TOK Guest Speaker:
Mr. Cokerdem (Mr. C.)
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1) Gain a deeper understanding of emotion
2) Explore how emotion and rationality
interact
3) Consider ways we can enhance our lives
and daily experiences based on research and
reflection
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Psychological
Definition - a
complex state of
feeling that results
in physical and
psychological
changes that
influence thought
and behavior.
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Key words: feelings,
changes, influence
thought and
behavior
So, how many
emotions are there?
Many….
Yet, there are about
6 that seem to exist
across cultures:
anger, disgust, fear,
happiness, sadness,
and surprise.
(Paul Ekman,
anthropologist)
Can you spot
them?
Anger?
Disgust?
Fear?
Happiness?
Sadness?
Surprise?
Questions:
 1) How does emotion relate to knowledge?
 2) Are there ways you think emotion enhances knowledge? If
so, how?
 3) Are there ways you think emotion hinders accurate
knowledge? If so, how?
 (Note: hinder = to detract from, take away from
or make something more difficult to achieve)
Instructions:
 First, reflect as individuals for 3-5 minutes.
 Then, share/discuss in groups, 5-7 minutes.
 Finally, we’ll de-brief as a class.
Emotion: a complex state of feeling that results in physical and
psychological changes that influence thought and behavior.
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What did you discuss?
Key insights?
Key questions?
Just curious:
 Did anyone discuss the degree of emotions? In other
words, their intensity?
 Did anyone discuss scenarios where a person feels
none of the 6 main emotions at any one time?
 What do we think about that?
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“Significant emotion (passion) and rational
thinking tend to be mutually exclusive.”
 Can we accept that statement?
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If so, let’s explore that a bit, shall we?
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Do I sound like Mr. Cannon yet? Lord help me if I
start sounding like Mr. Byck…. 
As passionate emotion increases, our ability to make
decisions that we will look back on and agree are
good decisions has a strong tendency to fail.
 Consider the things we say:
 A “hot-headed” person is rather emotional and
likely to make rash decisions.
 A person with a “cool-head” makes thoughtful,
considered decisions.
Emotion is a chemical state in our brains that we
experience as basic 'feelings'.
 Those same chemicals inhibit our higher cognitive
capabilities and limit what we call rational thought.
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Two young lovers in the “heat of the moment”
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Fight or flight response:
A) “Crime of passion”
▪ homicides due to extreme anger or jealousy;
▪ “temporary” insanity
B) Running from the police when they have a gun and say “freeze!”
C) Hit and run driver
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Can you think of decisions that are affected as emotional
response increases? (Think and talk amongst yourselves.)
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Also, would you tend to think these decisions are less “rational?”
How do you help someone in an
emotional state make a rational decision?
 Help them calm down
 BUT, do not just say 'calm down‘ since that is a
rational appeal.
 Instead, speak to the emotions with emotional words.
Then slowly become less emotional.
 If you have time, the simplest approach is just to wait.
▪ Extreme emotions often do not last and the person will
eventually cool down.
 Any actors in the room? Care for a simulation?
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How do you get someone to become less likely to
make a rational decision? Now, we’re talking!!!
Drum roll please….
Answer: get them into an emotional state!
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Enter the salesperson:
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 A sales person will get their customers:
▪ Excited, Hopeful, Lustful
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We can’t forget the politicians:
 They routinely invoke:
▪ Fear, nationalism, and the desire to help their fellow humans – sometimes all in one speech!
▪ Of course, Venezuelan politics is all about rationality. No emotion here….
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And, of course, Las Vegas – and any casino:
 Name of the game – get the customers drunk so they’ll spend
more money!
▪ Alcohol is free, especially once you start winning money
▪ Also, if you win big, you get free rooms and meals.
▪ Why? So you’ll stay and lose the money the next day.
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Paul Ekman (the guy behind the faces)
“The inescapability of emotional response” – we
are wired to respond emotionally
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Appraisal – recognize the situations that are apt to
create an emotional response or at least recognize the
emotion when it happens
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Impulse – feel the impulse of that emotion and what is
propelling you to do (what action to take)
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Increase the gap - before you act, work on increasing
the time so that you can deliberately choose how to
best respond
Let’s take a look!
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http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpo3bz_paul-ekman-on-the-inescapability-of-emotionalresponse_news#.UZavN7Ovhow
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Emotion affects decision-making
Even when we know what causes our mood, we
still are affected by the mood and it influences
our decision-making
Just type in: “scientists explore effects of
emotion” – you’ll see the link:
http://phys.org/news10395.html
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"While anxiety triggers a preference for
options that are safer and provide a sense of
control, sadness triggers a preference for
options that are more rewarding and
comforting.”
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Let’s read this article together
To get it quickly, google “how are happiness
and learning connected”
It’s the first article under “edutopia”
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/happinesslearning-connection-rebecca-alber
Reactions?
Take some time to cement today’s lesson.
In no particular order or format, record in writing
some “ah-ha” moments or anything you felt
about today’s lesson that triggered interesting,
different, or potentially valuable thoughts.
 Rank your top 3 or 4.
 Then, let’s do a quick class “share out.” That
means you get to pick any one item you shared.
Identifying 3 or 4 ahead of time will help us avoid
duplicates.
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An interesting theory on depression:
Perhaps, it is an evolutionary response that initially
developed because in some cases, it can encourage
one to ponder and analyze complex issues.
 Google “depression evolutionary roots”
 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=de
pressions-evolutionary
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Thanks Everyone!!! 
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And, remember →