What is Mood
A mood is a mental, physical, and emotional state that may last for several hours or days. It is a
mix of feelings and emotions. Moods are not usually related to a specific circumstance or
incidence, but a collection of feelings and emotions. Several factors such as environment (people
around us, weather, etc.), physiology (what we eat, our health, etc.) emotions and feelings affect
our last. For example, when we are with people we like, eating our favorite food, we feel happy
and joyful. This creates a good mood. This mood may last for several hours or even days.
However, this is a temporary state of mind.
What is an Emotion
An emotion is a strong feeling originating from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with
others. It is a conscious mentality, usually directed toward a specific object. Emotions typically
accompany physiological and behavioral changes in the body. Joy, sorrow, fear, hate, anger, love,
etc. are some examples of emotions we experience. Moreover, it is important to note that
emotions are not long-lasting, meaning they can change within a few minutes. It’s also possible
to feel a mixture of emotions at once. For example, when you are in an unknown place, you may
feel a range of emotions such as curiosity and fear.
Difference Between Mood and Emotion
Definition
The mood is a state or quality of feeling at a particular time, but an emotion is a strong feeling
originating from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
Duration
Emotions are very brief in duration, usually seconds or minutes, but moods can last for days.
Cause
Moods are not usually caused by specific events, but emotions are caused by specific events. In
other words, it is not easy to identify what triggers a mood, whereas it is easy to identify what
triggers an emotion.
Types
Moods are general; there are two basic moods as good mood and bad mood. In contrast, there
are a variety of emotions; for example, anger, hate, fear, happiness, surprise, disgust, sadness,
etc.
Intensity
Moods are relatively less intense than emotions.
Onset
Besides, mood has a gradual onset, whereas emotions are sudden.
Conclusion
A mood is a state or quality of feeling at a particular time, but an emotion is a strong feeling
originating from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. The main difference
between mood and emotion is that emotion may last only minutes, but a mood tends to last
longer.
Functions
DO EMOTIONS MAKE US IRRATIONAL?
Emotions is a sort of a feeling that occurs whenever a person is angry, sad, happy and others as
we encounter or deal with the people that surrounds us. It sometimes depends on the situation
where in we are in a case of dealing people at the same time trying to control our emotions over
that situation or that person. Emotions can be rational or irrational. It can be rational if we are
showing our positive emotion to that particular person or situation. It can also be irrational, if we
are showing our negative emotions, especially if we can’t already handle or manage our actions
and feelings toward that person.
Emotions make us irrational because of some certain things that easily change the way we react
to that specific case. It is normal that emotions make us irrational because there are really a lot
of situations that make us show our negative emotions to relate to that scenario. There are times
that we can’t handle anymore our emotions and with that, we sometimes cannot think clearly
because there are lots of unnecessary thoughts that are interrupting our minds. For example, we
get stress over things like having so many papers work that needs to be pass in its exact deadline,
can also makes us irrational. It is like we are working under pressure to get a job done and with
that situation we can really say and prove that emotions make us irrational. But we can always
overcome this one. It just a matter on understanding things, controlling our actions and managing
our emotions to not make the situations worst. It all depends on how those things make us feel.
DO EMOTIONS MAKE US ETHICAL?
In relation with emotions makes us ethical, well, it depends on what situation or people you meet
everybody. It is a yes and it is also a no. Yes, if you are able to control your emotions towards a
heavy situation in which it challenges you to think correctly and be able to respond accordingly.
You may not be able to control the situation and its outcome, but you can control your attitude
and how you deal with it. That is what they say, and it is what makes us ethical in dealing with
our emotions. No if you can’t handle already your emotions over certain situations. Because
there are people who takes seriously others comments or opinion on you. They sometimes can’t
think clearly if what they do is right or wrong in responding to that specific situation. They also
misunderstood situations that is why they let their emotion overpower their intelligence.
Affective Events Theory
Do your emotions affect how you perform in a work environment? According to the affective
events theory (AET), emotions are critically important to how employees handle workplace
situations. The model states that there is a relationship between the employees' internal
influences (such as emotions) and their reactions to incidents that happen during their workday
that affect their performance, job commitment, and long-term job satisfaction.
The theory explains that there are both positive and negative occurrences during the workday
that can affect an employee's emotions and job satisfaction. AET is about how the work
environment emotionally affects workers and does not take into account any outside influences.
For example, if an employee's child is sick at home that would not be part of the AET definition,
since it is outside of work.
The theory was developed by organizational psychologists Weiss and Cropanzano. Positive or
negative happenings can be anything from being reprimanded for poor work performance to
receiving a free cup of coffee for a good performance. All parts of the job can affect emotions,
including the actual job tasks, management styles, co-workers' actions, and job pressures.
Positive and negative situations at work create long-term emotional responses that can impact
job satisfaction, development, and commitment. In order to better understand this theory and
its applications, let's take a look at one way the AET performs on the job.
What are the sources of emotions and moods?
1.Personality: Built in tendencies to experience certain moods &emotions more frequently. Affect
Intensity difference in strength to experience emotions
2.Day of the Week and Time of the Day: day later in week or near to week end are felt with good emotions
and moods. Early time of the day is felt with bad moods.
3.Weather: people are of the opinion that their moods are good or bad due to weather conditions but
research has not such evidence.
4.Stress: mounting level of stress worsen our moods. Stress takes toll on our moods.
5.Social Activities: type of activity physical, informal, epicurean (eating with others) creates more positive
affect than attending meetings and sedentary (TV watching).
6.Sleep: Less and poor-quality puts in bad mood and impairs decision making and control on emotions.
7.Exercise: enhances positive moods – not much strong do not expect miracles.
8.Age: Early age is with good moods wrong People learn to improve emotional experience with age and
have fewer negative emotions as they get older.
9.Gender: Women experience emotions more intensely as compared to men except anger. But it depends
how someone is culturally socialized. Men are tougher expression of emotions distorts the masculine
image. Women are expected to express more positive emotions than men example shown by smiling.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Some
researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it's
an inborn characteristic.
The ability to express and control emotions is essential, but so is the ability to understand, interpret, and
respond to the emotions of others. Imagine a world in which you could not understand when a friend was
feeling sad or when a co-worker was angry. Psychologists refer to this ability as emotional intelligence,
and some experts even suggest that it can be more important than IQ in your overall success in life.
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL LABOR?
By definition (Hochschild, 1983, The Managed Heart), emotional labor refers to regulating or managing
emotional expressions with others as part of one’s professional work role. Emotional labor is parallel to
physical labor; both are occupations that tend to require a lot of effort, but EL is effort around emotions
and tends to be female-dominated (i.e., service or caring work) and physical labor is effort with the body
and tends to be male-dominated.