Emotions and feelings

Emotions and feelings can be commonly misunderstood and be considered as synonyms. Feelings occur when an emotion becomes conscious by the person who is feeling it. The person itself is able to identify it, classify it and evaluated it if necessary. Feelings tend to be more persistent and linger if the stimulus which provoke them remains. 

Feelings are expressed by different behavioral actions and conducts of search or avoidence which can be observed. They are linked to the motivation and interests of the person whose feelings are experienced or from the situation someone is living. 

According to Soldevila, A., Filella, G., Ribes, R. and Agulló, M. J., an emotion is a mental state which provokes an answer that influences our way of acting in front of a situation. Making a differentiation of emotions according to the fact that they are positive or negative makes no sense as negative emotions. There are no positive or negative emotions. What makes an emotion unpleasent are the consequences that this emotions evokes and if they persist longer than what is desired by the individual who is feeling that way. 

Emotions can be classified by three main types: the basic emotions, the complex emotions and the ambiguous emotions. 

• Basic emotions are related to the survival. We can identify as basic emotions such as joy, anger, fear, sadness and disgust.
• Complex emotions impliy an enhancement to the self and are complex emotions pride, shame, anxiety, jealousy, guilt and envy.
• Depending on the success of the regulation process, ambiguous emotions can help overcome an amotion or situation. Surprise, hope and compassion are ambiguous emotions. 

Having an emotional intelligence and being able to predict and comprehend emotions are fundamental for the educational life. In school, children coexist with other children, some younger, other older and the rest from their same age, and also with adults who have the responsability to provide kids with education and take care of them while they are in the school. 

School must teach some content about emotional intelligence. Students start learning the basic emotions, how to express them and the identification of emotions and body reactions. Once they have acquired those elements and they are older, more complex emotions are introduced, as well as the identification of two emotions at the same time and the identification of the components of an emotional response.

This table shows the contents developed in school during four different stages, based on the classification made by Soldevila, A., Filella, G., Ribes, R. and Agulló, M. J.