The Function of Emotions (eBook)

Heather C. Lench, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Department Head in Psychology at Texas A&M University. The underlying premise of her research is that emotional processes are the foundation of behavior and thought. She examines the role of affective reactions and emotions in how people think about the future and what they think will happen to them in the future. She is also investigating when and why particular emotions might improve functioning and decision making.

1              Functional Theory            Heather Lench, Texas A&M University, Department of Psychology           Functional theories of emotion, contrast these theories with different approaches to emotion, coverage of ongoing debates about emotion, lay out questions addressed by the book2              Fear & Anxiety  Rebecca Ferrer, University of Connecticut, National Institutes of Health                How fear and anxiety promote attention and protective behaviors, effects on health behaviors and cognition3              Anger    Jennifer Lerner, Harvard University, Public Policy & Management             How anger promotes motivation and goal-attainment, effects in business and marketing settings4              Sadness               Paul Andrews, McMaster University, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behavior        How sadness and depression promote analysis of complex problems in goal pursuits, effects on well being and cognition.5              Happiness           Justin Storbeck, Queens College, CUNY, Department of Psychology         How happiness promotes processing and attention, effects on relationships and cognition6              Love & Desire    Stephanie Cacioppo, The University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience    How love and desire promote relationship development and goal attainment, effects on well-being and cognition7              Jealousy               Norman Li, Singapore Management University  How jealousy facilitates relationship functioning8              Pride     June Tangney, George Mason University, Department of Psychology     How pride promotes sense of self and identity, effects on social relationships and actions9              Boredom             James Danckert, University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology       How boredom promotes goal seeking and exploration, effects in educational settings and on cognition10           Disgust Debra Lieberman, University of Miami, Department of Psychology           How disgust promotes protection of goals and social groups, effects on moral decisions, cognition, and political choice11           Regret  Marcel Zeelenberg, Tilburg University, Department of Social Psychology               How regret promotes decision making and goal-pursuits, effects on cognition and on economic choices12           Awe       Lani Shiota, Arizona State University, Department of Psychology               How awe promotes self-expansion and pro-social behaviors, effects on relationships and creativity