Mood Vs Emotion: five factors that delineate the difference between mood and emotion

Article translation: “Mood vs. Emotion: Differences & Traits”

In an excerpt from “The Nature Of Emotion”, Dr. Ekman sets out five factors for discriminating between mood and emotion. Variations in duration, triggering stimulus, modulation, facial expression and awareness of the triggering stimulus are the mainstay of Dr. Ekman’s arguments to better define the difference between mood and emotion.

Humour

In the debate between mood and emotion, moods can be distinguished from emotions in terms of duration and, presumably, also in terms of the neuronal circuits involved that direct and maintain each of these different affective states.
While there is no agreement on how long an emotion lasts, most experts studying the difference between mood and emotion recognise that moods last longer. For Ekman (Ekman, 1984), emotions are short, usually lasting from fractions of a second to minutes at most. Thus, when we talk about an emotion lasting for a long period of time (hours), we are more likely to be summing up emotional events that are nevertheless part of a mood, which remains more or less constant in intensity and with the same characteristics over that period of time. Moods, however, can last for hours, sometimes even days, and can be difficult to remove. It is important to note that if a mood persists for weeks or months, however, it is not a mood, but is more correctly identified as an affective disorder.

Triggering stimulus

Moods seem to have a lower threshold necessary to trigger related emotions. An example can be found in the irritable mood: we get angry more easily than usual.

When in an irritable mood, people perceive the world around them in a way that allows, if not requires, an angry response, as if they were looking for an opportunity to freely express emotion related to their mood.

Modulation of emotions

Emotions and moods are managed differently, especially if an emotion arises during a mood: it becomes much more difficult to regulate and modulate.

Not only can anger during an irritable mood be more intense and less controlled, but it should fade more slowly (last longer).

Facial expressions.

Another characteristic used to discuss the differences between moods and emotions concerns facial expressions. Moods do not possess their own unique prototypical facial expression whereas many emotions do. An irritable mood is inferred when many facial expressions of anger are observed, but there is no distinct facial expression of irritability itself, and this applies to all other moods, emotional personality traits or affective disorders.

Awareness of the triggering stimulus.

For Ekman, most people can specify what triggered an emotion, but are unable to do so for a mood. Triggers can come from the external environment or from memories or images that pop up in our minds. They can also be imagined.