The Components of Emotion

Motivation and emotion are closely connected. Emotions can motivate behavior both by preceding it, as when a child’s anger leads to kicking a bedroom wall, or by being a consequence of our actions, as when behaviors induce feelings of happiness, joy, excitement, and pride. Emotions do more than motivate our behavior, however. Can you imagine life without them? In this chapter we explore emotions in an effort to find out more about what they are, how they come about, what brain structures enable them, and how they influence our lives. We also explore a closely related topic: stress, the effect of stress on our lives, and the ways in which we can moderate some of the negative effects of stress. C H A P T E R 9