Overview of Contemporary Emotion Frameworks: A Comparative Summary

Appraisal Theory, Constructed Emotion Theory, Polyvagal Theory, and the Core Emotion Framework (CEF). The goal is not to advocate for any single approach but to provide a concise overview of how these frameworks conceptualize emotional processes, highlight points of convergence and divergence, and situate them within the broader landscape of affective science. Emotion research spans multiple disciplines, from psychology and cognitive science to anthropology and neuroscience. Over the past century, scholars have proposed a wide range of frameworks to explain how emotions arise, how they are structured, and how they influence behavior. This brief comparative summary reviews several influential contemporary models, including Basic Emotions Theory,