Theories of Emotion

In today’s science, emotion is often correlated with neurological and bodily changes. For example, when one experiences fear, the bodily changes often include an increase of heart rate, a tension of the muscles and sweating. Below are a few examples of such somatic theories of emotion:

James-Lange theory of emotion-

This theory suggests that emotion is the result of the physiological changes in the nervous system. The order of processes would thus be described as some event, leading to an arousal of physiological changes, which then leads to interpretations of the feelings which ARE what we call, emotions. A real world example of this would be one seeing a bear. The muscles tense, heart rate increases. Our perceptions of these feelings result as an emotion, fear. This theory suggests that the physiological changes are the emotions.

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion-

This theory suggests that physiological changes and the experienced emotions happen simultaneously, rather than emotions occurring as an interpretation of physiological changes as stated in the James-Lange Theory. Stated another way, emotions are interpreted from the situation, rather than the bodily changes. Using the bear example, under this theory, one would see a bear, then experience fear simultaneously with the physiological changes such as an increase in heart rate and the tensing of muscles.

Two Factor Theory of Emotion (Schacter-Singer Theory)-

This theory of emotion suggests that human emotion consists of two factors; a physiological arousal and ones understanding of that arousal (interpretation of the bodily changes) and the outside events. In other words, a physiological change is brought on by an outside event (Perception of stimulus). We then associate these bodily changes and the outside event with a label of an emotion. In the bear example, we would perceive a bear and physiological changes would occur. These bodily changes that we feel when we are in the presence of a bear we would interpret as fear, and most likely run away.

http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/The_Schachter-Singer_Theory_of_Emotion

http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/a_emotion.htm