Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions: what is it and what does it show?

A map of emotions that allows us to see the different combinations of emotions.

Emotions are one of the phenomena that has experienced the most ups and downs throughout the history of psychology. Thus, they have experienced moments in which they were a matter of capital importance, and others in which they were barely considered.

Nowadays, emotional life is an object of interest for most professionals dedicated to the study of the mind and behavior, and has been categorized in many different ways.

In this article we will review one of the most brilliant theoretical proposals, the wheel of emotions by Robert Plutchikwhich is not limited to its conceptualization, but also to the approach to their potential interactions.

A deep understanding of this issue can contribute to understanding a part of ourselves that influences almost every aspect of life (decisions, relationships, etc.).

Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions.

The Plutchik's wheel of emotions is composed of eight basic emotions, which relatively common experiences in the experiential stock, more specifically: joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy and joy.More specifically: joy, confidence, fear, surprise, sadness, aversion, anger and anticipation. The author recognized them as dimensions that rarely occur alone, and that can be expressed in varying degrees of intensity.

This last nuance is what gives richness to this theoretical proposal. Plutchik indicated that the emotional states described harbored a certain similarity between them, which made them susceptible to being combined in different ways, culminating in the formation of a more complex feeling. He referred to these overlaps as dyads; and differentiated them as primary, secondary or tertiary (increasingly less frequent and embroidered by affections with a lesser degree of kinship).

We now proceed to approach each of the basic emotions, pointing out their different degrees of intensity and the particular way in which they can intertwine with each other to acquire new and almost infinite nuances.

1. Joy

Joy is a "positive" emotion, which expresses itself as a state of well-being and satisfaction a state of well-being and satisfaction with respect to oneself and/or the general conditions of life.. Its subtlest degree manifests itself as serenity (a regular state of calm, stillness and equilibrium), while its highest degree takes the form of ecstasy (one of the most exalted human experiences of the state of mind and which has even been adopted by mystical texts of different faiths). Its opposite is sadness.

Joy can be combined in many different ways with other basic emotions. Its primary dyads have subtle links with the emotions with which it has a greater affinity: trust and anticipation. In the former it gives rise to love, a feeling of acceptance on which meaningful bonds between human beings are built; while in the latter it engenders optimism, a positive outlook on what time will bring.

Its secondary dyads would be the result of the combination with emotions with which it harbors a greater distance: fear and anger. When merged with fear, it would give rise to guilt, through which a secret feeling of unworthiness would be expressed, which would overshadow a benefit one has been the object of; and with the second, it would result in pride, through which a vacuous exacerbation of one's own position on any issue would be evidenced, in the context of a confrontation with others.

2. Trust

Confidence is an essential emotion for Plutchik, which implies a firm belief that one can be implies a firm belief that one can act without danger of harm or damage.. When attenuated, it takes the form of acceptance, a sincere integration of the facts experienced in the narrative of one's own experience. When inflamed, it becomes admiration, which expresses a total exaltation of the appreciation projected on a person or thing. Its extreme is aversion.

In addition to love, trust tends to combine with fear, being another of its primary dyads. When this happens, it can turn into a state of submission, in which the will of the other is accepted despite sacrificing aspects of one's own freedom. This affection can be the result of bonds in which either of the parties takes deliberate actions to provoke an imbalance, which promotes vulnerability or emotional dependence.

The secondary dyads of trust, which arise from its combination with affections of a greater similarity, concur with surprise and anticipation. In the first case, curiosity takes place, a sort of "rapture" of the attentional focus to increase knowledge about something that is perceived as important; and in the second, conviction emerges, from which the principles that govern thought and behavior are embraced, as well as the values and objectives outlined for life.

3. Fear

Fear is a basic, universal and instinctive reaction; considered as such in practically all the typologies on emotion that have flourished throughout history. In its subtlest degree it is expressed as apprehension (an uncertainty pregnant with pessimistic expectation) and at the highest level it becomes a real terror or dread (a state that usually displays fight or flight behaviors). Fear, an adaptive reaction to threats present in the environment, has anger as its opposite.

The most elementary primary dyad of fear occurs together with surprise, giving rise at that moment to what we know as fright or startle. This reaction constitutes an ominous nuance for an initially neutral affective state (surprise).which is usually suggestive of underlying negative psychic states (such as depression or anxiety), or of the presence of stable personality traits involving susceptibility to distress (such as high neuroticism).

As for its secondary dyads, the one that occurs as a result of its coexistence with sadness stands out: despair.. This state is one of the most critical for any human being, since it implies a subjective feeling of loss of control and helplessness, the maintenance of which is an important risk factor for major depression. There are multiple clinical and research evidences about it.

Finally, fear can be intermingled with emotions other than those mentioned above, in particular with aversion and anticipation. The result would be shame (perceived fear of rejection as inadequate) and anxiety (concern about a threat that is located at an undefined and ambiguous point in the future), respectively. Both are common, and the potential cause of profound suffering.

4. Surprise

Surprise is an emotion whose nature tends to be considered as neutral, and which It is a reaction to changing and unpredictable circumstances that are located in the immediate environment.. According to its degree, the mildest would be distraction, a state of slight attentional retention; and the most intense would be astonishment, which implies an absolute projection of consciousness before a subjectively overwhelming event (for better or worse). The opposite of surprise would be anticipation.

