Many people assume that the link between emotion and behavior is
one-way: Emotions shape behavior. You love him, therefore you kiss him.
You hate him, therefore you hit him. This view is incorrect. In fact,
the relationship is reciprocal. Much of the time, behavior actually
shapes emotion.
Ever wonder why so often the actor and actress who play a couple in a
movie fall in love on the set? Multiple processes are involved, to be
sure. Both are usually young and attractive. They have much in common.
They hang around each other a lot. All these are known predictors of
mate selection.
But they also do love scenes together. They
have to act like people who care deeply for each other. They look into
each other's eyes, they touch each other. They act out the behaviors of
love. No wonder the emotion of love often follows.
The
psychologist/philosopher William James was one of the first theorists to
notice this counter-intuitive process. He believed that emotions arise
out of the bodily actions we take in response to what is happening in
our lives. It is not, he theorized, that, "we lose our fortune, are
sorry and weep; we meet a bear, are frightened and run; we are insulted
by a rival and angry and strike." In fact, he argued, "this order of
sequence is incorrect...the more rational statement is that we feel
sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we
tremble."
James argued that without some kind of bodily response (crying,
trembling, striking) we would not feel emotion. "We might then see the
bear, and judge it best to run, receive the insult and deem it right to
strike, but we should not actually feel afraid or angry." While over
simplifying somewhat, he was still onto an essential truth. Behavior can
create emotion.
Recent research in clinical psychology has
shown that the fastest way to change an emotion is to change the
behavior attached to it. The idea itself is not new. For example,
behavioral theorists back in the 70s believed that depression was,
indirectly, a result of inactivity: after many failures and
disappointments, people stopped trying and withdrew from the world;
withdrawal and inactivity, however, decrease the possibility of positive
interactions or experiences, hence isolation and passivity increase,
hence
depression.
Human beings, prone as they are to prefer immediate rewards, often
respond to discomfort by withdrawal and avoidance. Withdrawal and
avoidance reward us in the short run by eliminating discomfort, but they
punish
us in the long run by preventing us from learning how to obtain rewards
in the environment. The correct reaction to failure is not to give up
and shut yourself away, but to learn to act more skillfully and
purposefully so as to reintroduce positive reinforcements into your
life. Behavioral treatment for depression, then, revolves around getting
the client to change behaviors in order to experience a change in
mood-a notion referred to as
behavioral activation.
Behavioral approaches to treating depression were pushed aside somewhat in the 80s by
cognitive
techniques, which focused on altering internal "cognitive distortions"
(catastrophic, pessimistic thoughts) and negative "attributional styles"
(self-punitive habits of assigning meaning to events). However, several
studies in the 90s, showing that a behavioral activation component
alone performed as well as the total cognitive
therapy package for depression, created renewed interest in the earlier ideas.
The
behavioral activation model assumes that depression has to do with the
sufferer's external circumstances, not merely with the sufferer's
internal characteristics. Disorders, in other words, are ‘events in
context.' The behavioral activation model hence represents a
‘contextualist' view of mental illness. Rather than reflecting the
individual's internal genetic or cognitive flaws, disorders are seen as
an interaction between individual characteristics and environmental
conditions.
Small steps for long-term progress
The principle that behavior shapes emotion is applied these
days in the treatment of depression through a technique called ‘activity
planning,' in which clients are asked to reintroduce into their lives
activities that are associated with feelings of achievement and
pleasure. This goes beyond past recommendations to ‘take a walk' or ‘go
out on the town.' Therapists work with clients to look at the specific
behavioral contingencies that exist in their lives, break tasks into
small, easily attained steps, and build chains of reinforcement to
elicit successful behavior in the world. The psychologist acts in a way
that is analogous to the way a physical therapist breaks down movement
into small component parts that can be easily practiced in order to
build strength and flexibility.Being active in the world may
lead to changes in mood through several paths. Physical activity leads
to a feeling of well-being by releasing pain reducing
hormones,
not to mention increasing heart capacity and muscle strength, improving
appearance, etc. Our bodies are built for motion, and they feel good
moving.
Practicing feeling good
Being active in the world also gets you to be around people.
We are social animals, and social interaction has positive effects on
our mood. The single best predictor of human
happiness
is the quality of social relationships. Moreover, activity often
amounts to practice, which improves skill, which improves our ability to
obtain rewards in the environment.The bottom line message is
useful not just for people with depression, but for anyone interested in
maintaining sound mental hygiene. The shortest, most reliable way to
change how you're feeling is to change what you're doing. When you feel
bad, don't wait to feel good to do what you love. Start doing what you
love. Good feelings will likely follow.
Things just seem “off” or “wrong.”
