Emotion is something experienced as a feeling that guides thinking, perception and action, and also motivates and empowers a person. The American psychologist Carroll Izard also includes interest as the main, that is, “fundamental emotions”. In our article we will talk about the concept, definition, conflict of interest. In addition, we will touch on some other equally important aspects of the category.
Fundamental emotions
In the work of Darwin, as well as some modern scientists, emotions form a group of fundamental units. It is worth noting that in representatives of different cultures they manifest themselves in the same way. Fundamental emotions are provided through innate neural programs. For example, the mechanism for displaying anger involves grinning as a demonstration of readiness to pounce on the enemy, and then bite him. Conversely, some people in an angry state purse their lips and do their best toclench their teeth, as if trying to disguise, soften the manifestations of negative emotions. Facial expressions are designed to replace or hide innate types of emotional expression. It is extremely different among representatives of different segments of the population. Defining the concept of interest as an emotion implies a positive emotional state that contributes to the development of skills and knowledge, as well as the acquisition of knowledge. It also serves as a motivator for learning.
A polysemantic concept. Interest Types
In accordance with the definition of interest indicated above, today it is customary to distinguish the following types of category:
- Property interests must be considered as the main concept that is incorporated into the insurance base.
- Economic interests are nothing more than a category that is used to indicate the incentives for the activities of business entities.
- The definition of social interests implies an emotional attitude towards the life of society or an objectively determined motive for activity. It is interesting to know that the concept of social interest was developed by the Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler. A category, one way or another, lends itself to formation; it cannot remain in a frozen, unchanging state.
- National interests are interpreted as objectively significant tasks and goals of the state as a whole.
- The definition of legal interests implies the presence of a certain connection between a particular subject and a good. Relevantthe provision of the legislation states: the participants of civil relations have a legal interest regarding certain benefits. This means that the subject and the good are elements of legal interest.
- Definition of professional interest assumes a form of manifestation of the need for knowledge, which ensures the orientation of the individual in professional terms. It is about understanding the goals of the activity. In addition, professional interest contributes to familiarization, orientation in relation to new facts, as well as a deeper and more complete reflection of reality.
Definitions of need and interest
It is important to note that the categories of interest and need are closely related. Thus, need should be understood as the need of a person for what is a necessary condition for his existence. Human needs are manifested, first of all, in actions, motives of activity. Among their varieties, it is worth mentioning the following:
- Material (biological, organic), which include the needs for housing, food, clothing, and so on.
- Social, which group includes the need for communication, social recognition and interesting activities.
- Ideal (spiritual, cognitive) are the needs for creative activity, knowledge, creation of beauty, and so on.
The fact is that it is the needs that underlie the definition of interests and inclinations. Interest should be considered an emotional process that has a positive connotation.and refers to the need or desire to find out something new about the object of interest. It should be added that this object, one way or another, is given increased attention. The second definition of interest, which is based not on emotions, but on needs, implies a purposeful attitude of the individual to one or another object that he needs.
Addiction and interest. Classification of interests
The public interest is not so much directed to the objects of need as to the conditions that make these objects available to a greater or lesser extent. We are talking primarily about spiritual and material benefits that ensure the satisfaction of needs. The definition of interests also speaks about the position of different social groups, as well as individuals in society. So, people are aware of them and make them their most important incentives for certain types of activities.
Currently there is more than one classification of the studied category. So, in accordance with the carrier, it is customary to single out group, individual, as well as the interests of society as a whole. According to the criterion of orientation, social, spiritual, economic, political and other interests are distinguished. We have analyzed some of them above.
Be aware that the definitions of interest and propensity are not the same thing. The first concept expresses, first of all, the focus on a specific object. The second is for a specific activity. Not always named categories are combined with each other. Here much dependson the level of accessibility of a particular activity. You need to know that the interests of a person determine the direction of his personality, which largely expresses the nature of the activity, life path, and so on.
Determination of conflict of interest
A conflict of interest should be understood as a situation in which the personal interest of an individual can have a significant impact on the decision-making process and, as a result, harm the public interest (for example, the interests of the organization that is the employer of this person acting as employee). It should be noted that the problem of conflict is considered relevant for both the public sector and private business. It is the normative documentation of corporations, as well as national legislation, that requires the settlement of this conflict in the country.
The maximum significance for society is the problem of the appearance (definition) of a conflict of interest among officials. Federal Law No. 273 “On Combating Corruption” (dated December 25, 2008) considers it as a situation in which the direct or indirect personal interest of a municipal or state employee affects (or may affect) the conscientious performance of his official (official) duties. In addition, here a contradiction appears or may appear between the personal interest of a municipal or state employee and the legitimate interests and rights of citizens, the state, society or organizations, which can harm the legitimate interests and rights of the listed structures. That is why in practice the definition of protection of interests becomes more and more popular. We are talking about administrative, legislative and judicial protection of interests from various kinds of violations.
