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The Construction of Discourse as Verbal Interaction
Edited by María de los Ángeles Gómez González and J. Lachlan Mackenzie
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 296] 2018
► pp. 227–250

Emotion and appraisal processes in language

How are they related?

| Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain

This study discusses theoretical and methodological aspects of the relationship between appraisal and emotion processes in language/discourse. Taking as my point of departure both Appraisal Theory and Geoff Thompson’s later review thereof, I argue that despite their invaluable illumination of appraisal and emotion processes, these approaches cannot elucidate the complex similarities and differences between appraisal and emotion. I sketch a more interdisciplinary approach that draws not only on functional linguistics but also on linguistic pragmatics and psychological appraisal theories. I then propose a modified version of the functional relationship applied for the analysis of linguistic evaluation in my previous work as a methodological tool for the treatment of emotion in language, clearing the ground for future large-scale qualitative projects on the topic.

Keywords: emotion, evaluation, appraisal theories, emotion systems, component approach to emotions, evaluative/emotive functional relationship (Ev / Em)
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Main argument
    • 1.2Research questions, main hypothesis, and corpus used
    • 1.3Some basic problems
      • 1.3.1How to approach and define emotion
      • 1.3.2The terms used for the categories of emotion
      • 1.3.3The pragmatics of emotion
  • 2.Evaluation and emotion in functional linguistics and Appraisal Theory: Discussion of further possibilities of analysis
    • 2.1Emotion talk and emotional talk in combination with the appraisal model systems
  • 3.Beyond Thompson’s view: In search of a more complete picture
  • 4.The method proposed
  • 5.Final reflections and conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 20 September 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.296.09alb
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