1. Mr. Koch AP Psychology Andover High School
Emotions
Mr. Koch
AP Psychology
Andover High School

2. What is emotion?
A temporary experience w/ positive, negative, or mixed qualities
Experienced w/ varying intensity as happening to self
Generated in part by cognitive appraisal of situation
Accompanied by both learned and innate physical responses
Methods of Measurement
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)
Muscle tension
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
Electrocardiograph (EKG)

3. Theories of Emotion

4. James-Lange Theory (William James & Carl Lange)
Stimulus arouses physiological response
Emotion comes from our awareness of this response (arousal causes the emotion)
William James
Example:
You see a bear.
Your heart races and muscles tense.
You feel afraid.

5. Cannon-Bard Theory (Walter Cannon & Philip Bard)
Physiological arousal and experience of emotion happen at same time
(one does not cause the other)
Brain’s cortex and sympathetic nervous system are simultaneously activated
Walter Cannon
Example:
You see a bear.
You simultaneously experience arousal and feeling of fear.

6. Schachter Two-Factor Theory (Stanley Schachter)
Emotion comes from cognitive interpretation (labeling) of our physiological arousal
Experiment:
Injected people w/ epinephrine to arouse and put in waiting room w/ someone happy or upset
Told to expect arousal → little emotion
Told would do nothing → experienced emotions similar to other person in room
Emotions fueled by arousal, directed by cognition
Stanley Schachter

8. Other relevant theories
Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Richard Lazarus
Focused on cognitive interpretation of events themselves
“do I see this event as relevant to my well-being?”
If not – not likely to experience much emotion
Is so – have positive or negative response based on if it advances or obstructs our goals
Robert Zajonc
Some emotions can be experienced automatically, without conscious processing
Some neural pathways run from sensory organs through thalamus (bypassing cortex), directly to amygdala

9. Application Time! Get into groups of three
In your groups decide who is partner #1, #2, & #3
For each of the following scenarios, explain what happens during the emotional reaction using one of the primary theories of emotion
Jot down your answer and then share with your group

10. Scenario #1 You watch the Notebook and your cry during the movie.
1. James-Lange Theory
2. Cannon-Bard Theory
3. Two-Factor Theory

11. Scenario #2
Your brother jumps around the corner startling you and you scream.
2. James-Lange Theory
3. Cannon-Bard Theory
1. Two-Factor Theory

12. Scenario #3
You see your best friend for the first time in a year and feel overwhelmed with joy.
3. James-Lange Theory
1. Cannon-Bard Theory
2. Two-Factor Theory