Other people’s emotions at work

Emotions are a primary reaction of our brain and body to the situation we are in. Your body physically prepares itself to act.

For example, in a threatening situation, we may become angry and blood is pumped to our muscles to start fighting.

Or, on the contrary, we may become frightened and blood to our muscles becomes pumped to flee. Our visual focus changes so that we can quickly scan the environment for threats and escape opportunities.

On the contrary, in a hopeful situation, we may experience enthusiasm. Even then, blood can be pumped to our muscles to get us ready to run to that tree with ripe apples or that stream with clear flowing water.

Part of the physical reaction is not only a change in blood distribution and heart rate, but also in breathing, voice tone and volume, facial expression and pupil size, posture and movement, and even the smell you give off.

Emotional contagion

The physical reaction allows us to recognize in another person what emotion is approximately at play. This can happen consciously or unconsciously. It can also cause “emotional contagion,” or emotional contagion, to occur.

Emotional contagion can be very pleasant. For example, another person can ignite you with their joy and enthusiasm. Inspirational speakers use their body language and voice to convey a certain emotional state that is contagious. As humans, we tend to unconsciously copy physical and behavioral aspects of others, such as you often start yawning when someone else yawns.

Of course, emotional contagion can also be unpleasant. When someone else experiences a negative emotion, this can also cause your heart rate to go up and your breathing to speed up and you can begin to feel agitated.

Interplay mental and physical aspect

In addition to the physical aspect, emotions also have a mental aspect, your thoughts. When we experience anger we have “angry” thoughts in addition to the physical reaction. We even remember different things when we are angry than when we are happy.

There is an interaction between the physical and mental reaction. For example, certain negative thoughts and memories can trigger a physical reaction. However, you can also start with a physical reaction, such as by mirroring a colleague’s anger, and this can lead to negative thoughts.

It is possible to influence your physical response to influence your overall reaction. For example, by consciously influencing your breathing and your voice. This is one way people often try to hide their negative emotions. However, when a person still interprets the current situation as threatening, the body will still create physical reactions that can be picked up (unconsciously) by another person.

Causes of different emotional reactions

Different people can have a completely different emotional reaction to the same situation due to:

• a different interpretation of the situation
• a different interpretation of solution possibilities

How someone interprets the situation and solution possibilities depends on the information a person has at the time and from past experiences.

Example

Someone walks past a barking dog. One person may interpret this as a threatening situation and another may interpret it as neutral or as an opportunity to pet a dog. The person who assesses the situation as threatening may experience different emotions. When someone has the experience that “fighting” works, a person may experience a reaction similar to anger or “ready to fight. This person is more likely to make themselves bigger and talk louder. When a person’s experience is that “fighting” does not work, then a person may experience a reaction similar to fear or “ready to flee. This person will be more likely to make themselves small and walk on quickly.

All emotions are useful and not one emotion is necessarily better than another. It is good to flee if you cannot fight and it is good to fight if you cannot flee. Even in the case of opportunities, different reactions can be useful depending on the exact situation.

It only becomes a problem when the type of emotion and its intensity do not match reality. It is also more difficult in today’s society than in the past because the best solution to the situation rarely lies in a physical reaction. Actual fighting or fleeing with our arms and legs is rarely necessary. And is often frowned upon.

Emotions can therefore be seen primarily as hindering. What good is all that blood toward our biceps if we are not allowed to hit the table anyway? 

Emotions provide information

But the emotions in ourselves and in others do give us a lot of information. Depending on the type of emotion and the intensity we experience, we know whether someone interprets the situation as threatening or, on the contrary, as the presence of opportunity or neutral. And we get a glimpse into the solution possibilities that someone (unconsciously) experiences.

Some people always react angrily. Regardless of the type of threat or just opportunity. People who have learned that you only get there by fighting. Others just freeze or flee. People who have learned that fighting does not work or is counterproductive.

Conclusion

The topic of emotions is large and complex, even when it comes to the emotions of others at work. A good start is to acknowledge that they are there. No matter how much we try our best to suppress or hide them.

And that emotions are also desirable. Bring on that joy and enthusiasm! And also caution at certain times.

And that everyone reacts differently. Not because other people are weird or illogical. But because they have different information and experiences.

Presentation about Human Factors and emotions?

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