Emotions, motivations and cognitions in the process of cognitive psychotherapy: intersection between cognitivism and evolutionary epistemology.

Abstract

A theory of motivation is presented here, that is based on ethology and evolutionary epistemology. Specific emotions, in the light of this theory, are seen as phases of the operations of specific behavioral-motivational systems. Dysfunctional cognitive processes may attribute to an emotional experience meaning that are at variance with respect to the basic meaning of the emotion, a biological meaning defined by the behavioral system to which that emotion partakes. Various implications of this motivational theory for the practice of cognitive psychotherapy are discussed.