December 5, 2010 8:54 PM
I was wondering how cognitive science includes emotion (and also motivation). There is a standard category for one as a speciality, but not the other. No one specializes in emotional psychology like they do cognitive psychology.
How does one refer to the combination of cognitive factors and others such as emotional factors to refer to a persons whole state of mind?
[update December 5, 2011]
Just found this presentation by Lisa Barrett which states that emotion is largely cognitive, that there are no known brain modules, circuits, or other localizations for individual emotions such as fear or happiness. She makes a pretty strong case for a cognitive approach to emotions. However, I believe she underplays the role of brain chemistry such as neurotransmitters and the endocrine system. For example, the role of testosterone in aggression and oxytocin in trust and nurturing.
The wikipedia now has a fairly good summary of the scientific research into emotions:
Emotion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
cognition and emotion are intertwined in the body, but still partially separate.
for example, there seems to a be two paths taken to comprehend and respond to a new situation. A fast way takes percepts thru primitive circuits and evaluates basic animal concerns - friend or foe, fight or flight, social actions such as grooming, and so on. A second way invokes the cortex and evaluates a second time with more integrative capacity.
the quick way evaluates for certain basics in order to establish a safe and socially normal orientation. slower processes enter the picture and improve the evaluation and guide the faster acting sensory, motor, and somatic processes.
in other words, the brain some preferred ways of organizing its operation. there is moderate macro-organization and specialization for these basic social (and task) operations.