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Issues with Early Theories of Emotion

• Early theories suggested unified emotional reactions to stimuli, but research by Schachter and Singer showed:

  • Diverse Reactions: Different individuals can have varied emotional responses to the same stimuli.

    • Example: Surprise birthday party can elicit joy from one friend while causing embarrassment for another.

  • Individual Variation: A person may react inconsistently over time based on situational or attitudinal factors.

    • E.g., A person may love a surprise birthday party one year but feel different due to contextual changes in another year.

Cognitive Appraisal

• Cognitive Appraisal: Key concept that addresses how individuals interpret and assign meaning to stimuli.

  • Different interpretations can lead to varying emotional outcomes.

    • Cultural Influences: Cultural contexts affect how emotions are perceived. For example:

      • Being alone may signify social rejection in some cultures, leading to feelings of sadness.

      • In busy, capitalist cultures, solitude may be seen as a short-lived respite, causing feelings of contentment instead.

Schachter and Singer's Two-Factor Theory

• Two-Factor Theory: Emotion arises from two factors:

  • Autonomic Arousal: Refers to the body's physiological responses.

  • Cognitive Interpretation: The mental evaluation of the arousal.

    • E.g., Being stuck in traffic can lead to anger through cognitive labeling of the physiological response.

Example of Fear Response

• Situation Example:

  • Standing in the middle of the road as a car approaches constitutes stimulus perception.

  • Physiological Response: Pounding heart denotes autonomic arousal.

  • Cognitive Labeling: Interpretation leads to the conclusion "I am afraid."

Layers of Cognitive Appraisal

• Nature of Appraisals:

  • Can be conscious or unconscious, affecting how we express emotions and actions taken.

  • Appraisals can arise from learned experiences or innate predispositions.

• These appraisals elucidate why distinct people react emotionally differently to identical stimuli.

Misattribution of Arousal

• Misattribution of Arousal: Occurs when an individual incorrectly labels their physiological state.

  • Example: A pounding heart could signify fear or anger, depending on situational appraisal.

  • First Date Activities: Popularity of horror movies/roller coasters derives from misattributing fear as attraction.

    • Physiological response (fast heartbeat) is linked to the presence of an attractive partner instead of the fear-inducing activity.

  • Exploiting misattribution enhances the dating experience, suggesting that thrilling or frightening activities can create romantic connections.