In psychology, what are the similarities and differences between "mood" and "emotion"?

The words emotion and emotion are often used interchangeably, and in some cases they express different content, but the difference is relative. People often regard short-lived and strong emotional responses with episodic feelings as emotions, such as anger, fear, ecstasy, etc.; and stable and long-lasting emotional responses with deep experience as emotions, such as self-esteem, responsibility, enthusiasm, etc. , love between relatives, etc. In fact, there are subjective experiences in strong emotional responses; and emotions are also expressed in emotional responses. Commonly referred to as feelings include both emotions and emotions.

In individual development, emotional response occurs first, and emotional experience occurs later. Newborns experience pleasurable, distressing emotional responses within a month. Their initial facial expressions are reflexive, while the subsequent socio-emotional response is experiential, producing emotion. For example, in mother-child interaction, the mother's breastfeeding causes the baby's appetite to be satisfied; the mother's caress causes the baby to be happy and enjoy. Emotions arise when a baby forms an attachment to its mother. This attachment is relatively stable and gentle in nature. However, the emotions that have been formed are often expressed through specific emotions. The same is true for adults, the emotion of patriotism is manifested through emotion in specific situations. Rejoicing at the achievements of one's country and hating the enemy are emotions that express emotion; and whenever these emotions occur, one experiences emotions of patriotism.

Emotions are expressed in the form of expressions, including facial expressions, speech and tone expressions, and body and posture expressions. Facial expressions are the main form of emotional expression. Facial expression patterns are acquired in racial inheritance. Facial muscle movement provides sensory information to the brain, causing integration activities in the cortex and subcutaneous, resulting in emotional experience. Expressions have important implications for children's cognitive and social development as well as for adult communication.

The physical-physiological response to emotion is produced by the activity of the central and peripheral nervous systems and the endocrine system. The central nervous system regulates and integrates emotions. The recognition and evaluation of relevant sensory information by the cerebral cortex plays an important role in eliciting emotions and subsequent behavioral responses. Activation of the reticular structure is a necessary condition for active emotions. The structure of the limbic system is associated with strong emotions such as anger, fear, pleasure, and pain. The autonomic nervous system is closely related to the physical-physiological response to emotion.

The chemical processes of the nervous system and brain have a direct impact on the occurrence and change of emotions. In particular, the activity of the pituitary-hypothalamic-adrenal system plays a significant role in the regulation of emotions. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus not only participate in the integration of emotions in the central and peripheral nervous systems, but also regulate the function of endocrine glands, especially the adrenal glands.

Emotions and emotions are complex and diverse, and it is difficult to categorize them accurately. Xunzi's "Six Emotions" divides emotions into six categories: good, evil, joy, anger, sadness, and joy. R. Descartes believes that love, hate, joy, sorrow, praise, and expectation are the basic emotions, and other emotions are derived from these emotions. B. Spinoza proposed that the basic emotions are joy, sorrow and wish. It is generally believed that pleasure, anger, fear and sadness are the most basic primitive emotions. In recent years, research on emotional development has identified 10 basic emotions by facial expressions, which are interest, pleasure, pain, surprise, anger, disgust, fear, sadness, shyness, and self-guilt. The first 8 species have appeared within 1 year old, and the latter two can also occur at about 1 and a half years old. In addition to basic emotions, adults have many complex emotions. For example, there is pride and humility about one's own attitude; love and hate, envy and jealousy related to others; knowledge and curiosity about situational events, etc., are a mixture of two or more basic emotions. Emotions, such as anxiety and depression, which may have abnormal properties, are also combinations or patterns of several basic emotions. Anxiety includes elements such as fear, pain, shame, and self-guilt; depression includes elements such as pain, fear, anger, disgust, contempt, and shame. Human complex emotions contain social content.

Moods and emotions have polar opposite properties. They can be transformed into each other under certain conditions (see Emotional Polarity). Emotions have 4 dimensions: intensity (how strong or weak an emotion is), hedonic (how pleasant and unpleasant), tension (ranging from nervousness to relaxation), and agitation (degree of excitement to calmness). Each dimension of emotion has a sequence of varying degrees. Combinations of different degrees among the four dimensions constitute complex and diverse emotional states.

Emotional states come in several special forms. Moods are persistent and indifferent emotional states that can form the general background of a person's mental state. Passions are intense, short-lived, explosive emotional states, usually caused by sudden events of great significance to a person . Stress is an emotional state that arises when a person is in a life or spirit threatening situation, taking necessary decisions, or being unable to cope with the threatened situation. Long-term sustained stress can cause mental trauma and endanger physical health.

Emotions can occur on the following different levels. ①Simple emotions associated with sensory stimuli such as smell, taste, touch, sound, color, etc., such as noise and odor causing disgust, etc. ②Simple emotions associated with body sensations such as hunger and pain, such as the satisfaction of satiety, the comfort of being in good health, etc. ③ Social emotions based on individual social experience and cultural influence, for example, the experience of whether people's ideology and behavior conform to social moral norms is called moral sense. The experience associated with intellectual activities such as people's pursuit of truth and scientific exploration is called sense of reason. The feeling of harmony and beauty produced in natural scenery and art appreciation is called aesthetic sense. Moral senses, aesthetic senses, and intellectual senses are called higher social emotions or sentiments. ④ Emotions that express personal temperament such as optimism, vitality, calmness, depression, etc. In an individual's temperament, the emotional experience that manifests itself persistently and frequently becomes an important component of the personality.

Human cognitive activities are affected by emotions and emotions. Positive emotions and emotions push people to overcome difficulties and achieve goals; negative emotions and emotions hinder people's activities, consume people's vitality, and even cause wrong behavior.