Theories of Emotion in Action

Theories of Emotion in Action

Theories of emotions seek to describe the purpose, etiologies, and effects of human emotional reactions and how these emotions operate. Central to understanding human emotions are the theoretical postulates of James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schater-Singer, and cognitive mediational theories (Gu et al., 2019). The James-Lange theory of emotions posits that emotions proceed as a physiological reaction to external stimuli. An example is when an individual meets someone they love and their heart races. Per the theory, the increase in heart rate will make the individual realize that they indeed love the other person.

The Cannon-Bard theory is skewed towards the simultaneity of emotional and physiological experiences. Per the theory, physiological reactions can occur independently of emotions, and emotions are not mere factors of physiological responses, as detailed by James Lange. An example is when an individual’s heart races when they meet someone they love. It may not be the love causing their heart to race but something else. Thus, meeting a loved one may bring about both feelings of love and a racing heart.

The Schater-Singer theory is cognition-based. It postulates that human thought processes are responsible for their emotions. In this respect, contact with external stimuli will elicit a physiological response that the individual must interpret to discern whether it is an emotion or not. An example of the Schater-Singer theory is when two people encounter a traumatic experience, such as coming across a snake. Both persons experience increased heart rate as a result of this encounter. This denotes the physiologic response. However, before running away, they must first decode this physiological change and attach it to fear.

The cognitive mediational theory posits emotions result from the brain’s appraisal of the stimuli. An example of this theory is when a dog unexpectedly barks behind or near an individual. As per the theory, physiological responses such as an elevation of heart rate will ensue, and at the same time, the feeling of fear may be apparent.

References

Gu, S., Wang, F., Patel, N. P., Bourgeois, J. A., & Huang, J. H. (2019). A model for basic emotions using observations of behavior in drosophila. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Read the directions.
Create your response. Please use 12-point font, black print, and double-spaced lines (standard APA format)
Save on your device.
Come back here and click “Start.”
Copy/Paste.
Click “Submit.”
Assignment: Theories of Emotion

Theories of Emotion in Action

STEP 1: Using a stimulus of your choosing (not one found in your text) demonstrate the James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer, and cognitive-mediational theories of emotion. Describe each in just a few sentences.