Re: [xmca] Emotion at Work

Dear Michael Wolf, my late response will be rather short.
First, compliments for such an interesting and highly academic
research performed in such a seemingly not academic environment. This in
itself is well in Vygotskian spirit. Once in a theatrical response he wrote

"Wherever there is life, excitement is to be found…Just as electricity is
not only present in lightning, but is also present wherever there is a 25
candlepower light bulb. In the same way, poetry and art inhabit not only
grand creations, but also the 16-candle stage of the provinces… [1] (L.S.
Vygotsky, "K zakritiu sezona," *Nash ponedel'nik*, 12 March, 1923, p. 3.)

My association I hope is clear.

There is one field of cognitive activity: New/ Foreign Language learning,
where emotions and learning are so closely interwoven- that I came up with a
concept "motivational-affective complex", which is maybe a sign of giving
up the development of a really comprehensive and theoretically clear model
which would reasonably describe relations among the multiple factors
influencing the dynamics of language learning. If You continue development
of a third generation activity theory of relationship between emotions and
motivation and identity for the purpose of incorporating these into activity
theory, please include language learning.

One more question-remark about your concept of operations.

You write:

"Thus, the action of feeding fish involves many operations of

which the fish culturist is not consciously aware, such as flicking the
wrist to achieve a fanlike

spreading of food particles and perceiving whether fish snap for food. ... .
Among

the conditions shaping an operation are the current state of the action and
the neurological,

biochemical, neuromuscular, and emotional states of the body (Damasio,
1994/2000)."

It seems to me that in this discussion somebody already pointed out
the biologization in your approach. it is just here and in your model you
repeat " Operations in part are unconscious and depend on

bodily states generally and emotional states specifically."

You will agree, that actions transform into operations when they become
routinized and unconscious with practice. Operations are governed by the *
conditions.* The bodily states also may become conditions:

If your hand is tired (or traumatized) you will look for some tool to
perform the operation. If you are angry maybe the movements will reflect
it, but otherwise operations are the least influenced by emotions: external
conditions and procedural automatization are the main factors.

 Sincerely yours Bella Kotik-Friedgut
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Received on Wed Aug 1 10:52 PDT 2007