Some Cool Psychological Facts About Human Feelings
Here are some 10 best psychological facts about human
feelings.
10 Psychological Facts About Human Feelings.
Useful Psychological Facts About Human Feelings.
1.
There is actually a phobia for losing one’s phone. Nomophobia is a
term describing the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile
phone contact (Elmore,2014) The term is an abbreviation for “no-mobile-phone
phobia” which was coiled during a 2010 study by the UK Post Office. According
to the study, 54% of those questioned said they experienced nomophobia. And
overall, women were likely to suffer from nomophobia than men (Merz, 2013).
2.
Without realizing it, we are deeply affected by other people’s moods.
Research call this phenomena “emotional contagion”. This is a natural process
that pre-wired our brain via “mirror-neurons” that allow us to sense and
reflect other people’s emotions. (Blume. 2007). And as stated in the Chameleon
Effect, we have a natural tendency to imitate another person’s speech
inflections and physical expressions (Bargh and Chartand, 1999). And we usually
mimic the actions of the people we usually interact with that those who are
strangers to us.
References:
Blume, Ph.D. 2007. Contagious Emotions.
3. In
the past few years, psychology researchers have found a good deal of literal
truth embedded in the metaphorical phrased comparing love to pain.
Neuroimaging studies have shown that brain regions involved processing physical
pain overlap considerably with those tied to social anguish. (Jaffe, 2013).
Broken Heart Syndrome is characterized by normal coronary arteries, regional
wall motion abnormalities that extend beyond a single coronary vascular bed,
and often, a precipitating stressor.
(Hurst, et. Al, 2010). Its temporary that is often brought on by
stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one.
4. When
we hug, the chemical that the brain release is the hormone oxytocin. It has
been hypothesized that oxytocin, a hormone recognized for its role in social
attachment and facilitations of social interactions, is also important in the
formation of trust. (Baumagartner, 2008)
5. It was
proposed in one study that the normal, unremarkable experiences associated with
everyday living can deplete one’s capacity to resist moral temptations
(Kouchaki, et al. 2013). The study proposes that people are more likely to have
less self-control when they’re tired. Another study concluded that the average
adult has less self-control as the work day wears on, becoming more likely to
act “immoral” by the end of the afternoon (Barnes, et al. 2014). It could be
tied to the study by the Florida State University that restoring glucose to a
sufficient level typically improves self-control. And it turns out that in
2009, the Stanford University School of Medicine found that circadian rhythms
are directly tied to the mechanism that process blood sugar.
This works both ways, the studies above have mentioned that
people tend to engage in immoral behaviour when they’re tired due to the lack
of self-control. But the lack of self-control can also affect people to let
their guard down a little bit and be more honest with physical conditions.
6. Desensitization
is defined as the diminished emotional responsiveness to a negative or aversive
stimulus after repeated exposure to it. In a study conducted recently, parents
were subjected to watching movies that have violence and sex have showed that there
was an increase in acceptance to both types of content, even to the extent of
the willingness to show it to their children. (Romer, et. Al. 2014). There is
also evidence of desensitization among people who play video games (Bushman,
2007).
7. I
don’t think it’s a new thing when I say that we consider Chocolate as “the love
drug”. Known for notoriously being an aphrodisiac, and a good gift
for anytime of the year, chocolate has been a widely known staple for showing
love. But why is this so? It contains tryptophan, a chemical in the brain that
is used to produce serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical that plays a major
role in positive mood, emotional health, proper sleep and balance appetite, and
contributing to numerous behavioural and physiological functions. (Kilham,
2011). Chocolate also contains a chemical called phenylethylamine. It’s a
neurotransmitter that help promote feelings of attraction, excitement, and
giddiness. It works by stimulating the brain’s pleasure centers and reaches its
peak level during orgasm (Crandell, 2007).
8.
Psychological research has classified six facial expressions which correspond
to distinct universal emotions: disgust,
sadness, happiness, fear, anger, and surprise (Black, et. Al, 1995).
Theorists have also hypothesized that the universals are to be found in the
relationship between distinctive movements of the facials muscles and the
particular emotions. (Ekman and Friesen, 1967, 1969).
9. Mirror
neurons are the brain’s hardware for harmonizing individuals to their
environment (Matousek, 2011). Mirror
neurons allow us to grasp the minds of others not through conceptual reasoning
but through direct stimulation. It is because of mirror neurons that you
blush when you see someone else humiliated, flinch when someone else is struck,
and can’t resist the urge to laugh when seeing a group struck with giggles
(Rizzolatti, circa 1990). It has been said that these neurons give us the
capability for empathy, allowing us to feel what other people feel –
theoretically both physically and emotionally (Ramachandran, 2012).
10. Some
studies suggest that people dread idleness
(Hsee, et.al 2009). In an experiment by Christopher Hsee and his
colleagues, they conducted two experiments that showed that people choose to be
idle; that even a specious justification can motivate people to be busy, and
that people who are busy are happier than people who are idle (Hsee, et.al
2009).
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