An argument for basic emotions

Abstract

Ortony and Turner's (1990) arguments against those who adopt the view that there are basic emotions are challenged. The evidence on universals in expression and in physiology strongly sug~ests that ~he~e is a biological basis to the emotions that have been studied. Ortony and Turner's reviews of thls hterature are faulted, and their alternative theoretical explanations do not fit the evidence. The utility of the basic emotions approach is also shown in terms of the research it has generated.In their argument against basic emotions. Ortony and Turner (990) distinguished two ways in which that phrase has been used: (a) to describe elements that combine to form larger more complex emotions and (b) to denote emotions that are presumed to have a biological basis. I will not comment on the first use, because neither I nor most other current researchers who posit basic emotions use the concept in this way. My focus instead will be on the arguments and evidence that suggest that emotions are a product of our evolution, with some biological givens. This position does not deny the important role of culture and sociallearning processes in every aspect of emotionthe control of expressions. the symbolic representation of emotional experience, how one evaluates emotion-relevant situations, attitudes about one's own emotions. how one copes with emotion, and so on-but it is not a totally malleable system. There are constraints as a result of our evolution, and not the on es that Ortony and Turner suggested.To make my case I first consider findings on universals in facial expression. I believe that Ortony and Turner (1990) misunderstood the evidence. I show that their alternative explanation of the findings contradicts known facts. I next consider a second type of evidence for basic emotions-emotion-specific physio~ogy. Again. I suggest that Ortony and Turner exaggerated d.lsagree.ments and took little note of the areas of agreement m findmgs of emotion-specific autonomie nervous system (ANS) activity. I also describe some more recent evidence which they could not have known about. that strengthens th~ basic emotions position. Finally, I argue the merits of a basic emotions ~oncePtu~1 framework in explaining diverse findings and focusmg attention on quest ions that need empirical answers.

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