The 9 laws of the emotions of Nico beans

The laws of emotions are psychological processes that help people adapt.

The development of the laws of emotions is due to Nico Henri beans (1927-2015), a Dutch psychologist already retired, who dedicated his career to the study of human emotions.

Content

• The laws of emotions
  • 1. The Law of Situational Meaning
  • 2. The Law of Concern
  • 3. The law of apparent reality
  • 4. The laws of change, habituation and comparison
  • 5.     The Law of Hedonic Asymmetry
  • 6.     The Law on Conservation of the Emotional Moment
  • 7.     The closing law
  • 8.     The Law on Care
  • 9.     Lighter load law and larger gain
    • Bibliography:

The laws of emotions

Emotions are psychological processes that prepare individuals to adapt and respond to the environment. Therefore, its main function is adaptation, which is key to fulfilling the premise of living organisms: survival.

According to Fernández-Bascal and Jiménez Sánchez, in their study on the psychology of emotion, Human emotions go beyond being deliberate actions, since other factors should be considered, such as external situation, previous knowledge, the repertoire of emotional behaviors and the ability to anticipate, make plans and make decisions about future behavior.

As deduced, emotions understand a complex network in which Cognitive abilities are involved, In which systems located in the cerebral cortex participate, specifically, the areas that make up the prefrontal cortex.

Next, we will describe some of the laws of the emotions proposed by Nico beans.

1. The Law of Situational Meaning

According to this law, emotions derive from situations and it is the different situations that will generate the types of emotional response. For example, loss makes cry, while earnings make the person feel happy. Instead, danger causes fear. In other words, Emotions arise as a response to the meaning of certain situations.

2. The Law of Concern

People feel because they care when they have some interest in what happens, either in an object, in themselves or in another person. Of these particular objectives is that emotions and concerns arise. When the person is indifferent, he feels nothing.

3. The law of apparent reality

What is real, shoot emotions. That is to say, The way in which a situation is evaluated or interpreted, will be what will govern the emotion. That is why some films, books or plays, fail to emotionally involve the person, because in a way, the subject does not feel that he reproduces the reality of things.

4. The laws of change, habituation and comparison

Of this law, in reality, three are derived that are very narrow.

• THE LAW OF CHANGE indicates that Emotions are caused by the expected changes in conditions, whether they are favorable or unfavorable. What counts is the change. For example, in daily life you enjoy more of a victory, when the result of the game is uncertain, unlike when victory seems very obvious.
• The law of habituation suggests that continued pleasure fades and a continuous difficulty loses its hardness. For example, sadness or sorrow when a love is lost is decreasing over time. Being continuously exposed to inhuman situations, is cushioning suffering.
• The affective contrast law He maintains that a loss does not give way to a neutral feeling, but to misery; When misery disappears, there is no neutral situation.
• The law of comparative feeling points out that the intensity of an emotion will depend on the relationship between an event and the reference scheme. As an example, envy is an emotion that has its roots in comparisons.

5.     The Law of Hedonic Asymmetry

There are circumstances that man can never get used to. If something goes very bad, it is impossible to escape anxiety or fear. Nevertheless, Positive emotions usually disappear over time.  

Therefore, they do not matter how big a victory is or how much in love is, positive emotions will always fade. This is because the person gets used to events that before delight.

6.     The Law on Conservation of the Emotional Moment

It is often affirmed that time heals wounds, but for beans this is not so, but that It is the repetition that softens emotions. That is, certain events can retain their power in emotions for many years, unless they are experienced again, they are evaluated to be redefined and thus reduce emotional load.

This explains why some facts, such as reprobating an exam or having been rejected by a person, retains emotional power for many years.

7.     The closing law

The way in which emotions are usually answered and they lead to make decisions. That is to say, Emotional responses are closed to objectives that are not inherent. For example, an emotion can be seized from a person and send it on a path, until, then, another different decision sends you on another way.

8.     The Law on Care

People, naturally, tend to consider the consequences of their emotions, acting based on it. For example, anger can lead to violent actions, so many refrain from aggression.  Although emotions dictate a way of responding, people can modulate the intensity of said response.

9.     Lighter load law and larger gain

The impact emotions generated by a situation depends on its situation, therefore, the feeling can change, depending on where the focus is put. The lighter load law means that People usually make reinterpretations in order to reduce negative emotions; In the same way, a situation can also be reinterpreted to obtain positive emotional gain.

When the emotional burden is negative, because it may be a situation, the negation, avoidance or illusory hopes may appear, to make that lighter load, even when the loads exceed the person, they can tend to the Intersonalization.

The same way, It is common to blame something or someone to assume their own responsibility. This would correspond to the law of greater gain, because the situation is interpreted in the way that suits.

These are the laws of the emotions of Nico beans. Although nine appear, the truth is that they are twelve, due to the other laws that are related to each other and that are mentioned in the text.

According to these laws of emotions, they not only follow laws, but human beings also obey their emotions.

What are emotions? Behavioral concept, types and components

Bibliography:

• Fernández-Bascal, e. G., Rodríguez, b. G., Sánchez, m. P. J., Díaz, m. D. M., & Sánchez, F. J. D. (2010). Emotion Psychology. Ramón Areces University Editorial.
• Bean, n. (nineteen ninety five). The laws of emotion. MD Avia and MLS Bernardo (COMPS), Personality: cognitive and social aspects. Madrid: Pyramid.
• Bean, n. (1988). The laws of emotion in Avia, MD and Sánchez Bernardos, ML (comps.)(nineteen ninety five). The personality. Cognitive and social aspects.
• Sartre, j. P., & Acheroff, M. (1973). Sketch of a theory of emotions. Madrid: Editorial Alliance.