Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions is one of the most influential psychological theories that aim to explain the complexity of human emotions. Introduced by psychologist Robert Plutchik in 1980, this theory proposes that there are eight basic emotions, each representing a fundamental and distinct response to stimuli. These emotions form the foundation of our emotional experiences and, when combined, give rise to more complex feelings.
Emotions are one of the phenomena that has experienced the most ups and downs throughout the history of Psychology. Thus, they have experienced moments in which they were a matter of capital importance, and others in which they were barely considered.
Currently, emotional life is an object of interest for the majority of professionals who dedicate themselves to the study of the mind and behavior, having been categorized in very different ways.
In this article we will review one of the most brilliant theoretical proposals, the wheel of emotions by Robert Plutchik which is not limited to its conceptualization, but also to the approach to its potential interactions.
A deep knowledge of this issue can help us understand a part of ourselves that influences almost all aspects of life (decisions, relationships, etc.).
Plutchik’s wheel is a circular diagram that represents the intensity of emotions. The core emotions sit at the center of the wheel, and the intensity of these emotions increases as they move outward. Each primary emotion can combine with others to create more complex emotional experiences. For instance, joy and trust combine to form love, while anger and disgust result in contempt. This combination of emotions reflects the richness of human emotional experience.
Basic Emotions (Inner Layer): These are the primary emotions that occur instinctively and can be identified universally across cultures.
Secondary Emotions (Middle Layer): These emotions are more complex and arise when two primary emotions combine.
Tertiary Emotions (Outer Layer): These are more nuanced emotions that arise from more specific combinations of primary and secondary emotions.
The Eight Primary Emotions
According to Plutchik, there are eight core emotions that every individual experiences. These emotions are arranged in opposing pairs on the wheel:
Joy vs. Sadness: Joy is a positive emotion associated with feelings of happiness and satisfaction, whereas sadness is the counterpart that emerges from loss, disappointment, or unfulfilled desires.
Trust vs. Disgust: Trust is an emotion that fosters connection and cooperation, while disgust arises from perceptions of something repulsive, whether it be physical or moral in nature.
Fear vs. Anger: Fear is a response to perceived threats and uncertainty, while anger is an emotional reaction to injustice, frustration, or perceived harm.
Surprise vs. Anticipation: Surprise is an emotional reaction to unexpected events, often associated with curiosity or a sense of being startled. Anticipation, in contrast, is linked to the excitement or anxiety about what might happen in the future.
The Wheel of Emotions by Robert Plutchik
Plutchik’s wheel of emotions is made up of eight basic emotions, which represent relatively common experiences in the experiential heritage, more specifically: joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, aversion, anger and anticipation. The author recognized them as dimensions that rarely occurred alone, and that could be expressed in different degrees of intensity.
This last nuance is what gives richness to this theoretical proposal. Plutchik indicated that the emotional states described harbored a certain similarity between them, which made them susceptible to being combined in different ways, culminating in the formation of a more complex feeling. He referred to these overlaps as dyads; and he differentiated them as primary, secondary or tertiary (increasingly less frequent and embodied by affections with a lower degree of kinship).
We then proceed to address each of the basic emotions, pointing out their different degrees of intensity and the particular way in which they can intertwine with each other to acquire new and almost infinite nuances.
1. Joy
Joy is a “positive” emotion, which is expressed as a state of well-being and satisfaction with oneself and/or the general conditions of life. Its most subtle degree manifests itself as serenity (a regular state of calm, stillness and balance), while the highest takes the form of ecstasy (one of the human experiences with the greatest exaltation of mood and which has been adopted even by texts). mystics of different faiths). The opposite of it is sadness.
Joy can be combined in very different ways with other basic emotions. Their primary dyads strengthen subtle ties with the emotions with which they have a greater affinity: confidence and anticipation. In the first case it gives rise to love, a feeling of acceptance on which significant bonds between human beings are built; while in the second it engenders optimism, a positive outlook on what time will bring.
His secondary dyads would be the result of the combination with emotions with which he harbors greater distance: fear and anger. When merged with fear, it would give rise to guilt, through which a secret feeling of unworthiness would be expressed that would overshadow a benefit that has been received; and with the second it would result in pride, through which a vacuous exacerbation of one’s own position on any issue would be evident, in the context of a confrontation with others.
2. Trust
Trust is an essential emotion for Plutchik, which implies the firm belief that one can act without danger of harm or harm. When it is attenuated it takes the form of acceptance, a sincere integration of the events experienced into the narrative of one’s own experience. When inflamed, it becomes admiration, which expresses a total exaltation of the appreciation that is projected onto a person or thing. Its extreme is aversion.
In addition to love, trust tends to combine with fear, being another of its primary dyads. When this happens it can transform into a state of submission, in which the will of the other is accepted even though aspects of one’s own freedom are sacrificed. This affect can be the result of bonds in which either party takes deliberate actions to cause an imbalance, which promotes emotional vulnerability or dependence.
