Emotion in Social Life

There are at least five ways in which emotion and social life are related: (i) affective states have an impact on social judgements and social perception; (ii) social contextual factors influence emotional expression and experience; (iii) emotions help to create, maintain and dissolve social relationships; (iv) emotions are communicated to others either intentionally of unintentionally through verbal or nonverbal channels; and (v) emotions serve important social functions. Each of these five links between emotion and social life is addressed by at least one of the chapters published here. By illustrating the significance of the reciprocal relationship between emotion and social life, this volume should encourage theorists and researchers to treat social and cultural variables as central to the study of emotion.