Theories of Emotion
Theories of Emotion
Traditional and contemporary theories of emotion are reviewed in this chapter to highlight their respective strengths and weaknesses. Basic Emotions (BEs) and Higher Cognitive Emotions (HCEs) are described and their purported differences in terms of neurology, physiology and behavioural expression are highlighted. Feeling theories, cognitive (including dimensional appraisal) and social constructionist theories are discussed and objections to them raised. It is suggested that the focus of these theories on the nature of adult emotionality leads to a misconstrual of both the nature and function of the emotions. The chapter concludes in a discussion of types of scaffolding operational in emotional and language development.
Keywords: Basic Emotions, Higher Cognitive Emotions, Scaffolding
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