The secondary dyads of trust, which arise from their combination with affects of greater similarity, coincide with surprise and anticipation. In the first case, curiosity takes place, a kind of “abduction” of the attention focus to increase knowledge about something that is perceived as important; and in the second, conviction emerges, from which the principles that govern thought and behavior are embraced, as well as the values and objectives set for life.
3. Fear
Fear is a basic, universal and instinctive reaction; considered as such in practically all typologies of emotion that have prospered throughout history. At its most subtle level it is expressed as apprehension (an uncertainty pregnant with pessimistic expectation) and at the highest level it becomes a true terror or dread (a state that usually displays fight or flight behaviors). Fear, an adaptive reaction to threats present in the environment, has anger as its opposite.
The most basic primary dyad of fear occurs together with surprise, emerging at that moment what we know as fright or startle. This reaction constitutes an ominous nuance for an initially neutral affective state (surprise) which is usually suggestive of underlying negative psychological states (such as depression or anxiety), or the presence of stable personality traits that imply susceptibility to distress (such as high neuroticism).
Regarding their secondary dyads, highlights what occurs as a result of its coexistence with sadness: despair. This state is one of the most critical for any human being, as it implies a subjective feeling of loss of control and helplessness, the maintenance of which is an important risk factor for major depression. There is multiple evidence about this in the clinical and research field.
Finally, fear can be mixed with other emotions other than those mentioned, particularly with aversion and anticipation. The result would be shame (perception of fear of rejection because we are considered inadequate) and anxiety (concern about a threat that is located at an indefinite and ambiguous point in the future), respectively. Both are common, and the potential cause of deep suffering.
4. Surprise
Surprise is an emotion whose nature tends to be considered neutral, and which involves a reaction to changing and unpredictable circumstances that are located in the immediate environment. Depending on its degree, the mildest would be distraction, a state of slight attention retention; and the most intense would be amazement, which implies an absolute projection of consciousness in the face of a subjectively overwhelming event (for better or worse). The opposite of surprise would be anticipation.
Regarding primary dyads, those that occur most frequently when combined with other emotions, the one that occurs with sadness stands out. This emotional overlap translates into disappointment, which arises from becoming aware of a negative and unforeseen result that contrasts with the initially favorable expectations, on which hope had been placed.
Surprise can also coexist with joy (shaping delight) and with anger (shaping indignation), deducing diametrically opposite products. Delight is the result of receiving positive news about which one had no knowledge, which promotes existential joy, while indignation implies a state of offense in the face of adverse circumstances that have abruptly emerged. This last case is common in interpersonal relationships, and a common reason for confrontation.
Sadness is an emotional response that depends on loss, which is expressed as anxiety and allows us to obtain social support from the activation of the mirror neurons of those who observe it. The mildest degree is isolation, a tendency to withdraw from shared activities; and the most serious is depression, the result of small cumulative losses that exacerbate the original grief. The emotion that acts as its reverse is joy.
As for their frequent combinations, or primary dyads, the one that occurs with aversion stands out. The confluence of both implies remorse, a state of intimate discomfort that arises from behaviors that we consider inappropriate due to the impact they could have had on others. When allied with surprise, disapproval emerges, which suggests a disagreement regarding ideas or acts of others, which oppose the fundamental principles or values that govern our lives.
In this deep emotional canvas, sadness can also coexist with anger. In this case the resulting product is envy, from which we project our shortcomings onto another person in a hurtful way, in which we perceive what we believe we suffer from. In some cases it can promote actions aimed at harming their status or deteriorating their worth.
6. Aversion
Aversion is an emotion suggestive of rejection, and a raw and deliberate will to avoid. In its tenuous limits it is expressed as boredom (or obvious lack of interest), while in its most intense limits it becomes disgust or abhorrence. The latter translates into a stubbornness for maintain physical or psychological distance from an element that is judged undesirable. Its opposite pole is trust, which stimulates rapprochement.
The most common mixture of aversion, or primary dyad, occurs with anger. Under this premise, rejection is accompanied by an evident hostile attitude, which is called contempt. It is an emotional state responsible for some of the main problems facing our society, which hide in their depths a certain nuance of fear. Some examples would be xenophobia and other forms of hatred.
As for secondary dyads, which occur much less frequently, the combinations of aversion with surprise and anticipation are notable. In the first case, it is a disgusting experience (reaction of extreme disgust as a result of the emergence of an event that would be avoided under normal conditions) and in the second, cynicism (through which a succession of acts about which there is broad consensus are deployed in the scenario of social interactions. of rejection, but from lies and premeditated hypocrisy).
7. Anger
Anger is a state that arises as a direct response to an insult, especially when it is attributed to the clear will of a third party, this being a perceptual element of great relevance for its appearance. In its mildest form it takes the form of simple anger (disagreement with another person in their words or manners) and in the most extreme it becomes anger (under which impulsive acts are usually carried out). The mirror affect, in this case, is fear.
