emocija

Emocija is a term used in several South Slavic languages to denote emotion or feeling. In Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Slovenian, and related languages, it refers to a subjective experience accompanied by physiological arousal and expressive behavior, often in response to external events, thoughts, or memories.

Emocije are typically studied in psychology and neuroscience as complex states comprising subjective experience, cognitive appraisal, physiological changes (such as autonomic nervous system activation), and observable expressions (facial expressions, voice, posture). They can be characterized by valence (positive or negative) and arousal (intensity) and by basic or complex categories such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, pride, guilt, and shame. Theories differ on how emotions arise: basic emotion theories posit a small set of universal emotions; dimensional theories describe emotions along continua of valence and arousal.

An important distinction is between emocija (emotion) and osjećaj (feeling) or raspoloženje (mood) in some languages; emotions tend to be more fleeting and intense, moods longer lasting with less specific triggers.

Neurobiologically, emotions involve brain networks including the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and insula, and neurochemical systems such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. They guide perception, decision making, social interaction, and behavior. Measurement often combines self-report scales, physiological indicators (heart rate, skin conductance), and, in research, neuroimaging.

Applications span psychology, psychotherapy, education, human-computer interaction, and arts. Cultural context shapes how emocija is experienced, interpreted, and expressed, and the vocabulary available in a language.