The 8 Differences Between Primary And Secondary Emotions
Understanding emotions as cognitive, physiological and motor reactions to stimuli that produce an effect on the subject, we can divide them into primary or secondary according to the characteristics they show.
In this article we will talk about the characteristics of emotions, focusing on the distinction between primary and secondary emotions
Emotions are psychophysiological reactions, that is, a bodily activation and a mental response occur in the face of different stimuli that are present in the environment, such as an object, an action or a person. We must understand them as a complex response, of short duration, where different components participate: the cognitive, linked to the most subjective sensation; the physiological, as we have already said, about bodily activation and the motor, how the emotion is expressed.
Thus we can divide them between emotions that produce positive sensations (joy), negative sensations (disgust, sadness, fear and anger) or neutral sensations (surprise). All emotions, regardless of their characteristics, They serve three functions They are: adaptive (they allow us to know how we feel and be able to adjust to the environment that surrounds us), social (they facilitate communication with other individuals), and motivational (they direct our behavior and help us to be persistent in achieving our goals). .
Main differences between primary and secondary emotions
We can distinguish between primary emotions, also called basic or secondary, also known as social, according to the different characteristics that show what their origin is like, the response pattern they present, if they are repeated, if everyone shows them… Below we will see with In more detail what are the main features of each one and how they are distinguished.
1. Origin of each emotion
Primary emotions are innate, in other words, they are observed from the birth of the individual, From a very young age he already shows them without needing prior learning On the other hand, secondary emotions, as their other name indicates, social, are learned when the individual interacts with their social environment. That is, we are not born with them, we need the environment to develop them.
Linked to the previous point, we will say that primary emotions appear as the brain matures and develops. In comparison, secondary emotions will emerge later, from 2 and a half to 3 years old This is due to the need, of this last type, for the subject to be socialized and be able to internalize different social norms.
3. Way of expressing them
In the case of primary emotions, they have their own unique mode of expression That is, the mode of facial expression is linked to a single basic emotion. On the contrary, secondary emotions do not have their own expression pattern and can be shown in a more variable way.
4. Universality
There is consensus among different authors in considering a group of emotions as universal, observing in different cultures and countries of the world
Thus, if we take into account the traits described so far, it is easy to deduce that those that are shown universally are the primary or basic ones, since they have no external influence and occur in all subjects equally, everyone is able to express and recognize them.
On the other hand, secondary emotions may appear in some cultures or social groups and not be shown or recognized in others.
4. Ease of recognizing them
As we have already seen, primary emotions have their own unique mode of expression, for this reason It will be easy to identify them and everyone will be able to recognize them On the other hand, the distinction or identification of secondary emotions is not as clear and there may be more confusion when recognizing them.
5. Need for a trigger
In general, primary emotions require a specific trigger, of an external stimulus, which produces a psychophysiological reaction in the subject. In contrast, secondary emotions, despite being able to show a stimulus that precipitates them, may not be as clear or there may even be no such stimulus.
6. Functionality
Both types of emotions, primary and secondary, can be adaptive and functional, depending for example on the intensity with which they are manifested; When this is excessive, it is not proportional to the situation experienced, it can impact the functionality of the subject.
In addition, the function of primary emotions is linked to the ability to survive allowing the individual to act according to external events and adapt to them, bringing us closer or further away.
For its part, secondary emotions serve a more social function allow us to communicate with the subjects in our environment and live in society.
7. Complexity
Primary emotions are considered simpler, they cannot be broken down into more elemental or basic sensations In contrast, secondary emotions are considered more complex, since they originate from the combination of different primary emotions.
8. Relationship with self-awareness
Regarding secondary emotions, these require self-awareness, the emergence of personal identity, to be able to show them. As we have pointed out, they arise through social interaction, generating different emotions depending on what the situation arouses in us or according to what we value or what society values as good or bad. We need to take responsibility for our actions in order to experience these types of emotions.
Contrary, Primary emotions do not require this knowledge of self or social norms or considerations will arise unintentionally depending on the events that occur.
What emotions fall into each category?
Once the main features of the two emotions have been described, We will go on to classify which emotions are placed in each category and what their characteristics are more representative.
Primary emotions
Within the primary emotions are all those that are present in all cultures and everyone is capable of identifying and expressing them in their own unique way.
1. Joy
Joy is identified as a positive emotion that appears when faced with a stimulus that we like Linked to motor expression, joy usually manifests itself with a smile, when this is true we know it as a Duchenne or genuine smile, where a contraction of the major and minor zygomatic muscle that covers the mouth is observed, thus producing the corners of the lips rise and the orbicularis muscle, causing the cheeks to rise and the eyes to become smaller and wrinkles are generated near them.
At a physiological level, there is an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, also increasing the levels of immunoglobulin A, related to the defense reaction against infections.
Sadness is classified as a negative emotion, considered the most aversive. It normally occurs in situations of separation from a loved one or failure, events that cause us emotional pain To a certain degree we consider it functional, since it directs and encourages the subject who suffers from it to solve the situation or deal with it better.
In the typical facial expression of sadness we see drooping upper eyelids, angled eyebrows and a frown, with horizontal lips.
3. Fear
Fear is considered a negative emotion that is activated by a stimulus or situation that causes us fear, that terrifies us We see then how it also acts as an adaptive reaction, warning us of stimuli that may be dangerous, facilitating survival behavior.
Fear is expressed automatically with the tension of the lower eyelids and the opening of the mouth, with the corners retracted horizontally.
Related article: “What is fear? Characteristics of this emotion”
4. Anger
Anger is a negative emotion that arises when the individual believes that an event has occurred that harms it or has a negative impact on its interests, interpreting that this event has been done intentionally or due to negligence and it could have been avoided. Anger shows a tense facial expression with eyebrows drawn together, gaze fixed, and teeth clenched tightly.
5. Disgust
Disgust or repugnance is experienced when faced with a stimulus that produces aversion, this being an adaptive reaction, since motivates us to avoid contaminated or spoiled objects or foods, which can harm our health It is usually expressed with contraction of the muscles of the nose and slightly closed eyes.
6. The surprise
The surprise is considered a neutral emotion that arises quickly when faced with an unexpected stimulus, which the subject had not anticipated. The facial expression is raised upper eyelids and dropped jaw, with the mouth slightly open.
Secondary emotions
As we already know, secondary emotions are made up of combinations of primary emotions. For this reason, the number of these will be much greater and the easy expressions will be more variable. Some of the secondary emotions are: shame, guilt, jealousy, arrogance or pride