The most common dyad of anger occurs when it interferes with anticipation, producing treachery. This involves acts of violence on which meticulous planning is built, which involves a thoughtful process of preparation and a high degree of sophistication. In many countries, blood crimes that take place under the umbrella of treachery tend to be considered extremely cruel, and the harshest penalties are reserved for them.
Regarding the tertiary dyads of anger, the one that arises from the intersection with trust stands out fundamentally. In such a case, a state of domination takes place, completely opposite to that of submission, and which serves as a vehicle to bend the will of another person based on the bond established with them (hierarchy). Domination often resorts to authoritarian leadership styles that constrain individuality.
8. Anticipation
Anticipation is the reverse of surprise, that is, the articulation of clear expectations about the course of the future. The lowest profile of this emotion is interest which implies a moderate degree of attraction towards a particular object or stimulus, and the highest is vigilance (a superlative level of attentional focus, which also lasts for long periods of time and consumes many cognitive resources).
The most common dyad of anticipation occurs when it interacts simultaneously with sadness, giving rise to pessimism. In this case, the expectation is burnished with a negative nuance, darkening the path on which life will have to travel. It is a common emotional state in major depression, and also in other psychological disorders.
The complexity of the inner life
As can be seen, the inner life is deep and very diverse. Human beings can experience several things at the same time and, in fact, that is our natural state. Knowing the possible combinations of primary emotions and their translation into subjective terms is essential to learning to identify, discriminate and manage what happens within us. That is, to have adequate emotional intelligence.
The Structure of the Wheel
Plutchik’s wheel is a circular diagram that represents the intensity of emotions. The core emotions sit at the center of the wheel, and the intensity of these emotions increases as they move outward. Each primary emotion can combine with others to create more complex emotional experiences. For instance, joy and trust combine to form love, while anger and disgust result in contempt. This combination of emotions reflects the richness of human emotional experience.
Basic Emotions (Inner Layer): These are the primary emotions that occur instinctively and can be identified universally across cultures.
Secondary Emotions (Middle Layer): These emotions are more complex and arise when two primary emotions combine.
Tertiary Emotions (Outer Layer): These are more nuanced emotions that arise from more specific combinations of primary and secondary emotions.
What Does Plutchik’s Wheel Show?
The Wheel of Emotions serves several important functions in understanding human psychology. It highlights the basic and universal nature of human emotions while also acknowledging that our emotional experiences are multifaceted and complex. By representing emotions in a circular fashion, Plutchik’s model illustrates how emotions can transform into one another, showing the fluidity and dynamic nature of our emotional responses.
Understanding Emotional Intensity
The intensity of emotions, as represented by the wheel, shows that some emotional experiences are more intense than others. For example, joy and sadness are seen as less intense when compared to extreme forms like ecstasy or grief. This understanding can help in both clinical and everyday contexts, offering insight into how people process and manage their emotions.
The Importance of Emotional Regulation
Plutchik’s wheel also provides insight into emotional regulation. It emphasizes that emotions are not isolated, but interconnected. This interconnectedness suggests that emotional regulation involves more than simply controlling individual emotions; it involves understanding how different emotions influence one another and how they can lead to new emotional experiences.
Applications in Therapy and Emotional Intelligence
In therapy, understanding Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions can guide clinicians in helping clients explore their feelings more deeply. By identifying the primary emotions at the core of complex emotional experiences, therapists can assist clients in recognizing patterns and addressing emotional issues more effectively. Additionally, this model is valuable for building emotional intelligence, as it encourages individuals to recognize, label, and navigate the full spectrum of their emotions.
Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions offers a valuable framework for understanding the vast range of human emotions. By recognizing the fundamental emotions at the center of the wheel and their varying intensities, individuals can gain greater insight into their emotional world. The model not only enhances emotional awareness but also provides a deeper understanding of how emotions are interconnected, which is vital for emotional growth and effective emotional regulation.
FAQs about Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions
What are the eight primary emotions in Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions?
Plutchik’s eight primary emotions are joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, anticipation, disgust, and anger. These core emotions are essential to understanding human emotional experiences and form the foundation of the wheel.
How does Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions relate to emotional intelligence?
Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions plays a significant role in developing emotional intelligence by helping individuals identify and understand their emotions. This awareness is key to better managing emotions, empathizing with others, and improving social interactions.
Can emotions on the Wheel transform into one another?
Yes, Plutchik’s model shows that emotions are dynamic and can transform into one another. For example, combining joy and trust creates love, while fear and surprise may lead to awe. This interconnectedness highlights the fluid nature of emotions.
What is the purpose of the different layers on Plutchik’s Wheel?
The layers of Plutchik’s Wheel represent the varying intensity of emotions. The inner layer shows basic, primal emotions, while the outer layers depict more complex emotional experiences that arise from combinations of primary emotions.
How can Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions be used in therapy?
In therapy, Plutchik’s Wheel helps clients identify and explore their core emotions, which can improve emotional awareness and regulation. It also enables therapists to guide clients in understanding how complex emotions arise from the blending of basic feelings.
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