PLUTCHIK'S WEB OF EMOTIONS

Robert Plutchik ( 21 October 1927- 29 April 2006) was professor emeritus at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and at the University of South Florida.He received his pH.D from Columbia University and he was also a psychologist. 

 Plutchik  developed an evolutionary theory of emotions. He proposed that both animals and humans have evolved their emotions to adapt our organization to the environment.

He divided the wheel in 8 basic emotions (fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, anticipation/ hope, joy, acceptance/ trust.) The other emotions are just to enlarge/ expand the range of experiences.

According tho this theory, emotions vary in their degree of intensity. For example, anger is less intense than the fury.

To graphically explain his proposal and for better understanding, Plutchik decided to draw a wheel or web of emotions, which consists on the 8 basic emotions mentioned before, that combined give rise to the 8 advanced emotions (love, submission, shock/ awe, disappointment/ disapproval, remorse, contempt, malice/aggressiveness and optimism). Each is made u of two basic emotions. Emotions are combined to form sets or duo that form the advanced primary emotions, secondary and tertiary sets that result in even less frequent emotions.

Joy

• Opposite emotion: Sadness
• Degree of intensity: Serenity → Joy→ Ecstasy
• Primary dyads:
• Joy + Confidence→  Love
• Joy + Anticipation → Optimism
• Secondary dyads:
• Joy + Fear → Culpa
• Joy + Anger → Pride
• Tertiary dyads (even less frequent):
• Joy + Surprise → Delight
• Joy + Aversion → Curiosity

Confidence

• Opposite emotion: Aversion (rejection)
• Degree of intensity: Acceptance → Confidence → Admiration
• Primary dyads:
• Confidence + Joy → Love
• Confidence + Fear → Submission
• Secondary dyads:
• Confidence + Surprise → Curiosity
• Anticipation + Confidence → Fatalism
• Tertiary dyads:
• Confidence + Sadness → Sentimentality
• Confidence + Anger → Domination

Fear

• Opposite emotion: Anger.
• Degree of intensity: Apprehension → Fear → Terror (Panic)
• Primary dyads:
• Fear + Confidence → Submission
• Fear + Surprise → Fright (dismay)
• Secondary dyads:
• Fear + Joy → Culpa
• Fear Sadness → Despair
• Tertiary dyads:
• Fear + Aversion → Embarrassment
• Fear + Anticipation → Anxiety

Surprise

• Opposite emotion: Anticipation
• Degree of intensity: Distraction → Surprise → Astonishment
• Primary dyads:
• Surprise + Fear → Fright
• Surprise + Sadness → Deception
• Tertiary dyads:
•  Joy + Surprise → Delight
• Surprise + Anger→ Outrage

Sadness

• Opposite emotion: Joy
• Degree of intensity: Isolation → Sadness → Weigh (depression)
• Primary dyads:
• Sadness + Surprise → Disapproval
• Sadness + → Regret Aversion
• Secondary dyads:
• Sadness + Fear → Desperation
• Anger Sadness + → Envy
• Tertiary dyads:
• Sadness + Confidence → Sentimentality
• Anticipation + Sadness → Pessimism

Aversion

• Opposite emotion: Confidence
• Degree of intensity: Boredom → Aversion → Abomination
• Primary dyads:
• Sadness + Aversion →   Regret
• Aversion + Anger → Contempt
• Secondary dyads:
• Aversion + Surprise → Disbelief
• Aversion + Anticipation → Cynicism
• Tertiary dyads:
• Aversion + Fear → Shame
• Aversion + Joy → Curiosity

Anger

• Opposite emotion: Fear
• Degree of intensity: Anger → Ira → Furia
• Primary dyads:
• Anger + Rejection → Contempt
• Anger + Anticipation → Treachery (aggressiveness)
• Secondary dyads:
• Anger + Sadness → Envy
• Anger + Joy  → Pride
• Tertiary dyads:
• Anger + Surprise → Outrage
• Anger + Confidence → Domination

Anticipation

• Opposite emotion: Surprise
• Degree of intensity: Interest → Anticipation → (alert) Surveillance
• Primary dyads:
• Anger + Anticipation → Treachery (aggressiveness)
• Anticipation + Joy → Optimism
• Secondary dyads:
• Anticipation + Rejection → Cynicism
• Anticipation + Confidence → Fatalism
• Tertiary dyads:
• Anticipation + Sadness → Pessimism
• Anticipation + Fear → Anxiety

I chose to use this web of emotions in my project as it helps me to guide myself and have certain emotions and feelings as basis. Since all human beings express them differently, I must have a “controlled variable” in my work. That in this case would be the emotions taking into account Plutchik’s theory of emotions.

I decided to make my final product with the 8 basic emotions already mentioned above. That’s why my final product will have different demonstrations of the same emotion. The photo will be accompanied by a small explanation or text, there  will be said and explained if the emotion showed was one of the basic emotions or completely deviated towards a dyad

Robert Plutchik. (2018). En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 5 January 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plutchik

The Wheel of Emotions, by Robert Plutchik | PsicoPico. (2018). PsicoPico. Retrieved 5 January 2018, from https://psicopico.com/en/la-rueda-las-emociones-robert-plutchik/