Plutchik Reading Questions

Name ______Period ______Date ______

1. The reading presents the following scenario: “For example, let's say that you were approached by a snake (threatening event). You would conclude that you were in danger (cognition), which would cause you to feel fear (emotion). Your fear activates the fight-or-flight response. As a result, you slowly back away from the snake in an attempt to escape (goal-directed behavior).” Using this as a model, create your own scenario with a starting event, cognition, emotion, reaction) goal-directed behavior). You may not use fear as your emotion.

Starting event – you will base this upon the emotion that you select / Cognition – what you are thinking as you experience the starting event / Emotion – Some possible options are happiness, sadness, and anger / Reaction – how you respond to recognizing the emotion

2. Which of Plutchik’s ten postulates (assumptions)would you be most interested in researching and why?

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3. Explain Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. See the figure in your reading assignment.

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4. Why do you think that people may criticize Plutchik? Do you think that Plutchik’s theory applies to people of different genders and different cultures? Why or why not?

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Circle your answer:

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

a. There are 8 basic emotions: fear, joy, surprise, sadness, trust, anger, disgust, and anticipation

b. Emotion plays an important role in issues of survival.

c. Only 4 of the basic emotions have polar opposites.

d. Emotions have a long evolutionary history and involve cognition and behavior.

6. Which of the following postulates is NOT correct?

a. Emotions have evolved over time in order to increase the chances of survival in the environment. For example, trust results in collaboration and sharing between humans.

b. Though there are several types of emotions that are present in different species, there are protype patterns, or common elements, that are identifiable.

c. It is recognized that primary emotions are hypothethical constructs or idealized states which we describe in terms of their particular properties and characteristics. These descriptions can only be inferred based on several kinds of evidence.

d. Animals and humans both experience the same basic emotions in completely different ways.

7. Which of the following statements does not contain the correct pair of polar opposites?

a. Anticipation is the opposite of Surprise

b. Fear is the opposite of Joy

c. None of the options are correct.

d. Disgust is the opposite of Trust