Melendez, Bridget Ann L.

08/10/19

LM11FA1 BSBA - LSCM

THEORIES OF EMOTION

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The James-Lange theory of emotion states that emotion is equivalent to the range of
physiological arousal caused by external events. The two scientists suggested that for
someone to feel emotion, he/she must first experience bodily responses such as
increased respiration, increased heart rate, or sweaty hands. Once this physiological
response is recognized, then the person can say that he/she feels the emotion.

People experience situations and events that result in physiological reactions such as
muscular tension, heart rate increase, perspiration, dryness of the mouth, and many
others, which are created by the autonomic nervous system. The James Lange theory
of emotion suggests that emotions are a result of these physiological responses, and
not their cause.

When stimuli that can induce emotions are received and comprehended by the cortex of
the brain, the visceral organs and the skeletal muscles are triggered by the autonomic
nervous system and somatic nervous system, respectively. The autonomic and somatic
systems will then stimulate the brain, which will be interpreted as an experience of
emotion.
The James-Lange theory inverted the typical common-sense way of thinking about the
cause and effect relation between the experience of emotion and its manifestation.
James and Lange emphasized that the autonomic activity and actions that are induced
by emotional stimuli generate the feeling of emotion, not the other way around.

Here’s a James Lange theory example: when someone sees an angry bull:
Common-Sense View
Perception of the angry bull → Feeling of fear → Physiological reactions
James-Lange View
Perception of the angry bull → Physiological reactions → Feeling of fear
The perception of emotion-arousing stimuli is followed by specific physiological
reactions such as release of adrenaline and flight reaction. The brain interprets the
specific physiological changes as the emotion, “I’m scared because my heart is racing
and I am running away.”
Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion, also known as the Thalamic theory of emotion, is a
physiological explanation of emotion developed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard.
Cannon-Bard theory states that we feel emotions and experience physiological
reactions such as sweating, trembling, and muscle tension simultaneously.

How the Cannon-Bard Theory Works

More specifically, it is suggested that emotions result when the thalamus sends a
message to the brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a physiological reaction.

For example: I see a snake --> I am afraid, and I begin to tremble.

According to the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion, we react to a stimulus and experience

the associated emotion at the same time.

For example, imagine that you are walking to your car through a darkened parking
garage. You hear the sounds of footsteps trailing behind you, and spot a shadowy figure
slowly following you as you make your way to your car. According to the Cannon-Bard
theory of emotion, you will experience feelings of fear and physical reaction at the same
time. You will begin to feel fearful, and your heart will begin to race. You rush to your
car, lock the doors behind you and rush out of the parking garage to head home.

The Cannon-Bard theory differs from other theories of emotion such as the James-
Lange theory of emotion, which argues that physiological responses occur first and
result and are the cause of emotions.

How the Cannon-Bard Theory Differs From Other Theories of Emotion

The James-Lange theory was the dominant theory of emotion at the time, but Harvard
physiologist Walter Cannon and his doctoral student Philip Bard felt that the theory did
not accurately reflect how emotional experiences take place..

Cannon's work suggested that emotions could be experienced even when the body
does not reveal a physiological reaction. In other cases, he noted, physiological
reactions to different emotions can be extremely similar. People experience sweating, a
racing heartbeat and increased respiration in response to fear, excitement, and anger.
These emotions are very different, but the physiological responses are the same.

Cannon and Bard instead suggested that the experience of emotion was not dependent
upon interpreting the body's physiological reactions. Instead, they believed that the
emotion and the physical response occur simultaneously and that one was not
dependent upon the other.
Schachter and Singer Theory of Emotion

What Is the Two-Factor Theory?

Like the James-Lange theory of emotion, and in contrast to the Cannon-Bard theory of
emotion, Schachter and Singer felt that physical arousal played a primary in emotions.
However, they suggested that this arousalwas the same for a wide variety of emotions,
so physical arousal alone could not be responsible for emotional responses.

The two-factor theory of emotion focuses on the interaction between physical arousal
and how we cognitively label that arousal. In other words, simply feeling arousal is not
enough; we also must identify the arousal in order to feel the emotion.

So, imagine you are alone in a dark parking lot walking toward your car. A strange man
suddenly emerges from a nearby row of trees and rapidly approaches. The sequence
that follows, according to the two-factor theory, would be much like this:

1. I see a strange man walking toward me.

2. My heart is racing and I am trembling.
3. My rapid heart rate and trembling are caused by fear.
4. I am frightened!

The process begins with the stimulus (the strange man), which is followed by the
physical arousal (rapid heartbeat and trembling). Added to this is the cognitive label
(associating the physical reactions to fear), which is immediately followed by the
conscious experience of the emotion (fear).

The immediate environment plays an important role in how physical responses are
identified and labeled. In the example above, the dark, lonely setting and the sudden
presence of an ominous stranger contributes to the identification of the emotion as fear.
What would happen if you were walking toward your car on a bright sunny day and an
elderly woman began to approach you? Rather than feeling fear, you might interpret
your physical response as something like curiosity or concern if the woman seemed to
be in need of assistance.