How does a person’s way of thinking influence their personality, their values, and their choice of career? In this important study originally published in 1985, Susan Aylwin explores these questions by elucidating the relationship between thought and feeling. The book delves into three modes of thought: inner speech, visual imagery, and enactive imagery – with the latter being an essential addition to our understanding of mental representations.

The structural characteristics of all three types are analyzed using an association technique. Their affective aspects are then examined through a variety of means, including the analysis of daydreams, an examination of the evaluative complements of categorizing, the study of cognitive style, and the exploration of social feelings such as embarrassment. The author also delves into the experiential study of strong emotion.

The book concludes by integrating these findings to show how thought and feeling are related aspects of the temporal organization of consciousness. Written in a lively and accessible style, Structure in Thought and Feeling brings a refreshing perspective to many issues of central concern to psychologists interested in cognition, emotion, personality, and psychotherapy. The 290-page volume was published on November 25, 2014.