Emotional bites opening the kimono on all your deepest emotions
Hey everyone and welcome ready to dive deep today, we're tackling emotions, but like
Really breaking them down with this thing called the component process model. It's uh, it's got a lot of moving parts 16 to be precise
16 emotional filters you could say each one kind of colors how we experience the world so the good news is
These 16 secs they're grouped into four main categories. Okay, that's better. Yeah, and first up
We've got relevance
Relevance basically your brain's asking how important is this thing to me right here right now?
So then the second category we've got implications
Implications, okay, this is where your brain starts playing that what if game. Okay, what if this happens? Okay, what does this event?
Mean for my goals both right now and in the future
So it's not just about what's happening right now, but like the long game
Exactly you got it your brain's thinking did I cause this? Okay, which is all about agency, right? Right?
So that's like can I control it's happening so that's controllability roll. Yeah, and of course how's this all gonna turn out for the third category?
Okay, coping potential
This one's really important. Okay, Cobra. This is your brain
Basically sizing up your own personal toolkit, right? Okay your resources your skills your ability to adapt
Don't you all to do with whatever's going on?
So like even if something bad happens if I think I can handle it. I won't freak out as much exactly
All right, and then finally we have
Normative significance which adds a whole other layer of complexity
This is where like other people come into play, right exactly, you know it normative significance is all about how this event
Whatever it is
Fits with my values and social norms. Okay, it's where we feel those emotions like guilt shame pride all day
Let me see if I've got this all straight. Yeah, my brain is constantly looking at situations based on these four things, right?
Right relevance
implications
Yep coping potential. Yes, and how it all lines up with my values the component process model
It's it's got a lot of moving parts. There's a whole internal system going on under that
You got it 16 emotional filters and the CPM it helps us understand the why behind those feelings instead of just what we're feeling
You know and trust me those spilled coffee emotions
Way different depending on if it was you or Emmy who spilled it okay now. I'm really hooked so hit me with it
What are some of these filters that shape our reactions?
Let's start the very beginning like when our brain first encounters something is it sudden or
Expected that's our first filter suddenness like surprise party versus just knowing it's your birthday week same event
Totally different sudden levels on the old emotional scale exactly and that suddenness filter
It's already shaping how we process the emotional bites coming in all that info emotional bites gotta love that
Yeah, so what else is working in those first few seconds even if we don't realize it? Well, think of it like this
Is the situation familiar or totally new territory?
Familiarity filter kicking in there first day of school versus your usual Tuesday meeting big difference
Oh, tell me about it. My heart rates up just thinking about being the new kid again, huh?
Right and then right alongside that you've got predictability. How much did we see something coming predictable event?
It's like a dance you've rehearsed unpredictable now we're improvising and sometimes those improvised moves are the most memorable, right?
Absolutely our next filter goal need importance. That's coming into play big time
How much does this situation matter to what we want right now?
Okay, so if my goal is to I don't know totally nail this deep dive episode a sudden tech glitch
Way bigger deal than if I'm just chillin watching a movie right goals focus our attention exactly which leads us to
conduciveness is this event
Helping or hindering those goals we're now focused on like imagine hitting every green light on your way to work
Which is great unless I'm already running late and then it's just mocking my bad time management see
How conducive something feels totally depends on our own context our goals even our sense of humor at that moment
This is so cool. It's like we're taking emotions apart piece by piece and speaking of pieces the next few filters
They bring in other people into the mix, you know the social side of things remember spilled coffee
Well, who spilled it me you some random person that's cause agent doing its thing. Oh, okay
So if I do it, I'm just clumsy, but if someone bumps me and they're the coffee villains
Totally different emotional story exactly and it gets deeper right because then there's cause motive
Did they do it on purpose total accident? Maybe they were distracted by like a runaway puppy our brains
We gotta know the wh y okay. That's hilarious, but also so true
Puppy makes almost anything forgivable. So we've got like the who and the why of the event. Yeah
What else is in this emotional recipe?
Next up we've got outcome probability
So how likely of it that something specific will happen because of this event like
Waiting for medical test results good news versus bad news totally changes how you feel in that waiting period
Oh for sure
It's like thinking about a delicious meal versus waiters is gonna give me food poisoning same event eating
But whole different emotional forecast going on right our brains of prediction machines constantly running simulations speaking of which
Let's talk discrepancy from expectation
How much did what just happened differ from what we thought was gonna happen the plot twist filter
Yeah, bigger the surprise bigger the emotional splash. You got it
Imagine getting a promotion you did not see coming huge positive discrepancy or planning a relaxing vacation
Turns into a travel nightmare that discrepancy you're gonna be unpacking that one for a while
Okay, this is making so much more sense. It's not just the event. It's how we filter it through all these different
Lenses I guess and that's the heart of the cpm right
Now picture yourself on that roller coaster of feelings next filter coming up
Urgency how fast we're gonna react to this thing low urgency we can take our time high urgency
Buckle up. Yeah, so a nice walk in the park versus I don't know that runaway puppy
Headed for my coffee. Yeah urgency levels night and day boom
Suddenly your body's flooded with those emotional bites, right? Got to take action got to protect the caffeine whatever it takes
All those filters firing at once
How do we even make sense of it? Especially when things feel crazy?
