Affective Appraisal versus Cognitive Evaluation in Social Emotions and Interactions

I claim that two important aspects of emotions are usually missed by current computational models and uses. On the one side, human emotions are complex and rich mental states, not simple reactive mechanisms. They have rich cognitive ingredients, in particular “evaluations”. I will propose some brief example of such a necessary “cognitive anatomy” (in terms of beliefs and goals) of complex social emotions (for ex. shame) and of the “meaning” of their expression. On the other side, emotions are felt; and we do not have a model about what it does mean to “feel” something, about the unavoidable role of a “body” in this, and about the necessary function of the feeling component in the emotional process. In this perspective, in particular it becomes very important the distinction between a true “cognitive evaluation” and merely intuitive and implicit affective_appraisal. I exemplify this distinction in the analysis of “trust”. Finally, I wonder about the importance of the affective appraisal Vs the explicit evaluations in Affective Computing and in HC and computer mediated interactions. Are these cognitive complex emotions, are these felt and embodied emotions, are explicit evaluations or intuitive appraisals useful and why?I also discuss a bit the relationships between emotion and motivation, and between emotion and personality, that on my view are currently quite mixed up.