Functional accounts of emotion

A functional account of emotions posits that emotions facilitate adaptive responses to environmental challenges. Under such accounts, emotions can manifest in maladaptive feelings and behaviors, but they are largely beneficial insofar as they inform and prepare individuals to respond to challenges. For example, emotions structure relationships by facilitating bonding that promotes survival. The expression of emotions can coordinate group behavior, thus promoting cooperation and collaboration. In order to identify the primary functions of each emotion, researchers investigate its intrapersonal functions, or how emotions at the level of the individual help an individual navigate their surroundings. In terms of how emotions help navigate and respond to their environments, researchers typically document the physiological changes, subjective motivations, and behavioral motivations associated with different emotions. Given emotional responses and behavior, researchers describe the intrapal function of specific emotions in terms of their specific behavior and how they affect individuals. The goal of a functional accounts of emotions is to describe why humans have specific emotions, rather than to explain what exactly constitutes an emotion. The events that elicit specific emotions and the behavioral manifestations of those emotions can vary significantly based on individual and cultural context.