0 Cochrane, T. 2009 Social Science Information. Special issue ‘The language of emotion: conceptual and cultural issues’ 48 3 379-420 09/2009 emotion, affective state, feeling, dimension, valence, arousal, conceptual space. This paper proposes a dimensional model of our emotion concepts that is intended to be largely independent of one’s theory of emotions and applicable to the different ways in which emotions are measured. I outline some conditions for selecting the dimensions based on these motivations and general conceptual grounds. Given these conditions I then advance an 8-dimensional model that is shown to effectively differentiate emotion labels both within and across cultures, as well as more obscure expressive language. The 8 dimensions are i) attracted-repulsed; ii) powerful-weak; iii) free-constrained; iv) certain-uncertain; v) generalized-focused; vi) future directed-past directed; vii) enduring-sudden; viii) socially connected-disconnected. SSI Special issue ‘The language of emotion: conceptual and cultural issues’ eds. Ogarkova, A., Bourgeaud, P. & Scherer, K.