What aspects of human emotions appear to be innate, and what aspects of human emotions appear to be learned? Explain your reasoning.

      Human emotions are quite complex in the ways they express negative or positive reactions to internal and external stimuli. Emotions distinctly affect human motivation, learning, physiological arousal, communication with others, nervous function, and physical acts (List of Human Emotions, 2013). Humation emotions are either innate (primary) or learned (secondary). Human emotions that appear to be innate or primary are anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy. These are innate emotions because they are hardwired into human genes or develop early on due to their survival values. Human facial expressions of emotion are also innate and are hardwired into human genes (ScienceDaily, 2008). Human emotions that appear to be learned or secondary are love, guilt, and shame, embarrassment, helplessness, boredom, distraction, apprehension, acceptance, serenity, interest, and annoyance. These are learned emotions because they are learned through experience, family expressiveness, and over time in the environment, because of certain reactions toward environmental stimuli. Learned emotions seem to be emotion blends of innate emotions.  

Reference

List of Human Emotions. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.listofhumanemotions.com/

Deckers, L. (2010). Motivation: Biological, psychological, and environmental (3rd. ed.). Boston, MA:  Allyn & Bacon.

ScienceDaily. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229080859.htm