Emotions aroused by pictures and literature are aesthetic 'pseudo-emotions' that differ from real emotions and are less fatiguing¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · theoreticalr2·q1
Currency · newest study 1916 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q1 i? An emotion aroused by a presented picture or literary situation is an aesthetic emotion, which Thorndike calls a pseudo-emotion, and does not cause the same strain as an actual emotion. → Henry 1916
q1 i? Reactions of these aesthetic emotions are not nearly so fatiguing as those of real emotions, which should in general be aroused only for the sake of action. → Henry 1916 (2)
Evidence¶
Henry 1916¶
Henry, T. S. (1916). The Education and Control of the Emotions. The Journal of Educational Psychology. https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/
q1 · i? · theoretical · r2
Theoretical argument, attributed to Thorndike, about what happens when art or literature arouses feeling in a child. The article stresses that the presented situation differs from the actual event, so the aroused state is an aesthetic emotion rather than the real one.
"What we actually have in such a case is an aesthetic emotion—what Thorndike calls a "pseudo-emotion"—which does not cause the same strain as an actual emotion."
Henry 1916 (2)¶
Henry, T. S. (1916). The Education and Control of the Emotions. The Journal of Educational Psychology. https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/edu/
q1 · i? · theoretical · r2
Theoretical argument continuing the pseudo-emotion point: aesthetic emotions enrich life while costing less strain than real emotions. The article draws the practical corollary that real emotions should generally be aroused only for the sake of action.
"But these emotions contribute much to the richness of life, and their reactions are not nearly so fatiguing as are those of the real emotions, which, in general, should be aroused only for the sake of action."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Interesting but irrelevant details can impair comprehension and transfer, with effects that vary with the material and the learner — related
- Demanding maximal speed in fatigue tests obscures each individual's normal work rhythm, testing an abnormal psychophysical condition (Yoakum) — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
pseudo-emotion-aesthetic-less-fatiguing |
title |
Emotions aroused by pictures and literature are aesthetic 'pseudo-emotions' that differ from real emotions and are less fatiguing |
description |
Emotions aroused by pictures and literature are aesthetic 'pseudo-emotions' that differ from real emotions and are less fatiguing |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
1916 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-24 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
2 — henry-1916, henry-1916-2 |
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