Meta-emotions and the complexity of human emotional experience

• Published in: New ideas in psychology 2019-12, Vol.55, p.42-49
• Main Authors: Miceli, Maria, Castelfranchi, Cristiano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emotion goal; Emotion regulation; Evaluation; Meta-emotion; Self-values
• ISSN: 0732-118X; 1873-3522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2019.05.001

We suggest that meta-emotions – defined as emotions about one's own emotions – contribute to the complexity of people's psychic life by modifying the intensity and quality of their first-order emotions, and influencing their decisions and behaviour. After addressing similarities and differences between first-order and second-order emotions, and the role played on the latter by emotion goals and evaluations about emotions, we try to show how, by revealing the consequences of emotions, meta-emotions orient people towards, and turn them away from, certain first-order emotions. We also suggest a number of favouring conditions for the elicitation of meta-emotions: the “importance” of the first-order emotion; its perceived unexpectedness; the presence of other people; and the impact of the first-order emotion on the self-image. We finally consider the possible functions of meta-emotions, by pointing to their crucial role in emotion regulation and in fostering coherence with one's own values. •Meta-emotions are here defined as second-order emotions about one's own emotions.•Meta-emotions are produced by one's emotion goals and evaluations about emotions.•Meta-emotions modify one's emotional life, decisions, identity, and behavior.•The elicitation of meta-emotions is favored by a number of conditions.•Meta-emotions foster emotion regulation and consistency with one's own values.