[Your instructor's name]
[The course]
[The date]
The influence made by emotions and senses on understanding cannot be overestimated. I have decided to investigate more into this matter because I believe that such research might enhance my knowledge of the course and improve my perception of the matter in general. I would like to get deeper into the matter since I do not feel totally confident about my grasp pf this issue.
The scholars have performed various researches studying the connection between the empathy and comprehension under different angles of analysis. They study the nature of emotions and senses (Stoffregen and Bardy, 2001; Szigeti, 2013), they examine the influence of the senses on team work (Lee et al., 2013), and finally, there are many research papers dedicated to the influence of senses and emotions on understanding. Such papers are mostly concentrated on children's comprehension processes (Bosacki and Moore, 2004; Carpendale and Lewis, 2004; Greenspan and Leong, 2001; McKenzie, 1994; Žalec, 2012). Whatever the object of the research, all scholars agree upon the invaluable significance of senses and emotions for understanding.
In their article "On specification and the senses," Thomas A. Stoffregen and Benoǐt G. Bardy examine the relations between physical reality and ambient energy arrays (Stoffregen and Bardy, 195). The authors suggest an assumption that there is a series of specific perceptual systems functioning more or less independently from one another (Stoffregen and Bardy, 196). Additionally to the traditional assumptions about the senses, Stoffregen and Bardy suggest distinguishing between the senses on the basis of energy and neurophysiology (Stoffregen and Bardy, 198). The authors discuss three ways of treating the connections between the senses: no specification, modal specification, and independent specification. The "no specification" view is based on the position that there is an obscure relation between physical reality and sensory stimulation (Stoffregen and Bardy, 198). The modal specification is most commonly interpreted by means of the hypothesis of modal specification. It suggests that specificity exists in personal energy arrays (Stoffregen and Bardy, 200-201). The independent specification implies that each aspect of physical reality produces numerous independent frameworks in one or more ambient arrays, each of them being individually specific (Stoffregen and Bardy, 201). The authors thus argue that by approving the hypothesis of separate senses, the modal and the independent specification views acknowledge the existence of input conflict (Stoffregen and Bardy, 202).
As well as the senses, emotions also arouse interest of the scholars who aim at establishing the connection between the latter and the comprehension. In his article "No need to get emotional? Emotions and heuristics," András Szigeti focuses on the connection between emotions and value as one of the key factors of understanding. The scholar examines how emotions secure values and how well accommodated the emotions are for finding out about values (Szigeti, 845). Acknowledging the connection between values and emotions, Szigeti attempts to investigate the epistemic features of this connection. He questions the reliability and trustworthy of the emotional presentations of values (Szigeti, 846).
In order to explain how precisely the emotions latch onto values, Szigeti suggests a "heuristics-model of emotions," which aims at providing the core framework for understanding the epistemic role of emotions regarding the value (Szigeti, 846). Upon this model, Szigeti then shows that emotions can be an essential and effective source of knowledge about value (Szigeti, 846-848). Szigeti concludes his paper by expressing the belief that emotions are not only useful, but in many cases simple indispensable (Szigeti, 860). They, according to Szigeti, can warn us about the conspicuous evaluative aspects of a situation before the reflective assessment begins (Szigeti, 860).
Another research on senses and their importance was performed by Lee, Heere, and Chung. In their article "Which senses matter more? The impact of our senses on team identity and team loyalty," Lee et al. examine the influence of the senses on the sports team identity and loyalty. In the process of their research, Lee et al. came to the conclusion that team identity is positively affected by touch, sound, smell, and sight, whereas team loyalty is positively affected by sight, smell, and touch (Lee et al., 203). Thus, this particular research shows the connection of senses and understanding of the sports players and spectators. The authors of the article emphasize the importance of the consumers' sensory experience for the perception of the value of services and products offered to them (Lee et al., 204). In particular, the research by Lee et al. studies the impact of the senses on team loyalty and team identity, as well as the perception of the sports team performance by the spectators. The authors claim that there is a big potential in the sensory experience while regarding its relation to the team identity (Lee et al., 205). The research by Lee et al. is another proof of the role of senses for better understanding. In this case, the scholars researched the understanding of the people connected to sports on both sides of the performance: the players and the viewers.
