Four Kinds of Emotions

          Emotions can be divided into four main categories. The biologically based category is called "adaptive primary emotions"; two more culturally based categories are referred to as "secondary emotions" and "instrumental emotions"; and a final category, in which biological and cultural factors interact, is called "maladaptive primary emotions".

          It is only the experience and expression of adaptive primary emotions that convey biologically adaptive information that aids in problem-solving, unified action, and constructive interaction. Secondary emotional reactions often take the form of defensive coping strategies and are couterproductive in creating change; their expression is, in fact, often problematic...

Instrumental or functional emotions are emotions that serve a primarily interpersonal function and are often referred to as "roles" or "manipulative feelings"; examples are expressing helplessness to gain sympathy or expressing anger to avoid responsiblity...

          Maladaptive primary emotional responses are direct immediate responses to situations, such as fear of heights, in which the biological response has become maladaptive. These come about through a negative learning history in which certain feelings become conditioned to particular stimuli...

Primary emotions, as opposed to secondary reactive and instrumental emotions, are often not fully in awareness... It is "getting in touch" with these feelings that seems to be helpful to therapeutic change. When a woman is able to fully experience the loneliness or fear underlying her aloofness or a man is able to experience without blame the hurt he feels, the couple will melt into genuine intimate contact...

excerpt from: Greenberg & Johnson (1988) Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples.

pdf document: Four Kinds of Emotions