Glossary / Lexicon

Schematic Propositional Associative and Analogic Representational Systems (SPAARS) refers to one of the most interesting multi-level theories of emotions put forward by Power and Dalgleish (1977).

The various components of the model are as follows:

(1) Analogical system - this is involved in basic sensory processing of environmental stimuli

(2) Propositional system - this is an essentially emotion-free system that contains information about the world and about the self

(3) Schematic system, within this system, are facts from the propositional system are combines with information about the individual's current goals to produce an internal model of the situation. This will lead to an emotional response if the current goals are being thwarted.

(4) Associative system.

Its working were described by Dalgleish who states that if the same event is repeatedly processes in the same was at the schematic level, them, then an associative representation will be formed such that, such that on future encounters of the same event, the relevant emotion will be automatically elicited.

According to Power and Dalgleish there are two (2) main ways in which emotion can occur:

(1) it can occur as a resulz of thorough cognitive processing when the schematic system is involved; and

(2) it occurs automatically and without the involvement of concious processing when the associative system is involved.

Schematic Propositional Associative and Analogic Representational Systems is also called SPAARS