ABSTRACT
One of the major reasons for the relative lack of advancement in research on emotion is the fragmentation of the phenomenon. Different groups of experts in psychophysiology, facial expression, or verbal labelling tend to study emotion in a rather piecemeal fashion. Although the very complexity of the methodology used in some domains may explain the need for specialization, the consequence seems to be a serious lack of agreement on the definition of emotion (see Scherer, 1993) and a dearth of collaborative efforts to study different facets of emotional experience and behavior. This chapter represents a plea for research integrating the different facets of affective phenomena. First, I consider the relationship between facial and vocal expression and discuss the major differences between these two modes of externalizing internal states. I then introduce a particular piece of behavior, which I shall call "affect burst," as a prime example of integrated facial/vocal expression. After reviewing some of the relevant literature, I try to identify some of the major research issues and suggest possible approaches for the empirical study of affect bursts.
