Emotions are short-term, intense reactions to specific events or stimuli.
Emotional states represent longer-lasting and stable states that may include a set of emotions and a person’s general mood over a certain period.
Emotions can influence emotional states, and a prolonged emotional state can be the result of repeated or intense emotions. For example, a constant feeling of anxiety (emotional state) can arise from frequent experiences of fear (emotion).
1. Emotional states and their characteristics
The physiological bases of emotional states involve complex interactions between the nervous and endocrine systems, various organs, and tissues. Emotions are formed and regulated in the brain, particularly in the limbic system, which includes structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus.
