Cannon bard theory, psychology for nurses,

1. CANNON-BARD
THEORY OF EMOTIONS
PREPARED BY:
 Pratiksha Badal
 Prayukyti Parajuli
 Rakshya Aryal
 Rashmi Yadav

2. INTRODUCTION
In 1927, American psychologist walter cannon discarded
james lange theory which was later reinforced by LL
Bard’s work on thalamus.
This theory is also known as thalamic ,hypothalamic and
central theory of emotions.
LL. Brad proposed that lower brain centers, specially
thalamus and hypothalamus are responsible for
emotional reactions.
Stimulus is received and impulses reach the thalamic-

3.  This theory tries to maintain emotion and physiological
responses simultaneously but are independent to each
other.
Perceived
stimulus
Experienced
emotion
(behavorial)
Body responses
(physiological)

4.  First we perceive emotional producing situation;
hypothalamus are activated and it sends output in two
directions-
1. Internal organs and external organs
2. Cerebral cortex
Emotion
provokin
g
stimulus
Thalamus
Hypo-
thalamus
Cerebral
cortex
Muscles/
glands

5. EXAMPLE 1.
 You go to visit your
friend house, you see
a dog growling or
barking and the dog
makes you feel afraid
and you experience
increased heart rate
and sweating.

6. EXPLANATION
According to this theory of emotion, the dog’s bark
triggers two separate regions of the brain: the thalamus
and the cortex.
Because the dog triggers the cortex, which controls
physical reactions, the person trembles. However, the
person feels fear because the bark triggers their
thalamus, which controls conscious feeling of emotion.
In theory, if that person’s thalamus or cortex were
dysfunctional, the person may be able to feel fear
without trembling or tremble without feeling fear. The

7. EXAMPLE 2.
 You are walking
alone at night. You
hear footsteps behind
you and you begin to
tremble, your heart
beats faster, your
breathing deepens. At
the same time as
these physiological
changes occur you
also experience the
emotion of fear.

8. CRITICISM
Strength
 Cannon-bard theory seems to have been accurate in
rejection of james lange theory that physiological arousal
alone accounts for emotion. According to cannon's
theory, the emotional experience occurs as soon as the
cortex receives the messages from the thalamus; it
doesn't depend upon the feedback from internal organs
and skeletal responses.
 Physiological arousal and emotional reactions are
independent to each other. They occur simultaneously

9. Weakness
 This theory explains the physiological arousal and
emotional responses but it does not emphasizes on
psychological and cognitive response.
 This theory doesn't consider the influence of
physiological or physical reactions on emotion.

10. REFERENCES
• N.K. An and shikha goel . psychology for nurses
• Jacob anthikad.Psychology for graduate nurses