Emotion in Motivation
Emotion, of course, can be a strong motivation of behavior, ranging from love to anger. Two psychologists have advanced the theory that an emotional state depends both upon the state of physiological arousal and upon cognition appropriate to this state of arousal. Thinking about the emotion determines the way we label it. Knowing about the situation, and associating the circumstances with past experiences, brings cognitive factors into play. The same state of physiological arousal could be labeled "jealousy," "fury," "joy," or something else, depending on the cognitive aspects of the situation. Hc:nce, one may have a desire to control the extent of his expression of "fury" but not be motivated to keep joy in check.
Emotion, of course, can be a strong motivation of behavior, ranging from love to anger. Two psychologists have advanced the theory that an emotional state depends both upon the state of physiological arousal and upon cognition appropriate to this state of arousal. Thinking about the emotion determines the way we label it. Knowing about the situation, and associating the circumstances with past experiences, brings cognitive factors into play. The same state of physiological arousal could be labeled "jealousy," "fury," "joy," or something else, depending on the cognitive aspects of the situation. Hc:nce, one may have a desire to control the extent of his expression of "fury" but not be motivated to keep joy in check.
