Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

2020 Edition
| Editors: Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Todd K. Shackelford

Cold Cognition

Reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_967
  • 7 Downloads
How to cite

Synonyms

Descriptions; Inferences; Knowledge; Neutral information processing

Definition

Cold cognition is a concept used to describe information processing – be it conscious and/or unconscious (i.e., implicit/automatic) – which does not have a direct impact on emotional responses.

Introduction

The distinction between hot and cold cognitions steams from the cognitive theories of emotions (e.g., Abelson and Rosenberg 1958; Lazarus 1982; Lazarus and Folkman 1984). Such theories assume that emotional responses are generated by the cognitive processing – be it conscious and/or unconscious (i.e., implicit/tacit) – of the information coming from the environment. In the simplest perspective, the distinction between hot (i.e., appraisal/evaluative) and cold cognitive processing is reflected in the impact which such cognitions have on the emotional responses of the individual. Hot cognitions are responsible for processing the emotionally relevant features of the representations of the stimuli...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Abelson, R. P., & Rosenberg, M. J. (1958). Symbolic psycho-logic: A model of attitudinal cognition. Behavioral Science, 3(1), 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: International Universities Press.Google Scholar
  3. Beck, J. (1995). Cognitive Therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
  4. David, D., & Szentagotai, A. (2006). Cognitions in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies; toward an integrative model. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(3), 284–298.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  5. David, D., Lynn, S. J., & Ellis, A. (2010). Rational and irrational beliefs: Research, theory, and clinical practice. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  6. Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy. New York: Lyle Stuart.Google Scholar
  7. Ellis, A. (1994). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy (Rev. ed.). Secaucus: Birch Lane.Google Scholar
  8. Hongwanishkul, D., Happaney, K. R., Lee, W. S., & Zelazo, P. D. (2005). Assessment of hot and cool executive function in young children: Age-related changes and individual differences. Developmental Neuropsychology, 28(2), 617–644.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  9. Lazarus, R. S. (1982). Thoughts on the relations between emotion and cognition. American Psychologist, 37(9), 1019.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, coping and adaptation. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
  11. Lazarus, R. S., & Smith, C. A. (1988). Knowledge and appraisal in the cognition – Emotion relationship. Cognition & Emotion, 2(4), 281–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  13. Netemeyer, R. G., Williamson, D. A., Burton, S., Biswas, D., Jindal, S., Landreth, S., & Primeaux, S. (2002). Psychometric properties of shortened versions of the automatic thoughts questionnaire. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 62, 111–129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Prencipe, A., Kesek, A., Cohen, J., Lamm, C., Lewis, M. D., & Zelazo, P. D. (2011). Development of hot and cool executive function during the transition to adolescence. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108(3), 621–637.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  15. Roiser, J. P., & Sahakian, B. J. (2013). Hot and cold cognition in depression. CNS Spectrums, 18(03), 139–149.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  16. Roiser, J. P., Cannon, D. M., Gandhi, S. K., Tavares, J. T., Erickson, K., Wood, S., et al. (2009). Hot and cold cognition in unmedicated depressed subjects with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders, 11(2), 178–189.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  17. Smith, C. A., & Lazarus, R. S. (1993). Appraisal components, core relational themes, and the emotions. Cognition & Emotion, 7(3–4), 233–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Smith, C. A., Haynes, K. N., Lazarus, R. S., & Pope, L. K. (1993). In search of the “hot” cognitions: Attributions, appraisals, and their relation to emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(5), 916.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  19. Vîslă, A., grosse Holtforth, M., & David, D. (2015). Descriptive/inferential cognitive processes and evaluative cognitive processes: Relationships among each other and with emotional distress. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 33(2), 148–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Wessler, R. L. (1982). Varieties of cognitions in the cognitively-oriented psychotherapies. Rational Living, 17, 3–10.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Clinical Psychology and PsychotherapyBabes-Bolyai UniversityCluj-NapocaRomania
  2. 2.Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
  3. 3.Babes-Bolyai UniversityCluj-NapocaRomania

Section editors and affiliations

  • Charlie Reeve
    • 1
  1. 1.University of North Carolina-CharlotteCharlotteUSA