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Emotional Energy as the Common Denominator of Rational Action

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  • RANDALL COLLINS

    (University of California, Riverside)

Abstract

A solution is proposed to several long-standing problems in the theory of rational social action: emotional or altruistic behavior that escapes cost/benefit calculations; the lack of a common metric among different spheres of action; and naturalistic evidence that choice in real-life situations involves little calculation. Emotional, symbolic, and value-oriented behavior is determined by a social mechanism, the dynamics of interaction rituals (IRs). Because IRs vary in the amount of solidarity they provide, and in their costs of participating, there is a market for ritual participation that shapes the distribution of individual behavior. IRs generate a variable level of emotional energy (EE) in each individual over time, and EE operates as the common denominator in terms of which choices are made among alternative courses of action. Individuals apportion their investments in work and in ritual participation to maximize their overall flow of EE. The economy of participating in interaction rituals shapes individual motivation for participating in the economy of material goods and services. Microsituational cognition is determined by the EE and the cognitive symbols generated by IRs, bringing about the tendency to narrow the range of alternatives that are consciously focused upon in choice situations. Nevertheless, the aggregation of microsituations is subject to interactional markets, which gives individuals a rational trajectory in the medium-run drift of behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Randall Collins, 1993. "Emotional Energy as the Common Denominator of Rational Action," Rationality and Society, , vol. 5(2), pages 203-230, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ratsoc:v:5:y:1993:i:2:p:203-230
    DOI: 10.1177/1043463193005002005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruno S. Frey & Reiner Eichenberger, 1989. "Should Social Scientists Care about Choice Anomalies?," Rationality and Society, , vol. 1(1), pages 101-122, July.
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    2. Damon M. Centola, 2013. "Homophily, networks, and critical mass: Solving the start-up problem in large group collective action," Rationality and Society, , vol. 25(1), pages 3-40, February.
    3. David L. Sallach, 2008. "Modeling Emotional Dynamics: Currency Versus Field," Rationality and Society, , vol. 20(3), pages 343-365, August.
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    5. Chrysanthi Charatsari & Evagelos D. Lioutas & Alex Koutsouris, 2020. "Farmer field schools and the co-creation of knowledge and innovation: the mediating role of social capital," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(4), pages 1139-1154, December.
    6. Jason Wollschleger, 2017. "The rite way: Integrating emotion and rationality in religious participation," Rationality and Society, , vol. 29(2), pages 179-202, May.
    7. Paul Marx, 2019. "Should we study political behaviour as rituals? Towards a general micro theory of politics in everyday life," Rationality and Society, , vol. 31(3), pages 313-336, August.
    8. Joo, Dongoh & Tasci, Asli D.A. & Woosnam, Kyle M. & Maruyama, Naho U. & Hollas, Chadley R. & Aleshinloye, Kayode D., 2018. "Residents' attitude towards domestic tourists explained by contact, emotional solidarity and social distance," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 245-257.
    9. Beckert, Jens, 1999. "Economic Action and Embeddedness: The Problem of the Structure of Action," Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics, Working Paper Series qt6jc6f1q6, Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics of theInstitute for Research on Labor and Employment, UC Berkeley.
    10. Wallis, Joe, 2006. "Evaluating economic theories of NPOs: A survey, a case study and some new directions for socio-economics," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 959-979, December.
    11. Wallis, Joe, 2002. "Drawing on revisionist economics to explain the inspirational dimension of leadership," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 59-74.
    12. Achim Schlüter & Insa Theesfeld, 2010. "The grammar of institutions: The challenge of distinguishing between strategies, norms, and rules," Rationality and Society, , vol. 22(4), pages 445-475, November.
    13. Tiziana Casciaro & Miguel Sousa Lobo, 2015. "Affective Primacy in Intraorganizational Task Networks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(2), pages 373-389, April.
    14. Xiang, Keheng & Huang, Wei-Jue & Gao, Fan & Lai, Qin, 2022. "COVID-19 prevention in hotels: Ritualized host-guest interactions," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    15. Adam Droppe, 2023. "Emotional Ambience in Interaction Rituals: A Conceptional Completion to Emotional Energy," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, September.
    16. Joe Wallis & Syed Rizvi, 2023. "A New Institutional Economic Perspective on Alternative Governance Mechanisms at the Local Government Level," Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, , vol. 35(1), pages 108-127, January.
    17. James D. Hess & Arnold C. Bacigalupo, 2013. "Applying Emotional Intelligence Skills to Leadership and Decision Making in Non-Profit Organizations," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-19, November.

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