The Influence of Emotions on Students’ DecisionMaking and Reasoning During Learning: A Cognitive–Affective Interaction Perspective

This research investigates the multifaceted influence of emotions on students' decision-making and reasoning processes within educational contexts.Moving beyond purely cognitive explanations of learning, it examines the integrative mechanisms through which affective states modulate attention, memory, and rational judgment.Drawing from Kahneman's dual-system theory, Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, and Goleman's emotional intelligence model, the study conceptualizes how emotional signals guide and sometimes bias students' academic choices.Employing a qualitative-analytical approach, it interprets existing neuropsychological and pedagogical data to explain how emotions-both positive (e.g., enthusiasm, curiosity, pride) and negative (e.g., anxiety, frustration, fear)-shape cognitive efficiency, decision accuracy, and learning persistence.Findings highlight that emotions serve both as facilitators and inhibitors of rationality: while positive emotions enhance motivation, attention span, and flexible reasoning, negative emotions tend to narrow perception, increase cognitive load, and provoke maladaptive decision heuristics.Pedagogically, the study advocates for integrating emotional intelligence development and emotion-regulation strategies into curricula to strengthen students' self-awareness and cognitive adaptability.This research underscores that fostering emotionally supportive learning environments is essential for optimizing both intellectual performance and holistic well-being.