Understanding how emotions affect the way individuals and societies behave

In what has been dubbed an "affective revolution", social, behavioural, and brain scientists are realising the profound role played by emotions in the behaviour and decision-making of individuals and societies. Now for the first time anywhere in the world, the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) for Affective Sciences brings together internationally-renowned Swiss scientists from neuroscience and psychology, together with economists, historians, philosophers as well as scholars in the humanities, in a dedicated multi-disciplinary effort to understand how emotions affect the individual and society.
Research conducted by the Centre is internationally recognised and is of strategic importance for Swiss society and the Swiss economy.

Research applications

Ten long-term projects at five collaborating institutions investigate core issues surrounding the way emotions are triggered and the changes this causes in the body; how we control our emotions, especially in the context of social norms; what happens when emotional control goes awry; and how emotion is involved in social interactions between individuals, groups and countries. Special emphasis is placed on practical applications of the research, particularly in relation to health, including stress and mood disorders, and in relation to reducing conflict, whether between individuals, groups and countries, in the home, the workplace or on the international stage. To this end, the Centre fosters collaborative links with companies, institutions and associations in the public and private sectors.

Training the next generation of researchers

Taking a long-term perspective, the NCCR Affective Sciences’ collaborating institutions, the Universities of Geneva, Bern, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Zurich, are also training the next generation of researchers in this new, multi-disciplinary field, with particular emphasis on attracting more women researchers.