Final answer:
In the hierarchical organization of emotions, a negative emotion such as negative affectivity, which includes anger and fear, can affect physical health by increasing the risk of developing heart conditions. This ties into research that suggests emotions can arise without cognitive processing, with fear being a primary example.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of a hierarchical organization of emotions suggests that emotions can be categorized at different levels of specificity, with more complex emotions derived from basic ones. On this basis, if we consider an emotion that is derived from a negative emotion, we might look at concepts such as hostility, negative affectivity, or depression.
These emotional states have been associated with physical health outcomes, like heart disease and hypertension. Negative affectivity, for instance, includes a range of negatively charged emotions such as anger, contempt, disgust, and fear, which can contribute to both the development of hypertension and heart disease. Studies have shown that individuals with higher levels of negative affectivity are more likely to develop these health conditions over time.
The hierarchical approach to emotions aligns with the research conducted by various theorists like Robert Zajonc, who proposed that certain emotions occur independently or prior to cognitive processing. In particular, fear is one emotion that can arise quickly through an immediate path in the brain, without the need for cognitive appraisal, indicating a direct connection between certain negative emotions and physiological responses.