Enumerating Emotions

Enumerating Emotions Twenty emotions identified by the Geneva Emotion Wheel (GEW).

Enumerating Emotions #

How long would be an exhaustive list of all possible emotions? #

Creating an exhaustive list of all possible emotions is an intriguing challenge, as it intersects the domains of psychology, linguistics, and cultural studies.

The complexity arises from several factors:

  • Linguistic Diversity: Different languages and cultures have unique words for feelings that may not have direct equivalents in others. This linguistic relativity suggests that the spectrum of feelings recognized and named varies across cultures.

  • Psychological Perspective: Psychological theories differ in how they categorize emotions. Basic emotion theory, for instance, posits a limited set of universal emotions (e.g., happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise), but this is just one perspective among many.

  • The Problem of Granularity: Emotions can be broken down into more nuanced feelings. For instance, ‘anger’ can be subdivided into frustration, irritation, rage, etc. The level of granularity significantly affects the length of the list.

  • Subjective Experience: Emotions are inherently subjective. Individuals may experience and interpret emotions in ways that are not easily categorized or described using existing language.

Given these considerations, an exhaustive list would be extraordinarily long and potentially infinite, especially if one accounts for nuances and cultural specificities. Even if we limit the scope to a single language or culture, the list would still be extensive due to the variety of emotional states people can experience.

In practical terms, researchers and psychologists often use tools like the “Wheel of Emotions” developed by Robert Plutchik or the “Geneva Emotion Wheel” to categorize and understand a broad range of emotions. These tools, while not exhaustive, offer a structured way to think about the complex landscape of human feelings.

What are their respective sizes? #

The “Wheel of Emotions” by Robert Plutchik and the “Geneva Emotion Wheel” are conceptual tools designed to categorize and illustrate the spectrum of human emotions. They differ in structure and the number of emotions they include:

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions #

  • Structure: Plutchik’s wheel is designed like a flower, with eight primary emotion dimensions: joy vs. sadness, anger vs. fear, trust vs. distrust, and surprise vs. anticipation. These can be combined or intensified.

  • Number of Emotions: The model suggests 8 primary bipolar emotions, which can be mixed to create more complex feelings. When considering these combinations and variations in intensity, the number of distinct emotional states represented can exceed 30. However, the wheel itself is often illustrated with 8 primary emotions and 8 secondary emotions (formed by the primary pairs), totaling 16.

Geneva Emotion Wheel #

  • Structure: The Geneva Emotion Wheel (GEW) is more complex and comprehensive. It’s a circular structure where emotions are categorized based on two dimensions: pleasantness and control. This wheel is often used in research to help participants identify and quantify their emotions.

  • Number of Emotions: The GEW includes a larger set of emotions. In its 2012 version, for instance, it featured 20 different emotions, each with varying degrees of intensity. The number of distinguishable emotional states on the GEW can thus be quite large, especially when accounting for these intensity variations.

Both models emphasize the multidimensional nature of emotions but differ in their approaches and complexity. Plutchik’s model is more focused on primary and secondary emotions and their interrelations, while the GEW provides a more granular categorization, useful for detailed emotional analysis. These tools illustrate that emotions are not discrete states but exist on a continuum and can blend into each other.

Please list GEW emotions. #

The Geneva Emotion Wheel (GEW), developed for psychological research, includes a range of distinct emotions. Each emotion is categorized based on dimensions like pleasantness and control. The 2012 version of the GEW, one of its more recent iterations, features the following 20 emotions:

  • Interest
  • Enjoyment
  • Surprise
  • Sadness
  • Disgust
  • Anger
  • Fear
  • Shame
  • Contempt
  • Irritation
  • Pride
  • Joy
  • Amusement
  • Anxiety
  • Relief
  • Hope
  • Compassion
  • Admiration
  • Boredom
  • Satisfaction

These emotions are used to capture a wide array of human emotional experiences. In the GEW, participants can indicate not only which emotion they are feeling but also the intensity of that emotion. This tool is particularly valuable in psychological research for its nuanced approach to emotional categorization.