The role of the body in emotional experience.

My research focusses on testing the hypothesis that the expressions of emotions, such as facial expressions, heart rate changes, and hormonal changes, are not just expressions of emotion, but are integral to the experience of emotion. For example, without the pounding heart, would fear feel like fear? Without the upset stomach, would anxiety still be anxiety? One line of research addresses these questions through bodily restrictions on emotional expression. A second line addresses the issue by using fMRI to investigate the role in emotional experience of brain regions that are important for perceiving and controlling the body. A third line of research looks at the role of manipulating mental imagery pertaining to bodily actions during emotional episodes.