Functional Accounts of Emotion

This academic work provides a comprehensive synthesis of contemporary research examining why we have emotions and what purposes they serve across multiple domains. Drawing from diverse disciplines including psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, the book systematically explores how emotions function at levels ranging from individual physiological responses to broader social structures. The volume brings together substantial but previously scattered knowledge about emotion's effects on both the emotional person and those around them, offering readers an integrated perspective on emotional functionality.

What distinguishes this collection is its multi-level analytical approach, examining emotional functions from microscopic biological processes to macroscopic cultural patterns. Researchers and advanced students in affective science will find particular value in the systematic organization of findings across disparate literatures, creating a foundational resource for understanding emotion's adaptive significance. The work's interdisciplinary scope makes it essential reading for anyone seeking to comprehend how emotions operate as functional systems rather than mere subjective experiences.