While all the previously discussed research papers have for their object of investigation the emotions and senses and their relation to understanding, the most important aspect is, undoubtedly, their cooperation in the process of education. Since education begins at a childhood age, many scholars investigate the understanding process at this particular period of a person's development.
Jeremy I. M. Carpendale and Charlie Lewis examine the contribution of emotions and senses to understanding in their article "Constructing and understanding of mind: The development of children's social understanding within social interaction." The researchers argue that the children's understanding is at a high rate dependent on their experience of the world as well as on their communication with others about that experience (Carpendale and Lewis, 79). The authors remark that the children's knowledge of the physical world, as well as their knowledge of other people, is constructed through communication with the help of emotions and senses. Through interaction the children come to realize that others may have different opinions about the world in which they live (Carpendale and Lewis, 85). At this point, according to Carpendale and Lewis, the senses play their major role: the children realize that in order to understand the ways in which other people and themselves acquire knowledge, they have to use their senses.
Sandra Leanne Bosacki and Chris Moore also investigate the children's understanding in their article "Preschoolers' understanding of simple and complex emotions: links with gender and language." Here we can see the reverse influence: how children understand the emotions. The subject of the study is the connection between emotions and gender behavior (Bosacki and Moore, 659). Bosacki and Moore pay special attention to the "self-conscious" emotions which, according to the researchers, involve the sense of self and the sense of others (Bosacki and Moore, 659-660). The authors emphasize on the importance of children's understanding of labeling emotions and identifying the emotion-eliciting situations together with their reasons and results (Bosacki and Moore, 660). Understanding of emotions, according to Bosacki and Moore, is based on the theories of mental states such as intentions, beliefs, desires, and goals and their connections with obvious behavioral patterns. The authors remark that the children hear direct references to emotions and social interactions in everyday communication (Bosacki and Moore, 660). Thus, Bosacki and Moore suggest, the children's emotion language is probably the reflection of the theory of mind (Bosacki and Moore, 660).
Bosacki and Moore's research showed that the children learn how to use the contextual information from their everyday life to understand how their emotions appear. Additionally, based on their understanding, the children are able to make up explanations for themselves and for others (Bosacki and Moore, 661). The authors remark that by the age of three the children are able to differentiate between the "right" and "wrong" actions. Bosacki and Moore consider this ability to self-standardize one's behavior by comparing it to the existing set of normative codes as an essential part of understanding the social emotions (Bosacki and Moore, 661).
The researchers conclude that the language process is the key factor on the way to understanding emotions (Bosacki and Moore, 661-662). They remark that the development of language and emotions are interdependent and rely on communication with more experienced partners (Bosacki and Moore, 662). Bosacki and Moore emphasize that language competence may affect the children depending on their cultural background and gender (Bosacki and Moore, 662). However, the emotional development of the children proved not to be so gender-specific as might have been expected (Bosacki and Moore, 663).
Specific impact of emotions while dealing with children's reading skills has been the object of investigation of Stanley I. Greenspan and Deborah Leong. In their interview "Learning to read: The role of emotions and play," they explain how crucial the emotions and play are while mastering the skill of reading. That is, once again we can see how emotions influence understanding - here it is the understanding of one of the vital skills. Greenspan emphasizes that the emotional experiences are much more important than pictures or stories while learning how to read (Greenspan and Leong, 43). He remarks that the children need a possibility to communicate with others while learning the new concepts. Greenspan explains that whether a child is taught a complex notion or a simple word, the emotional context is equally important (Greenspan and Leong, 43). Leong also agrees that personal experience is what makes the reading process meaningful. She thus considers the play the most essential preparation for reading. She remarks that the well-organized dramatic play is the best setting for promoting children's cognitive skills (Greenspan and Leong, 43). Leong explains that through play the children develop imagination. Later the imagination helps them to understand the text, in which there are only words, which they are able to interpret by means of fantasy (Greenspan and Leong, 43). Along with imagination, through play the children learn how to differentiate between objects from their real life. The same differentiation, Leong mentions, is needed while reading the text (Greenspan and Leong, 44).