With regard to primary dyads, those that occur more frequently when joined to other emotions, the one that occurs with sadness stands out. This affective overlapping translates into disappointment, which arises when we become aware of a negative and unforeseen result that contrasts with the initially favorable expectations, on which hope had been placed.

Surprise can also coexist with joy (shaping delight) and with anger (shaping indignation), resulting in diametrically opposed products. Delight is the result of receiving positive news about which one had no knowledge. about which one had no knowledge, which promotes existential rejoicing, while indignation implies a state of offense at adverse circumstances that have abruptly erupted. The latter case is common in interpersonal relationships, and a common cause for confrontation.

5. Sadness

Sadness is an emotional response that depends on the loss, which is expressed as anxiety and allows us to obtain social support from the activation of the mirror neurons of those who observe it. is expressed as anxiety and allows us to obtain social support through the activation of the mirror neurons of those who observe it.. The mildest degree is isolation, a tendency to withdraw from shared activities; and the most severe is depression, the result of small cumulative losses that exacerbate the original grief. The emotion that acts as its reverse is joy.

As for its frequent combinations, or primary dyads, the one with aversion stands out. The confluence of both implies remorse, a state of intimate discomfort that arises when faced with behaviors that we consider inappropriate due to the impact they could have had on others. When allied with surprise, disapproval emerges, which suggests a disagreement with respect to the ideas or acts of others, which are opposed to the fundamental principles or values that govern our life.

In this deep emotional canvas, sadness can also coexist with anger. In this case, the resulting product is envy, from which we project our shortcomings onto another person in a hurtful way. project in a hurtful way our shortcomings onto another person, in whom we perceive what we believe to be our shortcomings.In this case the resulting product is envy, from which we project our shortcomings in a hurtful way on another person, in whom we perceive what we think we lack. In some cases it can promote actions aimed at damaging their status or impairing their worth.

6. Aversion

Aversion is an emotion suggestive of rejection, and of a crude and deliberate will to avoid. In its tenuous limits it is expressed as boredom (or evident absence of interest), while in the most intense ones it becomes disgust or abhorrence. The latter translates into a stubborn determination to keep a physical or psychological distance from the patient. maintain a physical or psychological distance from an element that is judged to be undesirable.. Its opposite pole is trust, which stimulates approximation.

The most common mixture of aversion, or primary dyad, is with anger.. Under this premise, rejection is accompanied by an obvious hostile attitude, which is called contempt. It is an emotional state responsible for some of the main problems facing our society, which hide in their depths a certain shade of fear. Examples include xenophobia and other forms of hatred.

As for secondary dyads, which occur much less frequently, the combinations of aversion with surprise and anticipation are noteworthy. In the first case, results in an experience of disgust (reaction of extreme disgust as a result of the irruption of an event that would be avoided under normal conditions) and in the second case, cynicism (through which a succession of acts on which there is a broad consensus of rejection, but based on lies and premeditated hypocrisy, are displayed on the stage of social interactions).

7. Anger

Anger is a state that arises as a direct response to an affront, especially when it is attributed to the clear will of a third party, this being a perceptual element of great relevance for its appearance. In its mildest form it takes the form of a simple anger (disagreement with respect to another person in his words or manners) and in the most extreme it becomes fury (under which impulsive acts are often carried out). The specular affect, in this case, is fear.

The most common dyad of anger occurs when it interferes with anticipation, resulting in malice aforethought.. This involves acts of violence that are carefully planned, involving a thoughtful process of preparation and a high degree of sophistication. In many countries, Blood crimes carried out under the umbrella of premeditation tend to be considered extremely cruel, and the harshest penalties are reserved for them.

As for the tertiary dyads of anger, the one that arises from the intersection with trust stands out fundamentally. In this case, a state of domination takes place, which is the complete opposite of submission, and which serves as a vehicle to bend the will of another person under the protection of the bond established with him or her (hierarchy). Domination usually resorts to authoritarian leadership styles that constrain individuality.

8. Anticipation

Anticipation is the reverse of surprise, that is, the articulation of clear expectations about the course of the future. The lowest profile of this emotion is interest.which implies a moderate degree of attraction towards a particular object or stimulus, and the highest profile is vigilance (a superlative level of attentional focus, which also lasts for long periods of time and consumes many cognitive resources).

The most common dyad of anticipation occurs when it interacts simultaneously with sadness, giving rise to pessimism. In this case, the expectation is tinged with a negative hue, darkening the path on which life will take place. It is a frequent emotional state in major depression, and also in other psychological disorders.

The complexity of the inner life

As can be seen, the inner life is deep and very diverse. Human beings can experience several things at the same time and, in fact, this is our natural state.. Knowing the possible combinations of primary emotions and their translation into subjective terms is essential to learn how to identify, discriminate and manage what is going on inside us. That is, to have an adequate emotional intelligence.

Bibliographical references:

• Manshad, M. and Petrovich, A. (2019). Summarizing Emotions from Text Using Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions. Advances in Intelligent System Research, 166, pp. 291 - 294.
• Plutchik, R. (2001). The Nature of Emotions. American Scientist, 89(4), pp. 344 - 350.