The quest to understand the role of affect in human affairs represents one of the last frontiers in psychology. Although philosophers, writers, artists, and laypersons have long been fascinated by the intriguing influence of emotion on our thoughts, memories, beliefs, and judgments, the psychological mechanisms responsible for these effects remained incompletely understood until very recently. Surprisingly, most of what we know about the role of feelings in social thinking and behavior has been discovered only during the last two decades. This book offers a comprehensive review and integration of the most recent research and theories on the role of affect in social cognition and features specially commissioned original contributions from leading researchers active in the field. The book is organized into six major sections concerning the nature and relationship between affect and cognition: the neuropsychology and psychophysiology of affect and cognition; cognitive processes in the appraisal of emotion; affective influences on social memory; judgments and information processing strategies; the role of affect in social motivation and social behavior; and individual differences in affectivity and "emotional intelligence." The applications of this work to areas such as clinical, organizational, forensic, health, marketing, and advertising psychology receive special emphasis throughout. The book is suitable as a core textbook in advanced courses dealing with the role of affect in social cognition and behavior or as a reference tool for those interested in the subject.ectual context.