Ellen McKenzie also highly estimates the importance of senses in children's books in her article "Appealing to the senses when writing for children." She says that one does not have to be an expert in psychology or own a huge traveling experience in order to write in a way that the children will find engaging (McKenzie, 22). McKenzie emphasizes the importance of senses in children's literature because the children understand with the help of their own senses. That is, the writer should vividly describe the smells, tastes, sounds, and, of course, pictures (McKenzie, 22). The author remarks that the writer has a double advantage: he has both the memories from his own childhood and the adult insight which helps him understand them (McKenzie, 22). McKenzie concludes that the children mostly percept the stories with their senses and do not tend to put their feelings into words. Thus, she is convinced that while writing for children the writer should first and foremost remember what impressed him as a child, and also try to appeal to the little readers' senses (McKenzie, 22).
Bojan Žalec also dedicated his research to the study of emotions' contribution to understanding. The thesis of his article "Affects and emotions in upbringing and education" is that emotions and affections are extremely essential for a successful learning process. He gives an example that when a student is not involved in the subject emotionally, he is apt to become bored and to experience regress in his studies (Žalec,60). Žalec remarks that in the process of learning the teacher's example is very important since the students look up at him and have him as a role model (Žalec,60). If the teacher practices emotional and effective treatment of his actions and conclusions, the students are more likely to do the same (Žalec,60). Žalec mentions that the importance of emotions in the process of understanding holds true at all stages of learning. He remarks that the aims of learning differ at various stages, but the value of emotions is equally high at each of them (Žalec,61). Žalec is convinced that the emotional illiteracy has a rather bad impact on the students, and that schools quite often neglect the value of emotional literacy (Žalec,64).
Thus, various scholars agree upon the great contribution made by emotions and senses to understanding process. They notice the importance of senses and emotions from the very early age and then at every stage of the person's development. The researchers consider the value of senses and emotions in different aspects of life and interaction.
The research helped me realize the outstanding importance of emotions and senses in understanding. Notwithstanding the age and the status of a person, the numerous investigations have proved that understanding is much better if people employ their senses and emotions. I might have not covered all the aspects in my essay, but after completing it I feel much more aware of the issue that at the beginning. There are many other elements to consider, and now I feel more confident about what to look for on my way to master the matter in the best possible way.
Works cited
Bosacki, Sandra Leanne and Moore, Chris. "Preschoolers' understanding of simple and complex emotions: links with gender and language." Sex Roles 50 (2004): 659-675. Print.
Carpendale, Jeremy I. M. and Lewis, Charlie. "Constructing and understanding of mind: The development of children's social understanding within social interaction." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 27 (2004): 79-151. Print.
Greenspan, Stanley I. and Leong, Deborah. "Learning to read: The role of emotions and play." Scholastic Early Childhood Today16.2 (2001): 43-44. Print.
Lee, Seunghwan, Heere, Bob, and Chung, Kyu-soo. "Which senses matter more? The impact of our senses on team identity and team loyalty." Sport Marketing Quarterly 22.4 (2013): 203-213. Print.
McKenzie, Ellen Kindt. "Appealing to the senses when writing for children." The Writer 107.1 (1994): 21-23. Print.
Stoffregen, Thomas A. and Bardy, Benoǐt G. "On specification and the senses." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 24 (2001): 195-261. Print.
Szigeti, András. "No need to get emotional? Emotions and heuristics." Ethic Theory and Moral Practice 16 (2013): 845-862. Print.
Žalec, Bojan. "Affects and emotions in upbringing and education." Šolsko Polje, 23 (2012): 59-74. Print.
