The Handbook consists of four major sections. Each section is introduced by a main article:

Theories of Emotion – General Aspects

Perspectives in Communication Theory, Semiotics, and Linguistics

Perspectives on Language and Emotion in Cultural Studies

Interdisciplinary and Applied Perspectives

The first section presents interdisciplinary emotion theories relevant for the field of language and communication research, including the history of emotion research.

The second section focuses on the full range of emotion-related aspects in linguistics, semiotics, and communication theories.

The next section focuses on cultural studies and language and emotion; emotions in arts and literature, as well as research on emotion in literary studies; and media and emotion.

The final section covers different domains, social practices, and applications, such as society, policy, diplomacy, economics and business communication, religion and emotional language, the domain of affective computing in human-machine interaction, and language and emotion research for language education. Overall, this Handbook represents a comprehensive overview in a rich, diverse compendium never before published in this particular domain.