title: Does language do more than communicate emotion?
abstract: Language can certainly communicate emotions, but growing research suggests that language also helps constitute emotion by cohering sensations into specific perceptions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," etc. The powerful role of language in emotion is predicted by aconstructionistapproach, which suggests that emotions occur when sensations are categorized using emotion category knowledge supported by language. We discuss the accumulating evidence from social cognitive, neuropsychological, cross-cultural, and neuroimaging studies that emotion words go beyond communication to help constitute emotional perceptions, and perhaps even emotional experiences. We look forward to current directions in research on emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and psychotherapy.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lindquist
authors.affiliation: Pomona College.
authors.forename: Ajay B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Satpute
authors.affiliation: Northeastern University.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gendron
keywords: concepts; construction; emotion experience; emotion perception; language