Dr Disa Sauter, University of Amsterdam

Preparedness for emotions: Evidence for discrete negative and positive emotions from vocal signals

We all have emotions, but where do they come from? Functional accounts of emotion propose that emotions are adaptations which have evolved to help us deal with recurring challenges and opportunities. In this talk, I will present evidence of preparedness from studies of emotional vocalisations like laughs, screams, and sighs. This work suggests that a number of negative and positive emotional states are associated with discrete, innate, and universal vocal signals. A functional approach to emotions should thus abandon the unitary concept of happiness and instead examine discrete positive emotions. I will conclude that the signals, mechanisms, and impairments of emotions are best understood from a functional perspective centred around preparedness.

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Keywords: emotions, language