Adaptive Problems are challenges to our survival and prevent our reproduction (passing along of our genes). The emotions that occur in these situations are thought to help overcome these problems and threats.

Adaptive Problems

Action tendencies are associated with emotions. They help prepare people to perform specific behaviors to help address the potential threat from the environment. 

Action Tendencies

These are innate brain systems that are help push ourselves to act certain ways when dealt with certain situations; essentially, there is an affect program for each basic emotion.  

Affect Programs

Overviews concepts that relate to what causes emotions from an evolutionary perspective such as: 
- Adaptive Problems/Signal Stimuli
- Action Tendencies
- Affect Programs

Alma College

Evolutionary theories suggest discrete modules of emotion developed over time. These emotions have characteristics of good/bad and weak/strong which help perform functions that help facilitate or weaken our chances of survival.

Evolutionary Theories of Emotions

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

Psychology of Emotion

Causes of Emotion from an Evolutionary Perspective

Basic Emotions are innate bodily and neural states that are elicited by signal stimuli. Basic emotions come from a range of stimuli and are often associated with specific adaptive functions. 
There are 6 basic emotions: 
- Anger 
- Disgust
- Fear
- Sadness
- Joy
- Surprise 

Basic Emotions

Functions of emotion for our survival pertain to: 
- Support adaptive action
- Regulate our pursuit of goals
- Promote selective responses
- Function of Facial Expressions

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