What Triggers Emotions in Humans?

What are some examples of things that trigger emotions? Getting stuck in traffic? Being hungry? Watching the news? How your partner squeezes the tube of toothpaste (yes, this is one of my pet peeves!)? Most emotion scientists believe that emotions are triggered by how we evaluate events. These events include not only what happens around…

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Contempt and Politics: How We Handle Political Discussions

Contempt and Politics According to Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks, 1 in 6 Americans stopped talking to close friends and family about politics during and after the 2016 Presidential Election. Emotions shape much of our lives, so it would make sense that they impact how we handle political discussions as well. In his column with The…

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Learning in Unlikely Faces

The facial expressions of a kombucha drinking social media poster might not be a national headline, but they serve a great example for learning about facial expressions. As the New York Times reports, an online video by Brittany Tomlinson went viral after she showed a wide range of emotions upon trying some kombucha. In the…

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Reading People Depends on Identifying Body Language

While we have been focusing on microexpressions, reading people often depends on identifying their body language as well. Humintell’s Dr. David Matsumoto has done exciting work on the role of body language in human communication and the extent to which similar patterns span cultures. As we’ve noted, it is necessary to disentangle what expressions are…

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