How Emotions Are Made. Book Summary

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Lisa Feldman Barrett

What’s inside

In ‘How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain’, psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges the classical theory of emotions and proposes a new theory called the Theory of Constructed Emotion. This theory suggests that emotions are not universally pre-programmed in our brains and bodies, but rather they are psychological experiences that each of us constructs based on our unique personal history, physiology and environment.

You’ll Learn

  • Understand emotions from a neuroscientific perspective
  • Learn about the impact of emotions on our health and decision-making
  • Be more aware of the role of personal history and environment in shaping emotions
  • Uncover ways to manage and control your emotions

Key Points

  • Debunking the classical theory of emotions
  • Introduction to the Theory of Constructed Emotion
  • How our brains construct our emotional experiences
  • The influence of personal history and environment on emotions
  • The role of language in shaping our emotional reality
  • How emotions affect our health and decision-making
  • The possibility of mastering and controlling our emotions

Who’s it For

  • Psychologists
  • Neuroscientists
  • Anyone interested in emotional intelligence
  • Those curious about the human mind and emotions

About the author

Lisa Feldman Barrett is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is an expert on the science of emotion, known for her research on human feelings and how they impact our lives.