Categories for emotions can contain information about the likely causes of the emotion, physiological changes that occur with specific emotions, etc. 

Emotion Categories

Psychological constructionist believe that emotions are the result of applying learned categories to our present experiences.

Alma College

Psychological constructionist theories investigate the wide variation of experiences people have for specific emotions. For instance, why do some people report different behaviors when they are happy? 

Psychological Constructionism

The cognitive process by which concepts are sorted into categories. This process structures our experiences and enables us to give them greater personal meaning.

Categorization

Niedenthal, P. M., & Ric, F. (2017). Psychology of Emotion (2nd ed.). Psychology Press.

Psychology of Emotion

Cause of Emotion: Categorization

Core Affect is what constructionist theorists consider to be the innate part of emotion. It is considered to be composed of two parts:
- Valence
- Activation

Core Affect in Constructionist Theories

- Definitional approach
- Family resemblance 
- Prototype approach
- Exemplar approach

Learn Before

Related

Learn After