PDF (PhD Thesis Susan Chipchase) - Nottingham eTheses ...

loved one could block their ability to function in everyday life. Historically,
cognition and emotion have frequently been considered, and studied, as
separate entities. However, modern research suggests that rather than being
separate, cognition and emotion are intertwined and interdependent at both
psychological and neural levels (see Fox, 2008 for a review).
There are different broad frameworks which have been used to study
emotion and which emphasise different components of emotion and describe
different levels of involvement of cognitive processes. In this thesis research
will be discussed which takes a variety of perspectives on emotion, and may
often draw from a variety of these theories to aid in the interpretation of
research findings. Four broad approaches to investigating emotion are briefly
described below:
i) emotions are biologically given: emotional systems have evolved to co-
ordinate various body processes (including motor systems, energy,
physiological reactions & cognitive processes) to solve immediate and
urgent problems (e.g. Ekman, 1992). E.g. if threat is detected the
emotion of fear would facilitate an appropriate flight reaction.
ii) emotions are socially constructed: emotions are culturally learned
behaviours to help define the culture’s values and assist members of the
society in negotiating social roles. E.g. In North European & American
societies where individualism is highly valued, anger is often seen as an
acceptable way of asserting one’s will, whereas in Asian societies
where collectivism is highly valued, it may be seen as unacceptable as
it indicates social disharmony (Kitayama, Markus, & Kurokawa, 2000).
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