The enduring basis of emotional episodes: Towards a capacious overview

Abstract

It matters for affective computing to have a framework that brings key points about human emotion to mind in an orderly way. A natural option builds on the ancient view that overt emotion arises from interactions between rational awareness and systems of a different type whose functions are ongoing, but not obvious. Key ideas from modern research can be incorporated by assuming that the latter do five broad kinds of work: evaluating states of affairs; preparing us to act accordingly; learning from significant conjunctions; interrupting conscious processes if need be; and aligning us with other people. Multiple structures act as interfaces between those systems and rational awareness. Emotional feelings inform conscious awareness of what they are doing, and emotion words split the space of their activity into discrete regions. The picture is not ideal, but it offers a substantial organising device.