Relationship Based Education

THE WAY FORWARD John Hendry OAM

The Affect Performance Model

(The impact of emotion on decision making and performance)
Emotions precede and prompt and influence behaviour. Emotions produce movement in the body and change
the body. The body reacts. This occurs nano-seconds before the conscious brain becomes aware of the emotion
and becomes aware by recognising the body changes. We feel emotions first in the body ... our physiological
responses we know for when highly aroused we feel hot (anger), cold (fear), energised (excited), and when placid
(calm or bodily relaxed).
The body adjustments responding to the challenges encountered in the environment show adjustment through
activation of the cardio vascular, skeletomuscular, neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system (ANS). This
link between emotions and bodily states is also reflected in the way we speak of emotions: a young bride getting
married next week may suddenly have “cold feet”, severely disappointed lovers may be “heartbroken”, our
favourite song may send “a shiver down our spine” and a sad song may “bring us to tears”.
These emotional feelings direct our behaviour. The recognition of the “felt states” consciously can help individuals
to voluntarily fine-tune their behaviour to better match the challenges of the environment and the moment (perhaps)
subject to the strength or intensity of the emotion. If the intensity reaches “high arousal” the brain, through the
amygdala, inhibits the conscious regulation of this state and we react rather than consciously act.

Body Maps of Emotion

Body maps show regions where activation increased (warm colours) or
decreased (cool colours) when feeling each emotion.
(PNAS January 14, 2014. Lauri Nummenmaa et al)

© John Hendry 2020

 Relationship Based Education
THE WAY FORWARD John Hendry OAM

The Affect Performance Model

Amygdala Amygdala
High Arousal High Arousal
Operate
Love at your Hate
Happiness best Anger
Rage
Pride
Rational Fear
Ecstacy Disgust
Thinking
Confidence (over) Irritation
Contentment Shame

REACT ACT REACT

(Irrational thinking) (Irrational thinking)

Anxiety
STRESS
PERFORMANCE
CURVE
(Yerkes & Dodson)

+VE BEST HEALTH BALANCE –VE

Emotions IMMUNE SYSTEM Emotions
WORKING WELL
RESTING HEALTH
BALANCE

AUTONOMIC SYMPATHETIC PARASYMPATHETIC SYMPATHETIC

NERVOUS NERVOUS NERVOUS NERVOUS
SYSTEM SYSTEM activated and dominating SYSTEM
(ANS) dominating dominating

Neurotransmitter Cortisol Dopamine Cortisol

enable or inhibit Oxytocin
electrical impulses
(messages)
passing across
synapses in
the brain. All
determined/
selected by
“attitude”.

© John Hendry 2020