This document discusses four major biopsychological theories of emotion: Darwin's theory of evolutionary facial expressions, James-Lange's theory of physiological responses causing emotions, Cannon-Bard's theory of parallel emotional experiences and expressions, and limbic system theories of emotional regulation by structures like the hypothalamus and thalamus. Darwin proposed emotions and facial expressions are evolutionarily connected. James-Lange and Cannon-Bard differed on whether emotions cause physiological responses or occur simultaneously with them. Limbic theories see the limbic system interacting with the cortex to allow emotional experiences.

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Emotions
Angela Massiello
October 1, 2010
PSY/240
Susan Hull

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Biopsychology offers a number of theories on emotion. There are four schools of
biopsychological theories. The first is based on Darwin, then there are Cannon-Bard
and James Lange’s theories. The limbic system is also the basis for some of the other
theories on emotion (Pinel, 2007).
Darwin’s book, titled “The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals” (1872), on
the biological basis of emotion in which he presented the theory that emotional states
and facial expression are connected (Pinel, 2007). In his theory, he constructed emotion
as being evolutionarily based. An example of this is the threat displays that accompany
facial expressions we term ‘angry’. These expressions are generally seen during
aggressive or hostile human encounters (Pinel, 2007).
James-Lange theorized that stimuli that promote emotion are received by the brain’s
cortex and are interpreted by the brain. The brain signals cause visceral changes
through the autonomic nervous system which affect the somatic nervous system and
skeletal musculature as well (Pinel, 2007, p. 426). These changes are then responsible
for emotion in the brain (Pinel, 2007). In Cannon-Bard’s theories, emotion is seen as the
response to interactions between two separately occurring stimuli (Pinel, 2007). In
Cannon-Bard, stimuli that induce emotions cause the emotion to be felt in the brain as
well as being expressed in the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous
system (Pinel, 2007, p.426). These two theories differ in that Cannon-Bard theorized

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that emotional expressions and experiences are parallel processes. James-Lange
anticipated that emotion is the direct cause of reactions (Pinel, 2007, p. 426).
Limbic theories are based on the idea that emotional expression is regulated by the
thalamus’ border. The expression of our emotional states is based on the reactions of
the hypothalamus and limbic structures. The limbic theory also assumes that the limbic
system further interacts with the cortex to allow for emotional experience (Pinel, 2007,
p. 428).

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References
Pinel, J.P. (2007). Basics of biopsychology. Boston: Pearson Education.