CHAPTER 4
EMOTIONS
Objectives
After studying the material in Chapter Four of Looking Out/Looking In, you should understand:
1. The four components of emotions.
2. The six influences on emotional expression.
Specifically, you should be able to:
1. Describe how the four components of emotions affect the way you feel, and hence your
communication, in an important situation.
Notes on Class and Student Activities
A. How Would You Feel?
Instructions
1. In groups, have students generate situations in which they or their friends or family get emotional
(e.g., weddings, funerals, birthdays, promotions, failures). They should write down specific
situations.
Discussion Questions
1. How do these emotions manifest themselves in the body (both physically and nonverbally)?
B. Recognizing Your Emotions (Pause and Reflect, text, p. 120)
Objective
To further the student’s awareness of his or her feelings and how these feelings register themselves
physically in the body.
Options
• We find that when we provide a duplicated form for the diary/journal, the students tend to take
C. Feelings and Phrases (Skill Builder, text, p. 131 and Stating Emotions Effectively, 4.3
in Student Activities Manual)
Objective
To help students develop ways of expressing feelings clearly.
Discussion Questions
D. Talking to Yourself (Pause and Reflect, text, p. 137)
Objective
To help students better understand how their thoughts can shape their feelings.
Discussion Questions
1. How easy or difficult was it to identify the voice behind your self-talk?
E. How Irrational Are You? (Pause and Reflect, text, p. 142)
Objectives
Option
Conduct as a group activity and have students compare answers.
Discussion Questions
1. Which fallacies appeared most often in your groups? Why do you suppose there are some more
popular than others?
F. Rational Thinking (Skill Builder, text, p. 145)
Objective
To assist students in replacing irrational thinking with rational thinking.
To afford students a chance to practice the procedure before observers and make necessary
Discussion Questions
1. How did it feel to play the different roles? Which role was hardest and easiest to play? Why?
G. Would You Share? Your Call—Emotions
Objective
To assist students in deciding what emotions to share with others.
Discussion Questions
1. What conclusions can your group members draw about the appropriate sharing of emotions?
H. Emotion Labor in the Workplace (On the Job in text, p. 125)
Discussion Questions
1. How does one’s display of emotion change based on their occupation?
2. Who sets the emotional norms at a workplace? How do we know how much emotion is
I. Minimizing Debilitating Emotions
Objective
To help students practice identifying and disputing debilitating thoughts and emotions.
Discussion Questions
1. How easy or difficult was it to identify and dispute the irrational fallacies?