Emotions define our daily experiences, but scientists have often debated how many distinct states actually exist. A 2017 study aimed to bring clarity to this by mapping 27 different categories of human feeling.
This quiz asks about research methods, brain structures, and the classification of emotional states. You will see questions about the UC Berkeley findings and how modern science differentiates nuanced feelings like fear from horror.
After you finish, check out our trivia on horror films, movie scores, or acting styles.
In a 2017 study by Cowen and Keltner identifying 27 distinct categories of emotion, which of these was included as a primary category?
Exhaustion
Exhaustion
Admiration
Admiration
Hunger
Hunger
Apathy
Apathy
In what year did researchers at UC Berkeley publish the major study mapping 27 distinct emotional states?
2018
2018
2015
2015
2016
2016
2017
2017
Which scientist led the research team that utilized a multidimensional scaling approach to map the 27 identified emotional states?
Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman
Alan Cowen
Alan Cowen
Antonio Damasio
Antonio Damasio
Paul Ekman
Paul Ekman
Which of the following sets of emotions were part of the 27 categories identified in the Berkeley study?
Nostalgia, Romance, and Boredom
Nostalgia, Romance, and Boredom
Colorblindness, Vertigo, and Tinnitus
Colorblindness, Vertigo, and Tinnitus
Logic, Syntax, and Grammar
Logic, Syntax, and Grammar
Hunger, Fatigue, and Thirst
Hunger, Fatigue, and Thirst
According to the modern mapping of 27 emotions, how do these states relate to one another within the brain’s internal design?
They function as binary switches in the brain
They function as binary switches in the brain
They are entirely independent of physiological responses
They are entirely independent of physiological responses
They occupy a smooth, high-dimensional space with gradients between them
They occupy a smooth, high-dimensional space with gradients between them
They are strictly limited to six basic categories
They are strictly limited to six basic categories
In the context of psychological brain design, what is ‘appraisal’ often considered?
An abstract thought process that precedes emotional expression
An abstract thought process that precedes emotional expression
A method of measuring heart rate variability alongside emotion
A method of measuring heart rate variability alongside emotion
A survey given to psychologists about clinical diagnosis
A survey given to psychologists about clinical diagnosis
A standard visual test for emotional recognition
A standard visual test for emotional recognition
Which region of the brain is most associated with the executive function and abstract thought necessary to process complex emotions?
The Prefrontal Cortex
The Prefrontal Cortex
The Cerebellum
The Cerebellum
The Hippocampus
The Hippocampus
The Amygdala
The Amygdala
How many ‘basic’ emotions—such as happiness, sadness, and fear—did Paul Ekman’s earlier, influential theory propose?
6
6
4
4
7
7
5
5
What term describes the ability to identify and label specific, nuanced emotional states, fitting into the 27-emotion framework?
Sensory perception
Sensory perception
Language acquisition
Language acquisition
Motor control
Motor control
Emotional granularity
Emotional granularity
What is the primary scientific purpose for expanding the number of categorized emotions beyond the traditional six?
To replace the need for psychiatric medication
To replace the need for psychiatric medication
To categorize all human personality types
To categorize all human personality types
To demonstrate the vast, nuanced range of human affective experience compared to simple models
To demonstrate the vast, nuanced range of human affective experience compared to simple models
To explain how we survive threats
To explain how we survive threats
Which brain structure is often referred to as the ‘hub’ for interoception, assisting in the physiological sensation of emotions?
The visual cortex
The visual cortex
The insula
The insula
The somatic nervous system
The somatic nervous system
The auditory cortex
The auditory cortex
How was the data for the 27-emotion study primarily gathered?
A measurement of intelligence quotient only
A measurement of intelligence quotient only
The study of dreams and sleep architecture
The study of dreams and sleep architecture
A psychological test developed in the 1920s
A psychological test developed in the 1920s
Subjective experience during a specific stimulus reaction
Subjective experience during a specific stimulus reaction
What additional factor, often debated by psychologists, did the Berkeley study attempt to validate regarding these 27 states across different groups of participants?
The impact of diet on emotional stability
The impact of diet on emotional stability
The genetic markers for happiness
The genetic markers for happiness
Reaction times in language translation
Reaction times in language translation
Cultural universality of the 27 states
Cultural universality of the 27 states
Which scientific framework suggests that feelings are constructed in the brain in the moment, rather than being inherited as hard-wired biological reactions?
Behavioral determinism
Behavioral determinism
Psychological constructionism
Psychological constructionism
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning
Biological essentialism
Biological essentialism
What dimensionality reduction technique did the UC Berkeley researchers use to visualize the 27 emotions on a two-dimensional map?
Linear discriminant analysis (LDA)
Linear discriminant analysis (LDA)
t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE)
t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE)
Principal component analysis (PCA)
Principal component analysis (PCA)
Independent component analysis (ICA)
Independent component analysis (ICA)
Which of these is one of the categories included in the 27-emotion model?
Aesthetic appreciation
Aesthetic appreciation
Shame
Shame
Pride
Pride
Jealousy
Jealousy
How does the modern view of human emotional ‘brain design’ differ from older, behaviorist models?
It claims that geography dictates emotional range
It claims that geography dictates emotional range
It emphasizes how cognitive interpretation affects feeling
It emphasizes how cognitive interpretation affects feeling
It denies the existence of complex emotions
It denies the existence of complex emotions
It focuses entirely on unconscious physical impulse
It focuses entirely on unconscious physical impulse
In psychological models of emotional sequencing, what is the generally accepted progression for an emotion to fully form?
Stimulus, appraisal, physiological reaction, feeling, expression
Stimulus, appraisal, physiological reaction, feeling, expression
Decision, logic, memory, impulse
Decision, logic, memory, impulse
Reaction, memory, physical sensation, word association
Reaction, memory, physical sensation, word association
Appraisal, biological reaction, logical deduction, acting
Appraisal, biological reaction, logical deduction, acting
How did the 2017 study clarify the relationship between discrete emotions?
The 27 categories represent discrete, separate biological hard-drives
The 27 categories represent discrete, separate biological hard-drives
Only five of the 27 are scientifically proven as biological realities
Only five of the 27 are scientifically proven as biological realities
There is no relation between them
There is no relation between them
They exist on a spectrum where feelings bleed into one another and overlap
They exist on a spectrum where feelings bleed into one another and overlap
What is the function of the thalamus in the sequence of emotional processing?
Primary metabolism control
Primary metabolism control
Memory consolidation for emotional events
Memory consolidation for emotional events
Automatic reflex regulation
Automatic reflex regulation
Relaying sensory input to the cortex and amygdala
Relaying sensory input to the cortex and amygdala
What does the 27-emotion model suggest about the distinction between related states like fear and horror?
Fear is the only emotion that influences behavior
Fear is the only emotion that influences behavior
Anxiety, horror, and fear are the same status
Anxiety, horror, and fear are the same status
Distinctions exist between levels of horror and simple fear
Distinctions exist between levels of horror and simple fear
Anxiety is considered a primitive, not a complex, emotion
Anxiety is considered a primitive, not a complex, emotion
What primary tool was used to verify that the subjects were experiencing the intended emotional states during the 2017 research?
Personality stability scores
Personality stability scores
Social media interaction metrics
Social media interaction metrics
Self-reported experiences while viewing video clips designed to elicit responses
Self-reported experiences while viewing video clips designed to elicit responses
Laboratory shock testing
Laboratory shock testing
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