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From: norman@cogsci.ucsd.EDU (Donald A Norman-UCSD Cog Sci Dept)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Emotions (was Re: Simulating thinking is NOT like simulating flying)
Keywords: emotion
Message-ID: <75@cogsci.ucsd.EDU>
Date: 3 Feb 90 16:53:17 GMT
Reply-To: norman@cogsci (Donald A Norman-UCSD Cog Sci Dept)
Organization: UC San Diego Department of Cognitive Science
Lines: 31

In article xxx, person YYY  writes:
^
^I propose that emotions are actually vestigial behavior from an earlier
^evolutionary level of cognition.  

Sorry, but the evidence is that emotions are a sign of a HIGHER level of
evolution.  Let me make sure that this old-fashioned view is quickly
eliminated.

Emotional expression plays an extremely important communicative role. Emotional
expressions signify intentions and current state, both of which are essential
for effective communication.

Emotional computation is done primarily through chemical mechanisms, which
provide an extremely effective, broad-band, parallel channel, with surprising
selectivity and speed (well, only surprising to those of us who think
electrical signals superior.  But electrical signals have to be channeled over
neurons, whereas chemicals can be dumped into the brain's ventricles and cover
large areas of the brain rapidly, where the chemical binding mechanisms assure
extreme selectivity.)

Carefully examine animal behavior: the higher species display more emotions
than the lower ones.  Compare the emotionality of a snake and fish with that of
a mammal.  Compare a monkey with a dog.   

And the only organism that seems to display humor is the human.

Don Norman                         	       INTERNET:  dnorman@ucsd.edu
Department of Cognitive Science D-015	       BITNET:    dnorman@ucsd
University of California, San Diego	       AppleLink: dnorman
La Jolla, California 92093 USA                 FAX:       (619) 534-1128