Cues in the brain that trigger emotional decisions are more prevalent than those that trigger logical ones, writes Dr. Robert Sylwester, professor of education at the University of Oregon. As such individuals will more likely ascribe logic to emotions as opposed to the other way around. Because emotions have so much power over logic, negative emotions could dissuade an individual from finding the need for processing new logical information, causing her to to focus on emotional pursuits instead.
Emotions are not trivial, selfish whims; they indicate many different factors. Emotions are actually a collection of reactions to different motivators such as biological, physiological and behavioral needs. Understanding how emotions affect learning requires knowledge of how emotions develop. For example, in a classroom setting, if a child feels unsafe or uncared for, his needs will not be satisfied, which might cause him to react in one of several ways, such as retreating from the lesson or causing disruptions.
Negative emotions can cause feelings of dread, anxiety, nervousness, fear or anger. These emotions may cause a learner to turn away from a lesson entirely or act out in an undesired or even dangerous way. An overstimulated student, such as one who is feeling overly excited or pushed too hard to learn new information, may work carelessly or lack the ability to internalize a lesson. However, not all emotions have negative effects. A child feels happy and enthusiastic about the subject matter will learn better and recall the information more readily in the future.
To best attend to a learner's emotional needs to stimulate his ability to process new information, you must create an environment conducive to learning. This environment should be calming but also contain visual and tactile stimuli that will trigger different parts of the brain and allow the student to connect properly with information. Allow times of brief rest, such as time to converse with classmates or independent study between lessons, so the child doesn't feel pushed too hard, becoming overwhelmed and unable to learn. Biological needs, such as comfortable air temperature and sturdy seating that encourages proper posture, are also important for this environment.