Affective science

Affective science is the scientific study of emotion.

An increasing interest in emotion can be seen in the behavioral, biological and social sciences. Research over the last two decades suggests that many phenomena, ranging from individual cognitive processing to social and collective behavior, cannot be understood without taking into account affective determinants (i.e. motives, attitudes, moods, and emotions).

Just as the "cognitive revolution" of the 60s spawned the "cognitive sciences" and linked the disciplines studying cognitive functioning from different vantage points, the emerging field of affective science seeks to bring together the disciplines which study the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of affect, in particular psychology, philosophy, economics, political science, law, criminology, psychiatry, neuroscience, education, sociology, ethology, literature, history, and anthropology. The major challenge for this interdisciplinary domain is to integrate research focusing on the same phenomenon, emotion and similar affective processes, starting from different perspectives, theoretical backgrounds, and levels of analysis.

Institution/ Research Center

 * Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences