Schachter and

Singer (1962)
Background
❏ Two factor theory
❏ Cognition
❏ Emotion
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Aim
➜ To test the Two-Factor Theory of Emotion.
➜ If, given a state of physiological arousal for which the individual
has no adequate explanation, cognitive factors can lead the
individual to describe their feelings with an of a number of
emotional labels.

Hypotheses
1. If a person experiences a
state of arousal for which
they have no immediate
explanation, they will label
this state and describe their
feelings in terms of the
cognitions available to them
at the time.
2.If a person experiences a
state of arousal for which
they have an appropriate
explanation,then they will be
unlikely to label their feelings
in terms of the alternative
cognitions available..
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3. If a person is put in a
situation, which in the past
could have made them feel
an emotion, they will react
emotionally or experience
emotions only if they are in
a state of physiological
arousal.
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Research method and design

➜ Lab experiment
➜ IV : knowledge about the injections
(informed, misinformed or ignorant)
➜ IV : emotional situation (euphoria , anger)
➜ Control group - saline solution (placebo)
➜ Experimental group - epinephrine
➜ DV : observational data & self-report
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Sample
➜ 185 male college students
➜ Health records checked
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➜ effects of vitamin supplements on vision
➜ Doctor injects “suproxin” Procedure
➜ Experimental group : adrenalin (epinephrine)
➜ Control group : placebo (saline)
➜ Epinephrine group - informed, ignorant or misinformed
➜ Informed : actual side effects
➜ Misinformed : fake side effects
➜ Ignorant : no side effects
➜ Stooge
➜ Exposed to euphoria or anger
➜ Euphoria condition
➜ Anger condition , questionnaire
➜ Pulse rate measured, self report questionnaire
➜ Debriefing
Results ● Adrenaline group : pulse rate,
palpitations , tremors
● Informed - less euphoric than
misinformed & ignorant
● No difference in euphoria in misinformed
& placebo groups
● Misinformed - more activities &
behaviors
● Euphoria condition - misinformed
group : happier ; informed - less positive
● Anger condition - ignorant group :
angriest
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“
Strengths

➜ High standardization
➜ High control
➜ Debriefing
➜ Observations : increasing
reliability and validity
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Weakness

➢ Mundane realism
➢ Deception
➢ Ethics : protection from harm
➢ Independent measures
➢ Generalizability
➢ Population validity
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ISSUES & DEBATES

❖ Application to daily life

❖ Individual vs situational explanations
❖ Nature vs nurture