The relationship between coping and emotion: Implications for theory and research

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Abstract

Historically, coping has been viewed as a response to emotion. Our purpose here is to evaluate this idea and offer a broader view based on cognitive and relational principles concerning the emotion process. We will explore the ways emotion and coping influence each other in what must ultimately be seen as a dynamic, mutually reciprocal relationship.

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    • Towards the construction of computational models of emotions from the perspective of a software system

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      Citation Excerpt :

      Emotional Behavior Component: The actions taken by the agent in response to an emotional stimulus represent an attempt to copping, for example, to neutralize a threat in the case of a physiological evaluation or to restore the agent’s social well-being in the case of a cognitive evaluation (Higgins, Shah, & Friedman, 1997). Appraisal theories and coping theories assert that coping effectiveness is proportional to the degree to which a given behavioral response progresses towards its corresponding motivational goal (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988a, 1988b). In the proposed reference architecture, the emotional behavior component follows these principles and is in charge of deciding the type of emotional behavior that the agent can manifest in response to a perceived stimulus.

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    Originally published as: Coping and emotion. In Psychological and Biological Approaches to Emotion (Edited by Stein N., Leventhal B. and Trabasso T.). Erlbaum, Hillsdale, N.J. In press.

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