The authors present a cognitive-developmental theory of emotional
awareness that creates a bridge between normal and abnormal emotional
states. Their primary thesis is that emotional awareness is a type of
cognitive processing which undergoes five levels of structural
transformation along a cognitive-developmental sequence derived from an
integration of the theories of Piaget and Werner. The five levels of
structural transformation are awareness of bodily sensations, the body in
action, individual feelings, blends of feelings, and blends of blends of
feelings. The authors suggest applications of this model to current
unresolved problems in psychiatric theory, research, and practice.Abstract Teaser