Overview

In this landmark work, Richard Lazarus -- one of the world's foremost authorities -- offers a comprehensive treatment of the psychology of emotion, its role in adaptation, and the issues that must be addressed to understand it. The work provides a complete theory of emotional processes, explaining how different emotions are elicited and expressed, and how the emotional range of individuals develops over their lifetime. The author's approach puts emotion in a central role as a complex, patterned, organic reaction to both daily events and long-term efforts on the part of the individual to survive, flourish, and achieve. In his view, emotions cannot be divorced from other functions--whether biological, social, or cognitive--and express the intimate, personal meaning of what individuals experience. As coping and adapting processes, they are seen as part of the ongoing effort to monitor changes, stimuli, and stresses arising from the environment. After defining emotion and discussing issues of classification and measurement, Lazarus turns to the topics of motivation, cognition, and causality as key concepts in this theory. Next he looks at individual emotions, both negative and positive, and examines their development in terms of social influences and individual events. Finally, he considers the long-term consequences of emotion on physical health and well-being, and the treatment and prevention of emotional dysfunction. The book draws together the relevant research from a wide variety of sources, and distills the author's pioneering work in the field over the last forty years. As a comprehensive treatment of the emotions, the book will interest students, clinicians, and researchers involved in personality, social and clinical psychology, as well as cognitive and developmental psychology. It may also be used as a supplemental textbook in courses on the psychology of adjustment, emotion, and feeling.

