ThinkingFeeling

ThinkingFeeling is a term used in psychology and cognitive science to describe the integrated operation of thinking (cognitive processes) and feeling (emotional and affective processes) in human information processing. Rather than treating cognition and emotion as separate modules, ThinkingFeeling emphasizes their mutual influence, with cognitive assessments shaping emotional responses and affective states guiding attention, memory, and judgment.

The phrase functions as a framing device rather than a single formal theory. It appears in scholarly and popular writing to foreground the inseparability of thought and emotion. It draws on theories such as dual-process models, appraisal theories of emotion, and affective neuroscience, and is often applied to everyday decision making, social judgments, and problem solving.

Mechanisms commonly associated with ThinkingFeeling include the somatic marker hypothesis, affective forecasting, mood-congruent memory, and cognitive reappraisal. Emotions can bias reasoning by signaling importance or risk, while reasoning can regulate emotion through reappraisal and goal-setting. The interaction is bidirectional: cognitive effort can diminish or amplify affect, and emotional states can alter perception and memory encoding.

Applications span education, therapy, user experience design, and organizational leadership. Approaches inspired by ThinkingFeeling advocate integrating emotional data into reasoning processes, such as presenting information in emotionally salient yet accurate ways, or training individuals to recognize and regulate affect while solving problems.

Critics caution that the term can be vague or overgeneralized if treated as a stand-in for complex neurocognitive processes. It overlaps with concepts in affective computing, emotional intelligence, and integrative cognitive-affective frameworks.