The Cognitive Structure
of Emotions
ANDREW ORTONY
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
GERALD L. CLORE
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ALLAN COLLINS
Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, Inc.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Contents
Preface
1
page ix
Introduction
The Study of Emotion
Types of Evidence for Theories of Emotion
Some Goals for a Theory of the Cognitive Structure of Emotions
Summary
2 The Structure of the Theory
The Organization of Emotion Types
Basic Emotions
Some Implications of the Emotions-as-valenced-reactions
Summary
Claim
1
3
8
12
14
15
18
25
29
33
3 The Cognitive Psychology of Appraisal
The Appraisal Structure
Central Intensity Variables
Summary
34
34
48
58
4 Factors Affecting the Intensity of Emotions
Global Variables
Locol Variables
Variable-values, Variable-weights, and Emotion Thresholds
Summary
59
60
68
81
83
5 Reactions to Events: I
The Well-being Emotions
Loss Emotions and Fine-grained Analyses
The Fortunes-of-others Emotions
Self-pity and Related States
Summary
VII
85
85
90
92
106
107
Contents
Vlll
6
Reactions to Events: II
The Prospect-based Emotions
Shock and Pleasant Surprise
Some Interrelationships Among Prospect-based Emotions
Suspense, Resignation, Hopelessness, and Other Related States
Summary
109
109
125
127
131
132
7
Reactions to Agents
The Attribution Emotions
Gratitude, Anger, and Some Other Compound Emotions
Summary
134
134
146
154
8
Reactions to Objects
The Attraction Emotions
Fine-grained Analyses and Emotion Sequences
Summary
156
156
167
171
9 The Boundaries of the Theory
Emotion Words and Cross-cultural Issues
Emotion Experiences and Unconscious Emotions
Coping and the Function of Emotions
Computational Tractability
Summary
172
172
176
178
181
190
References
Author Index
Subject Index
193
201
204