This unique book guides readers round 50 landmark studies in the psychology of emotion. It explores questions including what gives emotion its distinct emotional quality, whether our faces always reveal what we are feeling, and how we can be in control of our emotions.

The book traces a route through both classic and contemporary studies, covering factors that make different emotions different, causal processes, emotion regulation, the perception and production of facial expressions, interpersonal and group processes, and emotion concepts. Each section presents a series of studies which complement and build on those discussed earlier. Each study is carefully discussed for students to understand the key methods, results, conclusions, limitations and impacts for the field. Parkinson provides expert guidance through the key points, taking a fresh look at the research methods and results, presenting alternative approaches and interpretations and assessing how the findings have advanced or hindered progress in the field.

Offering a clear orientation to the psychological literature on emotion, this book will be highly relevant for undergraduate and graduate students of psychology, particularly those taking courses on emotion, social psychology and cognitive psychology.