This Month’s Focus: Rethinking Emotions from a Constructivist Perspective

This month, we explore the constructivist approach to emotions, inspired by the research of neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. Rather than viewing emotions as hardwired reactions, this perspective sees them as experiences our brains construct using past memories, cultural understanding, and bodily sensations. Understanding this process can help us develop greater emotional agility, improve self-awareness, and navigate life’s challenges with more clarity.

Let´s get a bit in the details!

For decades, emotions were seen as automatic, hardwired reactions — universal programs triggered by events. Fear, anger, joy, or sadness were thought to arise the same way in everyone, regardless of culture or context.

Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges this view with her Theory of Constructed Emotion. According to her research, emotions are not pre-programmed reflexes but constructed experiences. Our brain constantly predicts what is happening, drawing on past experiences, cultural knowledge, and bodily sensations. These predictions are then shaped into what we label as “fear,” “joy,” or “anger.”

In this constructivist view, emotions are not something we have but something we make — moment to moment. This means we have far more influence over them than we might think. By broadening our emotional vocabulary, paying attention to body cues, and reframing situations, we can literally change the emotional experience we create.

This approach also explains why emotions can vary so much across cultures and individuals. A racing heart might be labeled as anxiety in one context, excitement in another. The difference lies in the meaning we assign, not in the sensation itself.

Understanding emotions as constructed invites us to be active participants in shaping them — a skill that can strengthen resilience, deepen relationships, and improve decision-making.

Guiding questions to deconstruct your emotions:

- What physical sensations am I noticing right now, and where in my body do I feel them?
- What memories, beliefs, or past experiences might be influencing how I interpret this moment?
- If I used a different label for this feeling, how might my response change?

By unpacking the building blocks of emotions, you open the door to experiencing them with greater clarity and choice.

Additional Resources

These carefully selected interviews offer valuable insights into understanding and managing emotions, anxiety, and stress. They are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional advice.

1. Unlocking Us with Brené Brown – Anxiety, Calm, and Over/Under-Functioning In this episode, Brené Brown explores the patterns of over-functioning and under-functioning during stressful times, and how cultivating calm can help manage anxiety. Listen to the episode on Brené Brown’s website

2. Dr. Susan David – Build Emotional Agility, Avoid Burnout, and the Risks of Toxic Positivity Psychologist Dr. Susan David discusses emotional agility — the ability to navigate thoughts and feelings with curiosity — and how it can protect against burnout while promoting wellbeing. Watch the interview on YouTube

3. Neuroscience and Anxiety – Why Anxiety May Be a Predictive Error in the Brain A leading neuroscientist explains how anxiety can be understood through the brain’s predictive processes, and how reframing this can change our approach to it. Watch the interview on YouTube