AP PSYCH 7.3 Theories of Emotion

• Emotion is a physiological and cognitive response to our situation
• The theories generally deal with the order in which mental and physical reactions occur

James-Lange

• This theory proposes that we take in stimulus, which causes physical arousal
  • Activation of the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system to prepare for the situation
  • Also activity in the limbic system, notably the amygdala
• The physical feeling then tells us to have an emotional experience
• Emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events
• The weakness of this theory is that it relies on the premise that every emotion is accompanied by a unique pattern of physiological arousal
  • Some doubt if there are enough subtle bodily reactions to inform our mind of each emotion

Schachter-Singer/Two-Factor

• The two-factor theory incorporates cognition
• Claims that stimulus comes in, the body reacts physically, the mind then appraises the situation, and finally, an emotional response occurs
• Cognition is like asking what it should attribute the body’s reaction to
• Cognitive appraisal precedes the emotional experience
• The problem is that some emotions seem automatic, like fear
  • There is no appraisal involved

Cannon-Bard

• This theory proposes that as stimulus comes in, physiological arousal and the emotional experience occur independently of one another
• This is attributed mainly to the thalamus, which sends all sensory information to everything at the same time
• In the same fashion, the body and the mind receive the stimulus information and react simultaneously, but not because of one another
• The weakness of Cannon-Bard theory is that it doesn’t factor in novel situations where we may be unclear as to what we feel

Lazarus

• Lazarus disputed all of these theories, claiming that we, as humans, never stop subconsciously appraising our situation
• His theory explains that since cognition is always taking place, we are always appraising our situation and subsequently informing the body and mind how to respond
• This creates physiological arousal and an emotional experience independent of one another, and non necessarily happening at the same time
• The weakness of this theory is the same as two-factor, in that some emotions seem to be immediate and automatic, almost primal in nature

Zajonc; LeDoux

• This theory describes the ‘high road’ and ‘low road’
• This addresses the weakness of other theories that some emotions are automatic like fear, anger, and surprise
• The ‘low-road’ explains emotional experiences that are quick and require no cognition, theorized that the stimulus goes straight to the cerebellum and limbic system
  • This is like the cannon-bard theory, referencing the thalamus
• The ‘high-road’ is cognitive emotion, going to the higher processes that are literally higher in the brain like the frontal cortex
  • This part of the theory implies that the thalamus sends this stimulus to the cortex, it is processed there, then sent to the amygdala for a reaction
  • This would include emotions like guilt, happiness, and love

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