Michael F. Scheier

Carnegie-Mellon University

Charles S. Carver

University of Miami

A group of businessmen are having a drink after work. One launches into a series of
Polish jokes. Another man, who happens to be of Polish ancestry, becomes more
and more irritated. As it happens, he and the first man must interact fairly regular-
ly. He is thus quite aware of the fact that it is to their mutual benefit to get along.
But as the anger continues to mount, he abruptly fires off a hostile retort. The
others stare, incredulous, and he mumbles apologetically that he just lost his head
for a moment.

A high school student has been asked to make a speech before the assembled
student body. She has never faced that many people before, and she is very tense.
As the anxiety mounts, she wonders whether she will be able to carry out her
intentions. She takes a deep breath, reaffirms her conviction in her ability, and
delivers the speech flawlessly.

The purpose of these two opening examples is to convey a sense of the kinds of
processes that we have been studying in the laboratory over the past several
years, though the research situations that we have investigated are perhaps more
prosaic than these opening examples might suggest. The examples are illustrative
because they share three characteristics. Both involve cognition, in one way or
another. Both involve affect. And both involve overt behavior. That is, in each
case, the cognitive and affective processes are ultimately linked with actions.

Overt behavior is, in a sense, a "silent partner" in the subject matter of this
volume. It is important, but in the background, playing a role that is secondary to
affective and cognitive considerations. But this silent partner actually represents
the starting point of our own work. Eventually, our investigations led us to
consider issues of affect and cognition, but to consider them by virtue of their

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