The process of affect labeling

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Affect labeling shapes emotional experience and interpersonal connections.
• Research has historically focused on articulating emotions, not the labeling process itself.
• Recent work highlights the significance of the affect labeling process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore affect labeling through the lens of perceptual decision-making.
• To provide new insights into the mechanisms of affect labeling.
• To review sequential sampling models applied to affect labeling.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analogy between affect labeling and perceptual decision-making.
• Review of existing research applying sequential sampling models.
• Exploration of how these models explain labeling processes and individual differences.

Main Results:

• Affect labeling can be modeled as a process of accumulating evidence, similar to perceptual decisions.
• Sequential sampling models offer a framework for understanding the dynamics of affect labeling.
• These models can account for variations in how individuals label their emotions.

Conclusions:

• Viewing affect labeling as perceptual decision-making offers novel mechanistic insights.
• Sequential sampling models provide a valuable tool for studying affect labeling.
• This approach can illuminate the basis for individual differences in emotional processing.