Patients who have spinal injuries that reduce their experience of arousalĪlso report decreases in emotional responses (Hohmann, 1966). On the other hand, and as predicted by the James-Lange theory, our experiences of emotion are weaker without arousal. 2 The process happens so quickly that it may feel to us as if emotion is simultaneous with our physical arousal. TheĮmotional circuits in the limbic system are activated when an emotional stimulus is experienced, and these circuits quickly create corresponding physical reactions (LeDoux, 2000). The operation of the fa st emotional pathway ( Figure 10.2) supports the idea that arousal and emotions occur together. There is research evidence to support each of these theories. Patterns of arousal may create different emotional experiences. 1 A fundamental aspect of the James-Lange theory is that different Sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble” (James, 1884, p. The fear does not occur along with the racing heart but occurs b ec a use of the racing heart. This approach proposes that the arousal and the emotion are not independent, but rather that the emotionĭepends on the arousal. According to the James-Lange theory of emotion, our ex p e ri e n c e ofĪn e motion is the r e sult of the arousal that w e ex p e ri e n c e. Thus, according to this model of emotion, as we become aware of danger, our heart rate also increases.Īlthough the idea that the experience of an emotion occurs alongside the accompanying arousal seems intuitive to our everyday experiences, the psychologists William James and Carl Lange hadĪnother idea about the role of arousal.

According to the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion, the ex p e ri e n c e of an e motion is a cc ompani e d b y ph y siologi c al arousal. According to the theory of emotion proposed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard, the experience of theĮmotion (in this case, “I’m afraid”) occurs alongside our experience of the arousal (“my heart is beating fast”).

Started beating like crazy.” At least some psychologists agree with this interpretation. If your experiences are like mine, as you reflected on the arousal that you have experienced in strong emotional situations, you probably thought something like, “I was afraid and my heart Model proposes that arousal and cognition combine to create emotion. The James-Lange theory proposes the emotion is the result of arousal. The Cannon-Bard theory proposes that emotions and arousal occur at the same time. Certainly you experienced arousal, but did the arousal come before, after, orĪlong with the experience of the emotion? Psychologists have proposed three different theories of emotion, which differ in terms of the hypothesized role of arousal in emotion ( Figure 10.3). If you think back to a strong emotional experience, you might wonder about the order of the events that occurred. Perhaps when you were in love, angry, embarrassed, frustrated, or very sad. You were experiencing the physiological part of emotion-arousal-and I’m sure you have had similar feelings in other situations, Perhaps you remember being flushed, your heart pounding,įeeling sick to your stomach, or having trouble breathing. I’m sure that you remember that your emotional reaction was in large part physical. You to slam on your brakes to avoid an accident. Or maybe you were calmly cruising down a street in your neighborhood when another car suddenly pulled out in front of you, forcing Think that someone had broken into your house or apartment. Perhaps you woke up in the middle of the night in a panic because you heard a noise that made you Recall for a moment a situation in which you have experienced an intense emotional response. Available under Creative Commons-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Cannon bard theory of emotion