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9780195092660

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Reviews

"""This volume is certainly the magnum opus of Lazarus' distinguished career. His landmark investigations and formulations of cognition, emotion, and motivation provide a much needed framework for social, abnormal, and clinical psychology. I have personally learned a great deal from reading this volume and recommend it to my colleagues."" --Aaron T. Beck, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania ""The book is a masterpiece. Novel and well-written, it contains the most thorough and thoughtful treatment of emotion presented by anyone anywhere. The concept of core relational themes is a major breakthrough in our understanding of the generation of affect. Especially important are the treatment of unconscious processes in emotion, and the discussion of the development of cognition-emotion relationships. The book is must reading for basic researcher and clinician alike."" --Joseph J. Campos, Ph.D., Director of Institute of Human Development, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley ""Another landmark work from the country's leading stress and coping researcher. Emotion and Adaptation is a must read by every emotion researcher. It will encourage some and irritate others, but all will find it thought-provoking."" --Shelley E. Taylor, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles ""Boldly original and insightful, this new comprehensive and controversial theory of emotion will challenge and inform the field. Beautifully written, this book is essential for students and scientists alike, for practitioners and researchers in fields as diverse as social, cognitive, developmental, personality and health psychology, as well as practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, and social work."" --Paul Ekman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of California, San Francisco ""Lazarus' book sets forth compellingly the rich results and theoretical conclusions that come from a lifetime of research on emotion. The outlines of his 'cognitive-motivational-relational' theories are broad and sweeping, yet the detailed findings on which his views are based provide a stunning rationale for those views. It has been Lazarus' achievement to discern with remarkable acumen the interaction between cognition, motivation and cultural transactions in giving shape to our emotional lives. His espousal of concepts like appraisal and 'meaning-making' has changed the way psychologists look at emotion."" --Jerome Bruner, Ph. D., Research Professor of Psychology, New York University ""This latest contribution by one of our most seminal scholars addresses the formidable task of reintegrating emotion into our conceptualization of human adaptation. The results, in this volume, are remarkable. Emotion and Adaptation is both far ranging in scope and manifests the depth of Lazarus' scholarship. His reasoning is clear, the material well documented and appropriately illustrated. Equally impressive is the simplicity and even humor of his writing style. This is an edifying and important work. It will have a significant impact on our thinking."" --Carl Eisdorfer, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychology, University of Miami ""Thoughtful, scholarly, provocative, with many theoretical and practical implications. A 'magnum opus' from the pen of a distinguished psychologist."" --Donald Meichenbaum, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo ""As someone who has studied the field of emotions for over 20 years, I believe that this is the best book on emotions yet published in the field of psychology. It is must reading for any professional interested in the topic."" --Dr. Edwin A. Locke, University of Maryland ""An outstanding contribution from one of the foremost authorities on the psychology of emotions. . . .The author deals deftly with the complex task of attempting to define, classify and measure emotions. . . .Highly recommended."" --The Newsletter of the American Institute of Stress ""All in all, Lazarus has something to say about cognition and emotion, says it lucidly and with warmth, and tips us off to where the focal research should be."" --Contemporary Sociology ""A masterful review of an extensive literature which achieves some degree of coherence in Lazarus' hands. . . .Should provide a stimulus to research for many years to come."" --Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease ""This is a must-have book for academic libraries."" --Choice ""Truly magnificent. Lazarus presents a very carefully reasoned, penetrating perspective of the emotional process. . . . thoroughly enjoyable and required reading not only for other research investigators but for the wider audience of health practitioners."" --American Journal of Psychiatry ""A privilege to read. Lazarus has consistently been both thorough and interesting in the psychological questions he has addressed. He has dealth with important issues. Reading this book is a little like uncorking a fine wine which was laid down some years ago."" --The Psychologist ""The scholarship and integrative thought represented in the volume are highly admirable. Even emotion researchers who are close followers of Lazarus' long and productiove career those who are significantly influenced by his work are likely to learn something new from his insightful treatment of the broad set of topics that he correctly considers as relevant to the domain of emotion. Lazarus is innovative and provocative in attemoting to make his theory relational. He is quite convincing in marshalling evidence and arguments. The book is a monumental and elegent piece of work. It is replete with astute observations and insights gained from a long and productive career of research and scholarship. I feel better informed for having read this book."" --Contemporary Psychology ""Addresses a broad readership interested in emotion. . . . illustrated with episodes taken from novels and with anecdotes presented in the narrative. . . . inspiring. . . . arouses great interest."" --European Journal of Cognitive Psychology ""Pleasant and easy reading. The theory is one of the major theories of emotion of this moment. The book as such is the currently richest, most extensive and most informative of discussions of the emotion domain. It is the mature fruit of a lifetime of reflection, worth reading for those who want an understanding of the cognitive approach to emotions."" --Nico H. Frijda (University of Amsterdam), Cognition and Emotion ""The unique combination of a comprehensive theory with detailed descriptions of specific phenomena makes these books extremely valuable for anyone interested in emotions. Not only the quality, but the scope of [the] book is immense . . . holds over 500 exciting pages which can be easily read by every intelligent reader. . . . a,png the very few books which make you wonder whether anyone should write another book on this issue. . . . original and brilliant. . . . masterpiece. . . should be read by everyone who wants to gain some understanding of emotions."" --Aaron Ben-Ze'ev (University of Haifa), History of European Ideas"