That's where the control filter comes in how much influence to bubi you think we have over this whole situation
Feeling in control usually brings calm feeling powerless. That's when things can spiral
It's like you're trying to give someone directions, but they're just not listening total lack of control
Okay, but what about the times when we do need help, you know, that's where power comes in not just can we handle it
But can we tap into resources get support think of it like we can't control the weather
But we can bring an umbrella. I love that not about being superhuman but knowing your strengths and when to phone a friend
So we've got we've got power. It's like the outside stuff, right? But what about like our own values?
Where did those fit into all these emotional filters going off? That's where adjustment comes in
How adaptable are we can we roll with the punches or do we just like get stuck on what we can't change?
So going back to your weather example high adjustment you're bummed about rain
But hey indoor picnic time exactly
Expectations shift emotions adapt, but low adjustment you're hung up on that sunny picnic rain ruins the whole thing
Flexibility is key. I'm seeing that can't always control the event, but we can control our reaction
Okay, what are the last couple filters we got to know these last two are interesting they get into right and wrong, you know
normative significance
Internal standards that's about how the situation sits with our values
So if I like accidentally cut someone off in traffic my internal standards, they're gonna make me feel guilty because I try to be a good driver
There we go. Guilts the signal right internal standards saying oh, oh something's not aligned here. Wow. Okay, and I'm guessing this last one
It's how our actions line up with what everybody expects bingo
normative significance
external standards
Those unwritten rules, you know what we pick up from family culture society the whole shebang
So even if I think my dance moves are killer if everyone else is clearing the floor
My external standards filter might be giving me some
Feedback right our brains are always comparing measuring ourselves against all these internal and external rules. Okay, so to recap
16 emotional filters shaping our world from how sudden something feels to if it matches our deepest values
It's like emotions have an instruction manual now
So what are the other pieces of this like emotional puzzle we're putting together? Well for starters?
There's the physiological stuff right your heart rate might go up. You might start sweating your muscles kent's up
Our bodies are really good at reacting to whatever is going on in our heads
Yeah, it's like our fight or flight response ticking in even if we're not like actually in danger
Exactly and then there's how we express those emotions outwardly
Like think about facial expressions your tone of voice your posture
Those are all part of this process too. So it's like our brains are making these lightning fast judgments
Our bodies are reacting and then we're expressing those feelings outwardly
So it's like this whole chain reaction happening inside of us all stemming from those initial appraisals right?
But here's where it gets even more interesting
They also found that appraisals related to our values like whether we think something is morally right or wrong
Those also had a measurable impact on our physiological responses
And it's like our sense of ethics is literally embodied. Whoa
That's pretty profound when you think about it
They notice something really interesting about how our perspective shifts
When we're not the ones directly experiencing something like when we're watching other people go through something
Yeah, like when you're watching a movie and like you find yourself getting totally invested in the characters and what they're going through
You're like on the edge of your seat even though it's not actually happening to you exactly
It's like we start to take on their perspective
Fascinating so it's like our brains know the difference between actually
Experiencing something and just witnessing it
But our emotions they still get all caught up in the moment, right?
It's almost like we're empathizing with the people we're watching
Even if we don't know them
I think you know all of this talk about appraisals components all of this stuff with the cpm
It's like we're getting this behind-the-scenes look at how our minds work, right?
How our brains are constantly evaluating situations and making decisions about how we should feel and having access to that behind-the-scenes
Information can be incredibly valuable. Yeah, for example, okay
It can help us recognize our own emotional patterns and biases
So instead of just feeling blindsided by a wave of anger or anxiety, we can actually take a step back and ask ourselves
Okay, what appraisals are at play here? Yeah, what story is my brain telling itself in this moment?
And is that story even accurate or is it being colored by my past experiences or biases?
Exactly just being able to ask those questions can be a game changer
Right, it allows us to approach our emotions with greater self-awareness and potentially even find ways to regulate them more effectively
Right, but it's not just about understanding our own emotions
Appraisal theory can also help us develop greater empathy for others
That makes sense because we often assume that everyone else is experiencing the world and reacting to it in the same way that we are
But that's obviously not true. Yeah, everyone is coming to the table with their own unique set of experiences expectations and biases
That shape their appraisals and influence their emotional responses precisely
And remember this isn't just about understanding our emotions. It's about them becoming tools
So listeners next time you're hit with a big emotion good or bad
Don't just go with it think about those filters. You might be surprised what you find
This has been an incredible deep dive. Thank you so much for walking us through it
My pleasure and remember every emotion no matter how messy it seems
It makes sense when we take the time to understand it and on that note
Stay curious my friends