Blank Fill Out: Schachter & Singer

Overall Aim

To test the two-factor theory

Aim One

To investigate the **role cognitive factors** have in the **experience of emotion** when we are in a state of **physiological arousal** that has no **immediate explanation**

Aim Two

If a person experiences a **state of arousal** for which they have an **appropriate explanation**, then to observe whether the person will always **label it as the most appropriate emotion**

Aim Three

To see whether a person will **react emotionally** to a certain **situation** based on their **physiology** even if the **cognitive elements** of the situation **remain the same**

Schachter Two-Factor Theory

• When a person experiences an emotion, physiological arousals occurs and the person uses their immediate environment to give it a cognitive label

• Sometimes misinterpretations of emotions based on physiological arousal

• When the brain doesn’t know it relies on external stimulation for cues on how to label the emotion

Describe the __**participants**__ used

• 184 male students

• University of Minnesota

• Introductory psychology course

• Bribed w/ 2 extra points on final per hour of experiment

Describe the __**procedure**__: Pre-Injection

1. Health service clearance given for the injection on students

2. Told to be given vitamin supplement to improve vision

3. Taken to a private room, researchers explained they'd be injecting them with suproxin

4. Subjects asked whether they agreed to injection (only 1 refused and left)

5. Pulse rate taken prior to experiment

6. Subjects place into one of four groups: Epi Ign, Epi Inf, Epi Mis, Saline

Describe the __**procedure**__: Post-Injection

1. Researcher left room & returned with the stooge (the stooge posed as a real participant)

2. Both (stooge & subject) told they have to wait 20 minutes before test began

3. The setting was an untidy room

4. The subject was secretly being watched behind a one-way mirror

Describe the __**procedure**__: Euphoria

1. Before leaving the room, researcher informed they could use the materials in the room

2. Stooge went through set procedure that would hopefully cause feelings of euphoria for the subject

3. To begin, Stooge drew fish on scrap paper and tried to throw it into the bin because the paper was no good.

4. The Stooge would always miss and try to make it into a basketball game and get the real participant involved.

5. The confederate would use items purposefully left in the room to engage in activities like making a paper airplane.

6. If the true participant initiated an activity, the stooge would join along.

Describe the __**procedure**__: Anger

1. Researcher told participants they had to fill out a questionnaire before leaving the room

2. Just before beginning the questionnaire, stooge complained that it was unfair the researcher hadn't revealed the injection beforehand

3. Confederate would raise questions (and react angrily) as they progressed through the questionnaire, for example:

   1. Commenting about how it was too difficult to remember all their childhood diseases

   2. They would angrily cross out a question that asked which family member best describes the statement “doesn’t shower often”

   3. Finally, they would tear up the paper and storm out when a question asked about their sex life