(Press-News.org) Contact information: Lauri Nummenmaa
lauri.nummenmaa@aalto.fi
358-504-319-931
Aalto University
Finnish research team reveals how emotions are mapped in the body
Researchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body
Researchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body.
Emotions adjust our mental and also bodily states to cope with the challenges detected in the environment. These sensations arising from the bodily changes are an important feature of our emotional experiences. For example, anxiety may be experienced as pain in the chest, whereas falling in love may trigger warm, pleasurable sensations all over the body. New research from Aalto University reveals, how emotions are literally experienced through the body.
The researchers found that the most common emotions trigger strong bodily sensations, and the bodily maps of these sensations were topographically different for different emotions. The sensation patterns were, however, consistent across different West European and East Asian cultures, highlighting that emotions and their corresponding bodily sensation patterns have a biological basis.
Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states. This way the prepare us to react swiftly to the dangers, but also to the opportunities such as pleasurable social interactions present in the environment. Awareness of the corresponding bodily changes may subsequently trigger the conscious emotional sensations, such as the feeling of happiness, tells assistant professor Lauri Nummenmaa from Aalto University.
The findings have major implications for our understanding of the functions of emotions and their bodily basis. On the other hand, the results help us to understand different emotional disorders and provide novel tools for their diagnosis.
The research was carried out on line, and over 700 individuals from Finland, Sweden and Taiwan took part in the study. The researchers induced different emotional states in their Finnish and Taiwanese participants. Subsequently the participants were shown with pictures of human bodies on a computer, and asked to colour the bodily regions whose activity they felt increasing or decreasing.
INFORMATION:
The research was funded by European Research Council (ERC), The Academy of Finland and the Aalto University (aivoAALTO project)
The results were published on 31 December (U.S. Eastern time) in the scientific journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America (PNAS).
Original publication:
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/12/26/1321664111.full.pdf+html?with-ds=yes
Figure summarizing the main findings of the study http://becs.aalto.fi/~lnummen/Emotionbodies.pdf
Participate in the ongoing experiment : http://becs.aalto.fi/~lnummen/participate.htm
emotionbodies.pdf (2M)
Figure caption: Different emotions are associated with discernible patterns of bodily sensations.
Contact information:
Assistant Professor Lauri Nummenmaa
Aalto University and Turku PET Centre
lauri.nummenmaa@aalto.fi
p. +358 50 431 9931
Finnish research team reveals how emotions are mapped in the body
Researchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body
2013-12-31
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Competition in a rough neighborhood: Plant success in a desert environment
2013-12-31
Competition in a rough neighborhood: Plant success in a desert environment
Water use efficiency and relative growth rate govern competitive interactions in desert winter annuals
Many people think of deserts as inhospitable places devoid of life, but numerous plants ...
Loyola bioethics study finds medical students concerned about desensitization to dying patients
2013-12-31
Loyola bioethics study finds medical students concerned about desensitization to dying patients
Loyola's Neiswanger Institute study finds medical students concerned about becoming insensitive when dealing with a dying patient
MAYWOOD, Ill. – The imminent death ...
New studies give strong boost to binary-star formation theory
2013-12-31
New studies give strong boost to binary-star formation theory
VLA observations support 1 competing explanation for how double stars are formed
Using the new capabilities of the upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), scientists have discovered previously-unseen ...
Final recommendations on lung cancer screening
2013-12-31
Final recommendations on lung cancer screening
Embargoed news from Annals of Intenral Medicine
Final word: Task Force says screen high-risk populations for lung cancer
High-risk adults between the ages of 55 and 80 should receive annual lung cancer screening ...
Climate change spurs tropical mangroves to expand in the north
2013-12-31
Climate change spurs tropical mangroves to expand in the north
As mangrove trees lose ground to deforestation and urban sprawl, one development seems to be giving them a boost: climate change. Fewer winter cold snaps have enabled them to conquer new territory around their northern ...
Mangroves expand north as Florida freezes decline
2013-12-31
Mangroves expand north as Florida freezes decline
Mangrove forests have been expanding northward along the Atlantic coast of Florida for the last few decades not because of a general warming trend, but likely because cold snaps there are becoming a thing of the ...
With few hard frosts, tropical mangroves push north
2013-12-31
With few hard frosts, tropical mangroves push north
N Florida coast transformed by extreme weather change, not overall warming
COLLEGE PARK, MD – Cold-sensitive mangrove forests have expanded dramatically along Florida's Atlantic Coast as the frequency of killing frosts ...
Minority physicians care for a majority of underserved patients in the US
2013-12-31
Minority physicians care for a majority of underserved patients in the US
Minority physicians also play a large role in the care of patients with poorer health, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Black, Hispanic and Asian ...
Conversations on sex lacking between doctors and teens
2013-12-31
Conversations on sex lacking between doctors and teens
DURHAM, N.C. – Doctors are missing a prime opportunity to share information about sex with their teenage patients by failing to broach the subject during checkups, according to researchers ...
High good and low bad cholesterol levels are healthy for the brain, too
2013-12-31
High good and low bad cholesterol levels are healthy for the brain, too
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- High levels of "good" cholesterol and low levels of "bad" cholesterol are correlated with lower levels of the amyloid plaque deposition ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
[Press-News.org] Finnish research team reveals how emotions are mapped in the bodyResearchers Aalto University have revealed how emotions are experienced in the body