This volume is certainly the magnum opus of Lazarus' distinguished career. His landmark investigations and formulations of cognition, emotion, and motivation provide a much needed framework for social, abnormal, and clinical psychology. I have personally learned a great deal from reading this volume and recommend it to my colleagues. --Aaron T. Beck, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania The book is a masterpiece. Novel and well-written, it contains the most thorough and thoughtful treatment of emotion presented by anyone anywhere. The concept of core relational themes is a major breakthrough in our understanding of the generation of affect. Especially important are the treatment of unconscious processes in emotion, and the discussion of the development of cognition-emotion relationships. The book is must reading for basic researcher and clinician alike. --Joseph J. Campos, Ph.D., Director of Institute of Human Development, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley Another landmark work from the country's leading stress and coping researcher. Emotion and Adaptation is a must read by every emotion researcher. It will encourage some and irritate others, but all will find it thought-provoking. --Shelley E. Taylor, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles Boldly original and insightful, this new comprehensive and controversial theory of emotion will challenge and inform the field. Beautifully written, this book is essential for students and scientists alike, for practitioners and researchers in fields as diverse as social, cognitive, developmental, personality and health psychology, as well as practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, and social work. --Paul Ekman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of California, San Francisco Lazarus' book sets forth compellingly the rich results and theoretical conclusions that come from a lifetime of research on emotion. The outlines of his 'cognitive-motivational-relational' theories are broad and sweeping, yet the detailed findings on which his views are based provide a stunning rationale for those views. It has been Lazarus' achievement to discern with remarkable acumen the interaction between cognition, motivation and cultural transactions in giving shape to our emotional lives. His espousal of concepts like appraisal and 'meaning-making' has changed the way psychologists look at emotion. --Jerome Bruner, Ph. D., Research Professor of Psychology, New York University This latest contribution by one of our most seminal scholars addresses the formidable task of reintegrating emotion into our conceptualization of human adaptation. The results, in this volume, are remarkable. Emotion and Adaptation is both far ranging in scope and manifests the depth of Lazarus' scholarship. His reasoning is clear, the material well documented and appropriately illustrated. Equally impressive is the simplicity and even humor of his writing style. This is an edifying and important work. It will have a significant impact on our thinking. --Carl Eisdorfer, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychology, University of Miami Thoughtful, scholarly, provocative, with many theoretical and practical implications. A 'magnum opus' from the pen of a distinguished psychologist. --Donald Meichenbaum, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo As someone who has studied the field of emotions for over 20 years, I believe that this is the best book on emotions yet published in the field of psychology. It is must reading for any professional interested in the topic. --Dr. Edwin A. Locke, University of Maryland An outstanding contribution from one of the foremost authorities on the psychology of emotions. . . .The author deals deftly with the complex task of attempting to define, classify and measure emotions. . . .Highly recommended. --The Newsletter of the American Institute of Stress All in all, Lazarus has something to say about cognition and emotion, says it lucidly and with warmth, and tips us off to where the focal research should be. --Contemporary Sociology A masterful review of an extensive literature which achieves some degree of coherence in Lazarus' hands. . . .Should provide a stimulus to research for many years to come. --Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease This is a must-have book for academic libraries. --Choice Truly magnificent. Lazarus presents a very carefully reasoned, penetrating perspective of the emotional process. . . . thoroughly enjoyable and required reading not only for other research investigators but for the wider audience of health practitioners. --American Journal of Psychiatry A privilege to read. Lazarus has consistently been both thorough and interesting in the psychological questions he has addressed. He has dealth with important issues. Reading this book is a little like uncorking a fine wine which was laid down some years ago. --The Psychologist The scholarship and integrative thought represented in the volume are highly admirable. Even emotion researchers who are close followers of Lazarus' long and productiove career those who are significantly influenced by his work are likely to learn something new from his insightful treatment of the broad set of topics that he correctly considers as relevant to the domain of emotion. Lazarus is innovative and provocative in attemoting to make his theory relational. He is quite convincing in marshalling evidence and arguments. The book is a monumental and elegent piece of work. It is replete with astute observations and insights gained from a long and productive career of research and scholarship. I feel better informed for having read this book. --Contemporary Psychology Addresses a broad readership interested in emotion. . . . illustrated with episodes taken from novels and with anecdotes presented in the narrative. . . . inspiring. . . . arouses great interest. --European Journal of Cognitive Psychology Pleasant and easy reading. The theory is one of the major theories of emotion of this moment. The book as such is the currently richest, most extensive and most informative of discussions of the emotion domain. It is the mature fruit of a lifetime of reflection, worth reading for those who want an understanding of the cognitive approach to emotions. --Nico H. Frijda (University of Amsterdam), Cognition and Emotion The unique combination of a comprehensive theory with detailed descriptions of specific phenomena makes these books extremely valuable for anyone interested in emotions. Not only the quality, but the scope of [the] book is immense . . . holds over 500 exciting pages which can be easily read by every intelligent reader. . . . a,png the very few books which make you wonder whether anyone should write another book on this issue. . . . original and brilliant. . . . masterpiece. . . should be read by everyone who wants to gain some understanding of emotions. --Aaron Ben-Ze'ev (University of Haifa), History of European Ideas

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