ABSTRACT
Understanding and Differentiating: Expressions of Affect, Internal Feelings, Emotional States and Moods, Primary Emotions, Secondary Emotions, and Background Emotions 214
Expressions of Affect 215 Internal Feelings 215 Emotional States 216 Primary Emotions 217 Secondary Emotions 217 Background Emotions, or Mood 219 Emotions, Mood, and Affect 220
The Appraisal Process 221 Primary Appraisals and Assessment of Threats and Benefits 222 Secondary Appraisals and Responses to Threats 222 The Relationship Between Schemas, Appraisal, Emotions, and Behavior 224
Client Emotional Presentations as Expressions of Schema 227 Conclusion 228 Endnotes 229
Good Will Hunting (Van Sant, 1997) is an Academy Award-winning film about a brilliant young man (Will Hunting, portrayed by Matt Damon) who is unable to handle his emotions, despite his intellectual gifts. Unbelievably talented in mathematics and bestowed with a photographic memory, Will experienced horrible childhood physical abuse at the hands of his father and other foster parents. As a result, under the surface of an easygoing manner (and despite his intellect), he has a seething rage that explodes several times in the film, and leads him into trouble with the law. In addition, he is unable to form close, meaningful relationships with people other than his small group of friends (including Ben Affleck) who seem to be going nowhere in life. Will works as a janitor at MIT and lives a somewhat aimless, beer-soaked, workingclass life in South Boston, seemingly wasting his immense gift for complex, theoretical math.
