This document discusses four theories of emotion: 1. James-Lange theory proposes that bodily responses generate emotions rather than vice versa. 2. Cannon-Bard theory argues that emotions and bodily responses occur simultaneously upon perception of a stimulus. 3. Schachter-Singer theory suggests we interpret bodily arousal based on environmental cues to experience specific emotions. 4. Cognitive appraisal theory emphasizes that cognition and evaluation of information from our environment, body and memory determine our emotional response. Reappraisal can influence the intensity of emotions we experience.

1. EMOTION

2. • Stirred up state caused by physiological changes occurring as a
response to some event and which tends to maintain or abolish the
event. (FISH)
• Spontaneous and transitory experience similar to but not identical to
feeling, as it need not incorporate the physical accompaniments of
the experience. (SIMS)
• Complex feeling state with psychic, somatic, and behavioral
components. (SYNOPSIS)

3. Theories of Emotion
1. James-lang theory
2. Cannon-bard theory
3. Schachter-singer theory
4. A Cognitive appraisal theory

4. James – Lange Theory
• Felt Emotion is the Perception of Bodily Changes
• One of the earliest theory
• American psychologist William James suggested “we feel sorry because we cry,
angry because we strike, afraid because we trembled.”
• Our perception of the reaction is the basis for the emotion we experience.
Error:
• There must be different set of internal and external bodily changes for each
emotion.
• But our perception of internal changes is not very acute.
• That was the weakness of this theory.

5. • Perception of environmental situation
• Reaction to Situation with Bodily activity
• Feeling of Emotion – Different one for each pattern of bodily activity

6. Cannon – Bard theory
• Felt Emotion and Bodily Responses are Independent Events and both are
triggered simultaneously.
• Potential emotion producing situation in outer world Activation of lower brain
area such as hypothalamus Output of impulse in two directions
1. To internal body organs & to external muscles to produce bodily expression of
emotion
2. To cerebral cortex where pattern of discharge from lower brain area felt as
emotion

7. Hypothalamus

8. Schachter – Singer Theory
• The Interpretation of Bodily Arousal
• Emotion we feel is due to our interpretation of aroused or “stirred up” bodily
state
• Theory suggest that bodily state of emotional arousal is same for most of the
emotions & even if they are physiologically different we cannot perceive them
• We experience the emotion that seems appropriate to the situation in which we
find ourselves.

9. • Sequence of events to produce emotion according to Schachter-singer theory
• Perception of potential emotional provoking situation
• Aroused bodily state resulted from perception
• Interpretation & labelling of bodily state so it fits the perceived situation

10. • Example : A student who unexpectedly learns he made Phi, Beta, Kappa
Experience the state of arousal he will label as ‘JOY’.
• Schachter & Singer also done experiment for the same theory by giving
epinephrine injections to the subjects which resulted that
• Different emotions – Euphoria or Anger were experienced by same state of
physiological arousal

11. Cognitive Appraisal Theory
• By Richard and his co-workers
• Theory emphasize on appraisal of information from several sources
• Appraisal involves cognition or evaluation of information coming from the
environmental, the body, and the memory. So this theory is also known as
Cognitive theory.
• Richard & his co-workers done an experiment for this theory on student by
showing them emotion producing movie with different type of sound track.
(Movie : circumcision rites of Australian aborigines & Sound track : Trauma track,
Denial track, intellectualization track, Silent track.)
• This experiment suggested that Relative to trauma and silent condition, the
emotional impact of both intellectualization and denial condition decreased.
• Conclusion : Different emotional reactions to the same stimulus occurred
because of difference in the subjects appraisal of stimulus.

12. • Reappraisal of potentially emotion producing situation is important part of this
cognitive theory.
• Reappraisal is also a way of coping with stressful situation.
• Example : Suppose you called in by dean, your appraisal of this situation first
creates apprehension but suppose when you go in he tells you that he wants you
to be a student representative on the student discipline committee.
• Reappraisal occurs and your apprehension turns into joy.
• People who reappraise emotion producing situations with Denial (It isn’t really
stressful at all, think positively), intellectualization (This is all very interesting),
reaction formation (This isn’t stressful, and in fact it’s a great learning experience)
or other normal defence mechanisms, may find that they are able to reduce the
intensity of disturbing emotional feeling.