Interest group - what is it?
The definition of an interest group implies forced or voluntary public associations, specially formed or adapted in order to uphold and satisfy the vital (imperious, vital) significant interests of the individuals included in it, in relations with the rest of society, the state, political institutions and other entities.
In the process of participating in the activities of such groups, people take a step from social activity to political. It should be noted that various interest groups are endowed with a wide variety of resources in order to competently influence the authorities, for example, in the person of certain bodies that make political decisions. Resources can be financial or economic opportunities.
Interest group functionality
Interest groups in modern society perform the following functions:
- Under the articulation of interests, it is customary to consider the transformation of social expectations and emotions, solidarity of citizens, dissatisfaction and certain feelings into specific demands of political significance.
- Aggregation of interests is nothing more than the coordination of private needs, the establishment of a hierarchy between them and the development of group-wide goals based on this. This function involves the selection ofonly the most politically significant demands, but also those that have the highest chances for practical implementation.
- In accordance with the function of informing the groups, they bring information to the management structures about the state of problems in public life, in other words, broadcast public opinion.
- The creation of political elites speaks of the ability to offer their members to carry out certain activities in state bodies, support specific figures in government and other types of structures, and also influence the selection of personnel in relation to persons involved in decision-making.
Biological function of interest
Having fully considered the definition of the interests of the individual, their characteristics, as well as such categories as the group of interests, conflict of interest, need, inclination and protection of interests, it is advisable to move on to the main functions of the central concept. It would be legitimate to note that emotions are a source of energy for this or that behavior. Naturally, by themselves they do not generate energy - a person feeds through the processes of digestion and metabolism. However, emotions form and direct the created energy, develop quite definite and specific tendencies to action, motive. That is why we have the right to consider emotions as a source of energy for behavior.
Management of energy flows is implemented primarily at the biological level. For example,certain emotions are more able to provide blood supply to the muscles that are involved in instrumental activity. As a result of a study related to showing human faces to newborns, it turned out that the orienting reaction of the baby is accompanied by a decrease in the frequency of contractions of the heart muscle. Bradycardia can also affect an adult in the event of a shift in attention caused by the need to collect information from the environment.
Slowing the heart rate seems to help create optimal conditions for receiving sensory data. Thus, a decrease in heart rate in infants is a kind of calming factor. "Physiological rest" is necessary for a newborn for optimal reception and further processing of information, as well as for an adequate response to them. It should be noted that a moderate degree of interest is necessary for energy behavior as well as for continued activity. When working on a long-term project, the individual must be constantly interested in it, otherwise the corresponding case will only cause negative emotions in the person, which will cause an unsatisfactory result.
Functions of interest: motivational and social
Any emotion that arises in a person in the process of life, implements motivational functions that can be classified according to types. The first refers to internal processes that direct a person towards a specific goal or in a specificdirection. The second type is associated primarily with social motivation, in other words, with the process through which the emotional expression of one person motivates the behavior of those interacting with him and those around him.
Any fundamental emotion performs a social function. Interest is no exception. It is worth noting that Adler attributed social interest to one of the main driving forces of human behavior. Man is primarily a social being. For civilization and prosperity, he needs a certain level of social order and organization. That is why every person to a greater or lesser extent is characterized by social interest. The presented function can be most clearly seen in social communication or play.
Conclusion. Interesting research
So, we have fully considered the concept, definition, types and functions of interest. In addition, we analyzed the categories of needs and inclinations, conflict and protection of interests, as well as their respective groups, which, as a rule, pursue political goals. In conclusion, it should be noted that the spontaneous manifestation of the emotion of interest can give a signal about the internal state of a person. Under no circumstances can it be neutral. Such emotion rarely goes unnoticed. When communicating with people, in any case, you somehow react to the manifestations of their emotions, and vice versa. Today, emotional expression plays an essential role in interpersonal communication.
Researchers,who focused on the study of a person’s gaze, found that eye-to-eye gaze indicates an individual’s desire for contact. In some cases, we will talk about intimate relationships. In addition, often a look can serve as a confirmation of the manifestation of an emotion of interest, but it is worth remembering that other emotions (for example, an angry look), as well as certain drives (for example, sexual arousal) are often expressed through the named “tool”. However, in young children, a direct gaze usually indicates only an emotion of interest.
