On the Nature, Development, and Functions of Emotions

Abstract

The study of emotions and emotional development has changed dramatically in the past several decades. At the early and middle points of the century, emotional processes were generally seen as secondary or even disruptive aspects of human functioning (e.g., Young, 1943). Today, emotional processes are no longer relegated to the periphery of psychological analysis. Instead, they are seen as central motivators and organizers of cognition, action, social interaction, and development itself (Campos, Campos, & Barrett, 1989; Lewis & Haviland, 1993; Thompson, 1993). However, despite widespread agreement about the importance of emotion in human functioning, the concept of emotion continues to be an elusive one, as Minsky (1985) indicates in the opening quotation. Theorists and researchers differ widely in their approaches to emotion and emotional development. As a result, there is a general lack of clarity with respect to a series of foundational issues: To what do we refer when we speak of emotions? What develops in emotional development? What is the role of developing emotions for individuals and those with whom they interact? Our purpose in organizing this volume was to provide a forum for a systematic examination of these issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives. In posing these questions, we hoped to clarify points of consensus and controversy concerning the nature of emotion and to explore the implications of different approaches for understanding the shapes of emotional development.