DOMINIC W. MASSARO, editor
University of California, Santa Cruz

Appraising Appraisal Theories

Appraisal Processes in Emotions: Theory, Methods, Research
Edited by K. R. Scherer, A. Schorr, and T. Johnstone. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Central to discussions on emotions is the notion of appraisal, which indicates that an emotion is not a value-free experience but involves subjective evaluations. This excellent collection of essays clarifies this crucial notion. The essays are not isolated contributions; the authors, who are leading researchers in appraisal theory, are fully familiar with each other's work, including the contributions in this volume, and discuss their colleagues' views while presenting different perspectives on a wide range of issues. In this sense, the book is an extremely important contribution to understanding emotions in general and appraisal theory in particular. The book further advances appraisal theory and makes it more accessible to the research community.