This text provides a relatively brief description of classic and contemporary theory and research on emotions within each of the four major theoretical traditions that have shaped—and continue to shape —how psychologists think about the field. Written in an informal style, it explains how each perspective defines, constructs theories about, and conducts research on emotion — and presents four often very different pictures of what emotions are thought to be. An abundance of examples drawn from real life, literature, and popular culture, and “thought experiments” help students relate topics to the emotions they experience in their own lives.