ABSTRACT
H istorically, most writers and philosophers have assumed that it is the unique human capacity for reason and rational thought that makes us truly human. Affect and emotion were traditionally relegated to a sub-sidiary role, as inferior, more primitive, and invasive response systems. Yet affect lies at the heart of most of the things that really concern us in our daily lives. How much do I love my partner and how much does he or she love me? Why do I feel envious of my high-flying colleague? How can I be less anxious in social situa-tions? How can I control my anger? Why do I think so ineffectively when I am upset? How could I become a happier person? Questions such as these are of enduring concern to most of us, yet reason alone rarely leads to satisfactory answers. A better understanding of the role of affect in social thinking and behav-ior is arguably one of the most important tasks for psychology. This book aims to review the most important empirical and theoretical developments in recent social psychological research on affect and social life.
