A similar process is now taking place in the study of emotion (or affect more broadly speaking). The study of affect is steadily building into a discipline similar in many respects to the way Cognitive Science was built. New journals, societies, and respects to the way Cognitive Science was built. New journals, societies, and interdisciplinary discussions are emerging. At Boston College, we are actively pursuing the idea of Affective Science in our graduate and undergraduate training. Our approach to the study of affect is distinguished by the fact that it is interdisciplinary. We make an active attempt to avoid simple nativist views (emotions are modules hardwired into your brain at birth), instead focusing on how biology and experience might shape the form and function of affective responding. Finally, we are explicitly interested in understanding the experience of emotion. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS FALL 2006 Affective Science Speaker Series |
Fifty
years ago, a new science - Cognitive Science - was born. This was
arguably the major development in the scientific study of human
beings in the 20th century. In mid-century, philosophers, computer
scientists, psychologists, linguists, and anthropologists rarely
spoke to one another. There was minimal sharing of ideas or findings,
and the study of the mind was in a primitive state. Interdisciplinary
dialogue and research endeavors changed that. The result was a revitalization
of each of the separate disciplines, a new and soon to be dominant
approach to the study of the mind, and the creation of a new discipline.
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Copyright ©2004 Affective Science Initiative. All rights reserved. Questions and comments can be emailed to Lisa Feldman Barrett at barretli@bc.edu. |