Emo-Sensory Expression at the Crossroads of Emotion, Sense, and Language: A Case of Color-Emotion Associations

Delving into the close relationship between sense and emotion mingled with language can be of utmost importance in studies related to management of emotions. In this regard, the current study qualitatively attempted to examine to what extent sense-induced emotions can be recognized, labelled, and managed by individuals. To this end, 36 Iranian males and females were asked to participate in interviews on color-emotion associations. Their responses to colors were categorized into positive, negative, and no emotion. The overall results revealed that 10 major themes can account for idiosyncratic variations in expressing color emotions. Culture, age, and education were found to impact individuals’ emo-sensory expressions. In the end, based on the findings of this study, a three-set model of emotion expression was proposed to show the bond between sense, emotion, and language. As a result, a new concept called emo-sensory intelligence was introduced which transcends emotional intelligence (EQ) and sensory intelligence (SQ) by shifting its focus to sense-induced emotions.