Abstract: Emotional complexity refers to the individuals’ emotional experiences that are well differentiated, broad in range and of full depth. Emotional complexity can be examined by measuring emotional awareness and mixed emotions. Emotional complexity is affected by individuals’ distribution of attention, social cognitive skills, certain personality traits and the context factors. Some evidence from cross-cultural and developmental researches also indicates that emotional complexity differs in age and cultures. Maintaining emotional complexity can have positive effects on individuals’ cognitive functions as well as physical and mental health, such as improving individuals’ environment adaptability and better recovery from stress situations. Mindfulness training and emotion-focused therapy are introduced as two effective interventions to improve individuals’ emotional complexity.

Key words: emotional complexity, emotional awareness, mixed emotions