1. Theories of Emotion

2. Historical Approaches

3. Common Sense Theory Emotion-arousing stimulus leads to a
Conscious feeling (fear, anger) and a
Physiological response.
Emotional Behavior
Seeing an angry dog triggers feelings of fear and physical responses such as trembling and behavior like running.

4. Common-Sense Theory
Perception
(Interpretation
of stimulus—
danger)
Stimulus
(Tiger)
Emotion
(Fear)
Bodily
arousal
(Pounding
heart) & Fearful
Behavior
Common sense might suggest that the perception of a stimulus triggers emotion which then causes bodily arousal

5. Debates in Emotion Research
Which comes first, physiological arousal or the subjective experience of an emotion?
Can we react emotionally before appraising a situation, or does thinking always precede emotion?

6. James-Lange Theory Opposite of the Common Sense Theory
An emotion-arousing stimulus in the environment triggers a physiological reaction and behavior.
Our awareness of the physiological reaction leads to our experience of an emotion.
James believed that emotion followed this sequence:
We perceive a stimulus.
Physiological and behavioral changes occur.
We experience a particular emotion.

7. Perception of a stimulus causes bodily arousal which leads to emotion
(Interpretation
of stimulus--
danger)
Stimulus
(Tiger)
Emotion
(Fear)
Bodily
arousal
(Pounding
heart) & Fearful
Behavior
James’s Theory
Perception of a stimulus causes bodily arousal which leads to emotion
We do not run from a tiger because we are afraid.  We are afraid because we ran from the tiger.
The relationship is See the tiger, Run from tiger, Experience fear
Keywords: Peripheral feedback theory, James

8. James-Lange Theory

12. Walter B. Cannon challenged the James–Lange theory
Body reactions similar for most emotions
Heart races whether we’re frightened, angry or exhilarated
Emotional reaction to a stimulus is often faster than our physiological reaction . I’m scared then I tremble
Artificially inducing physiological changes via adrenaline did not necessarily produce a related emotional experience
You peel an onion & cry yet you don’t feel sad
James had proposed that if a person were cut off from feeling bodily changes, he would not experience true emotions.
Studies of people with spinal cord injuries and cats with disabled sympathetic N.S. do not support James’ idea - They still respond emotionally to a stimulus.

13. Cannon-Bard Theory
An emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers both a…
physiological response (sympathetic nervous system) and
the experience of an emotion (brain’s cerebral cortex).

14. Cannon Bard Theory

17. Theories of Emotion: Cognition and Emotion

18. Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory
Emotions involve two factors:
A physiological arousal
A cognitive/conscious label of the arousal
Study using epinephrine and a humorous or irritating situation showed that those who did NOT know their physiological responses (increased heart beat) was caused by a shot rated their emotions as more intense than those who knew (Spillover Effect)

19. Schachter’s Cognition-Plus-Feedback Theory
Type
Intensity
Emotion
(Fear)
Perception
(Interpretation
of stimulus--
danger)
Stimulus
(Tiger)
Bodily
arousal
(Pounding
heart)
Perception and thought about a stimulus influence the type of emotion felt
Degree of bodily arousal influences the intensity of emotion felt
Keywords: Cognition-plus-feedback theory, Schachter

20. Two-Factor Theory
Emotion results from physiological arousal plus a cognitive label for that arousal

25. Richard Lazarus (1922-2002) Cognitive-Mediational Theory
Emotions result from the cognitive appraisal of a situation’s effect on personal well-being (done automatically by mind)
All other components of emotion, including physiological arousal, follow the initial cognitive appraisal
Intense emotions come from situations whose outcomes are important to us.
Critics argue emotional reactions to a stimulus or event are virtually instantaneous—too rapid to allow for the process of cognitive appraisal. They suggest that we feel first and think later.

27. Cognitive-Mediational Theory
2. I think he’s a mugger!
3. I’m afraid (heart beating) & will run away.
I see a man by the parked car.
I hear & recognize his voice.
I know him and am not afraid
I see a man by the parked car.
I think he’s a mugger.
I’m afraid and will run away. OR
Your emotion depends on your cognitive appraisal or interpretation of the situation & the perceived outcome of it

28. Lazarus Cognitive-Mediational Theory
Cognitive Label
“This is a dangerous situation!”
Pounding Heart
(arousal)
Fear
(emotion)

29. Schachter-Singer Two Factor Cognitive-Mediational
James-Lange
Cannon-Bard
Schachter-Singer Two Factor
Cognitive-Mediational
2. I think he’s a mugger!
3. I’m afraid (heart beating) & will run away.
I see a man by the parked car.
I hear & recognize his voice.
I know him and am not afraid

30. Cognitive Mediational Theory
Mnemonics to Help You Remember
James-Lange Theory
Joke – Laugh – Thrilled!
think JAE which stands for "James Arousal Emotion"
Cannon-Bard Theory
Say the two Ns in Cannon simultaneously just like you experience arousal and emotion
Cannon=Causes, Bard=Both; so it would be the "Causes Both Theory" because the theory says that the physiological response and experience of emotion happen at the same time, or "the Cause stimulates Both at the same time.
Schachter-Singer
Two Factor Theory
"All Clowns Love, Elephants" which stands for arousal cognitive label and emotion, the comma makes you pause so that emotion is after arousal and cognitive label.
Cognitive Mediational Theory

31. Robert Zajonc (1923-2008) We feel first, think later.
Argued emotions developed first then cognition in the history of human development
Suggested that not all emotions involve deliberate thinking
Therefore, cognition/conscious awareness of what is happening is not necessary for all emotions
Some emotions skip the thinking part of the brain

32. Zajonc Theory:

33. Modern Research Supports
And the Winner is…
Modern Research Supports

34. James–Lange Theory
Antonio Damasio’s findings—that each basic emotion produced a distinct pattern or neural response and that the physiological changes occurred before they were interpreted as an emotion—support the theory
Support is also provided by research on the facial feedback hypothesis—the view that expressing a specific emotion, especially facially, causes the subjective experience of that emotion
When people mimic the facial expressions characteristic of a given emotion, they tend to report feeling that emotion.
The basic explanation for this is that the facial muscles send feedback signals to the brain, which uses the information to activate and regulate emotional experience.