List of contributors; Preface; Part I. Asking about Emotional Experiences: Rationale and Methods: 1. Studying emotion empirically: issues and a paradigm for research K. R. Scherer; 2. Measuring emotional experiences: questionnaire design and procedure, and the nature of the sample V. Aebischer and H. G. Wallbott; 3. The coding of reported emotional experiences: antecedents and reactions H. Ellgring and E. Bänniger-Huber; 4. Categories of emotion-eliciting events: a qualitative overview A. B. Summerfield and E. J. Green; Part II. Patterns of Results across Cultures: 5. The antecedents of emotional experiences H. G. Wallbott and K. R. Scherer; 6. The physiological patterns of reported emotional states B. Rimé and D. Giovannini; 7. Non-verbal reactions to emotional experiences H. G. Wallbott, P. Ricci-Bitti and E. Bänniger-Huber; 8. The verbalisation of emotional experiences J. Cosnier, J. M. F. Dols and A. J. Fernandez; 9. Interrelations between antecedents, reactions, and coping responses P. Ricci-Bitti and K. R. Scherer; 10. Individual differences in emotional reactions H. Ellgring and B. Rimé; 11. The effects of social factors on emotional reactions E. Y. Babad and H. G. Wallbott; 12. Emotion experiences across European cultures: a summary statement K. R. Scherer; Appendix A. Notes on results for specific countries: A1. The British case: the pleasures of life and the art of conversation A. B. Summerfield, R. J. Edelman and E. J. Green; A2. The French case: emotion and rationality V. Aebischer and J. Cosnier; A3. The German case: personality correlates of emotional reactivity H. G. Wallbott and H. Ellgring; A4 The Italian case: a stereotype confirmed? D. Giovannini and P. Ricci-Bitti (Translated by J. A. Oliver); A5. The Swiss case: down to earth E. Bänniger-Huber; A6. The Belgian case: overt emotions in intimate contexts B. Rimé; A7. The Spanish case: the written expression of emotional routes J. M. F. Dols and A. J. Fernandez; A8. The Israeli case: minority status and politics E. Y. Babad; Appendix B. English version of the emotion questionnaire; Appendix C. Antecedent and reaction codes; Appendix D. Statistical analyses; References; Index.