EMOTIONS!

Well, we discussed lots of intelligence theories in the past few blogs, so now it's time for emotion theories! Stay with me in this blog because we're going to be discussing several different theories.

William James
http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/
09/25/william-james-on-habit/

James-Lange Theory

Carl Lange
http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Carl_Lange_(physician)

This theory combines ideas of William James and Carl Lange. James and Lange both propose that emotions happen BECAUSE of an event. The equation that is proposed with this theory is...
event ---> arousal ---> interpretation ---> emotion
Example: I get home from a long day of school. No one else is home at my house, but I notice the front door is wide open. My heart starts to beat fast and my palms start to get sweaty. I'm very anxious and scared about someone being in our house.

Walter Cannon
http://www.the-aps.org/fm
/presidents/introwbc.html

Cannon-Bard Theory

Philip Bard
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?
record_id=5859&page=15

Walter Cannon and Philip Bard came up with a refutation to the James-Lange theory. Cannon and Bard thought that arousal and emotions occur simultaneously, instead of emotions following arousal (James-Lange). event ---> SIMULTANEOUS arousal, emotion
Example: After shopping, I pay for my items and go to leave the store. I feel someone following behind me. I get scared, so my heart starts to race and my muscles tense, in case I need to run away.

Stanley Schachter
http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Stanley_Schachter

Schachter-Singer Theory

Jerome Singer
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/2013/
12/10/conversation-on-daydreaming-with-jerome-l-singer/

Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer proposed a theory that is known as the Two-Factor Theory. They have a similar mindset to James-Lange in that arousal precedes emotion. However, Schachter and Singer thought that arousal could come from a variety of emotions. Let's look at my last example to explai
n this theory as well. I'm walking across a parking lot when a strange guy starts walking toward me. By way of the two-factor theory: I see the strange guy so my heart starts racing. My heart rate is because of fear, so I am afraid. See the difference?

Richard Lazarus
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media
/releases/2002/12/04_lazarus.html

Lazarus Theory
This theory can also be known as the appraisal theory. This theory goes against the Schachter-Singer Theory, but somewhat agrees with the Cannon-Bard Theory (there is an extra step in this one). Richard Lazarus proposed that there are two parts of appraisal in his theory. In primary appraisal, we think how a situation affects US. In secondary appraisal, we think about how we will handle the situation (emotionally). event ---> thinking ---> SIMULTANEOUS arousal, emotion
This could be a common feeling if one co-worker gets a raise and the other does not. There may be some feelings of resentment or hurt towards the co-worker who get the raise.




Of course, as with any subject in psychology, there are many more theories regarding emotion and how we, as humans, process it.
I know this blog isn't as interesting as some of the other ones, but in psychology, not everything is fun! We'll have more fun next time. So...you have to come back! Thanks for reading!