Emotion & Its Theories

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

 Essential Task 1-4:
Outline

• What are emotions?

• Define bodily reactions
• Theories of Emotion
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
– James–Lange Theory
– Cannon–Bard Theory
– Cognitive Appraisal Theory
– Schachter Two-factor theory
– Opponent Process Theory
 Emotion
• The experience of feelings
• Emotions may (or may not) activate and
influence behavior
• It is more difficult to predict the behavior
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
prompted by an emotion.
 Basic Emotions
• Plutchik proposed that there are eight
basic emotions
• Fear • Anger
• Surprise • Anticipation
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• Sadness • Joy
• Disgust • Acceptance
 Plutchik’s Basic Emotions

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
 Basic Emotions
• Some have criticized Plutchik’s model as applying only to
English-speakers
• Primary vs. Secondary Emotions
– Be evident in all cultures
– Contribute to survival

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

–
–
Distinct facial expression
Evident in Nonhuman primates
• Revised model of basic emotions includes:
– Happiness
– Surprise
– Sadness
– Fear
– Disgust
– Anger
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
 Bodily Reaction

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 Theories

1. James-Lange Theory
2. Cannon-Bard Theory
3. Schachter-Singer Theory
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4. Opponent Process Theory
5. Cognitive-Appraisal Theory
 James-Lange Theory

William James and Carl

Lange proposed an
idea that was
diametrically opposed
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to the common-sense
we experience emotions
as a result of our
physiological arousal. In

view. The James-Lange

other words, we don't cry
because we feel sad, we
feel sad because we cry

Theory proposes that

physiological activity
precedes the emotional
experience.
 James-Lange theory

Body = emotion
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
“Without the bodily states following on the
perception, the latter would be purely cognitive in
form; pale, colorless, destitute of emotional warmth.
We might then see the bear, and judge it best to
run... But we should not actually feel afraid.” (William
James, 1890)
James, 1890, v. 2, p. 449 (Gleitman)
 James-Lange theory

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

 2. James-Lange theory

• Testing the theory:

• Hypothesis 1: You need the body in order to feel
emotions.
• Test: Interview people with high vs. low spinal
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cord injuries

High spinal cord injury:

“Sometimes I act angry... But it doesn’t have the heat to it
that it used to. It’s a mental kind of anger.”

Hohman, 1966, pp. 150-151 (Carlson)

 James-Lange theory

• Testing the theory:

• Hypothesis 1: You need the body in
order to feel emotions.
Dr. Bidita
– Results 1: Bhattacharya
The body may be necessary
to have a full emotional experience.
 James-Lange theory

• Testing the theory:

• Hypothesis 1: You need the body in order to feel
emotions
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
– Results 1: The body may be necessary to have a full
emotional experience.

• Hypothesis 2: All you need is your

body to know what emotion to feel.
 James-Lange theory

• Situation à bodily reaction à emotion

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

FEAR
à à or

LOVE?
 James-Lange theory

• Testing the theory:

• Hypothesis 1: You need the body in order to feel
emotions
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
– Results 1: The body may be necessary to have a full
emotional experience.

• Hypothesis 2: The body can tell you

precisely which emotion to feel.
– Test: Gave people a dose of adrenaline:
“I feel as if I’m angry or afraid”
 James-Lange theory
• Testing the theory:
• Hypothesis 1: You need the body in
order to feel emotions
– Results 1: The body may be
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
necessary to have a full emotional
experience.
• Hypothesis 2: The body can tell you
precisely which emotion to feel.
– Results 2: The body is not ALL that is
necessary to have a fully emotional
experience.
 Facial-Feedback
– Stimuls invokes physiological arousal
including movement of facial muscles
– Brain interprets facial expression which
gives rise to your emotion
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– Sequence
• Stimulus (See snake)
• Make a face (fearful)
• Brain reads face
• Emotion (fear)
 Spill over effect
An arousal response to one event spills over
into our response to the next event. Spill over
effect

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Arousal from a soccer match can fuel anger, which may

lead to rioting.
Arousal fuels emotion, cognition channels it.
 Cannon-Bard Theory
Walter Cannon and
Phillip Bard
questioned the James-
Lange Theory and
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proposed that an
emotion-triggering
stimulus and the
body's arousal take
place simultaneously.
physiological arousal and emotional
experience occur simultaneously, rather than
one causing the other
 Cannon-Bard Theory

• See snake, run and fear

simultaneous
• Stimulus to thalamus -- sends
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simultaneous messages to:
– Lymbic system (arousal)
– Cortex (fear)
 Cognitive-Appraisal Theory
our emotions are determined by our appraisal of a situation. According to this theory, we don't
simply react to events in our environment, we interpret them and then experience emotions

• Sequence
based on our interpretations

– Stimulus (object, event, or thought)

– Appraisal of how this affects your well-
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being (consciously or unconsciously)
– Emotion (fear, anger, happiness, …)
– Physiological responses and behavior
• For an emotion to occur, it is
necessary to first think about the
situation.
 Cognition and Emotion
What is the connection between how we
think (cognition) and how we feel
(emotion)?

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Can we change our emotions by changing
our thinking?
 Schachter-Singer Theory
Two-Factor Theory
Stanley Schachter and
Jerome Singer
proposed yet another
theory which suggests
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
our physiology and
cognitions create
emotions. Emotions
have two factors–
physical arousal and
cognitive label.
 The Schachter theory
• Situation à bodily reaction à emotion
+ cognitive appraisal

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

FEAR
à à

LOVE
 3. The Schachter theory

• Testing the theory:

• Hypothesis: The same bodily reaction
will cause one emotion in one
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situation, and another emotion in a
different situation.
– Give people a dose of adrenaline;
– Put them in different situations;
– What happens?
 3. The Schachter theory

• Testing the theory:

• Schachter & Singer 1962:
(didn’t take pill) (know what
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VERY ANGRY! Medium angry! Least angry

VERY EXCITED! Medium excited! Least excited

 Opponent Process Theory

• Opponent process theory suggests that

any given emotion also has an opposed
emotion. (Fear/Relief or
Sadness/Happiness)
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
• Activation of one member of the pair
automatically suppresses the opposite
emotion
• But the opposing emotion can serve to
diminish the intensity of the initial
emotion.
 Opponent-Process Theory

• Solomon and Corbit (1974)

– The opponent-process theory states that
when one emotion is experienced, the
Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
other is suppressed. For example, if you
are frightened by a mean dog, the
emotion of fear is expressed and relief is
suppressed. If the fear-causing stimulus
continues to be present, after a while the
fear decreases and the relief intensifies.
 Opponent Process Theory

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya
 Operant
Biological
Conditioning
Factors
Factors
Theories

Motivation Measures
Systems Motivation Sources

Theories Motivation
Stress
& Emotion
Drive Maslow’s
Arousal

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Reduction
Theory
Theory
Hierarchy
of Needs Effects Coping

Theories of Opponent
Emotion Process

James-Lange
Cognitive
Appraisal
Cannon-Bard Schachter
two-factor
 Operant
Biological
Conditioning
Factors
Factors
Theories

Motivation Measures
Systems Motivation Sources

Theories Motivation
Stress
& Emotion
Drive Maslow’s
Arousal

Dr. Bidita Bhattacharya

Reduction
Theory
Theory
Hierarchy
of Needs Effects Coping

Theories of Opponent
Emotion Process

James-Lange
Cognitive
Appraisal
Cannon-Bard Schachter
two-factor