />

Ekman (1999), Brand and Graves (1994), Sternberg (1998), Tomkins (1963), Izard<br />

(1977), and LeDoux (1996), to name but a few. The differences between "basic" or<br />

"primary" emotions and "non-basic" or "secondary" will now be explained.<br />

Basic Emotions<br />

Ekman (1999) describes basic emotions in three ways: the first meaning is that<br />

basic emotions differ "in their appraisal, antecedent events, probable behavioural<br />

response, physiology, and other characteristics."<br />

The second meaning <strong>of</strong> the word "basic" is emotions come about in order to<br />

deal with "fundamental life tasks" therefore, they are innate and not learnt. The life<br />

tasks can be described as achievements, losses, frustrations, etc. Emotions go together<br />

with adaptation towards a situation e.g. when facing danger. Emotions help us to<br />

interpret the present based on our past experience. Important to note, however, is that<br />

emotions also occur even when we are not in the presence <strong>of</strong> other people, like when<br />

we are reacting to music being played. However, the main aim <strong>of</strong>an emotion is to adapt<br />

to a situation based on the past experience <strong>of</strong>the species as well as <strong>of</strong>the individual. A<br />

basic emotion is also an emotion that can combine with another emotion to form a<br />

complex emotion e.g. smugness is a combination <strong>of</strong>happiness and contempt.<br />

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