There are several theorys of emotion, and it has been greatly debated about. I will be mentioning three theories that I learnt from my Psychology class.
To start, let me define three terms
Stimulus: an input from the environment
Concscious feeling: the emotion that is experienced
Autonomous arousal: changes in physiological states (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing etc.)
From commonsense you would come to think that you see a stimulus, feel the emotion and then have the change in automous arousal, but the next three theories states otherwise.
Let us examine the example of seeing a dog and feeling afraid. Commense sense: you see the dog, you feel afraid and therefore you experience faster heart rate, blood pressure etc. (autonomous arousal) - you're trembling because you are afraid.
James-Lange Theory
- states that people's conscous feelingsresults from one's perception of autonomous arousal.
> in the same example, you would feel afraid because you are trembling.
Cannon-Bard Theory
- argued that people dont always experience emotions after autonomous arousal and that autonomic arousal is sometimes too slow to precede emotional experiences thus he claimed that emotion occurs the stimulus is processed through subcortical brain activity and results in either autonomous arousal or conscous feeling, or both.
> i.e. the dog makes me tremble and feel afraid.
Schachter's Two-Factor Theory
- asserts taht people look at situational cues to identify their conscous feeling; when one experiences an autonomous arousal s/he interprets thatarousal by appraising the situation.
> I label my trembling as fear because I appraise the situation of the dog to be dangerous.
McCann, Doug and Wayne Weiten. (2007) "Theories of Emotion". Psychology: Themes & Variations. (pp 424-425). Canada: Nelson
Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions was created in 1939.
The contagion theory suggests that behaviors, emotions, or beliefs can spread rapidly through a group of people, similar to the spread of a contagious disease. This theory emphasizes how individuals can be influenced by the thoughts and actions of those around them, leading to the rapid dissemination of ideas or behaviors within a social network.
George Ramsay has written: 'An essay on the distribution of wealth' -- subject(s): Distribution (Economic theory), Wealth 'Analysis and theory of the emotions' -- subject(s): Accessible book, Emotions
The James-Lange theory of emotions acknowledges the role of the limbic system. This theory suggests that our emotions are a result of the body's physiological response to stimuli, which includes activation of the limbic system in the brain.
Schacter's Two Factors
Schacter's Two Factors
A cognitive label; physical arousal
According to this theory, individual differences in temperament play a vital role in how children regulate their emotions and emotions are products of biological factors.
The expectancy theory ignores the central role that emotions play on effort and behavior (McShane and Von Glinow).
William James is associated with functionalism, a psychological theory that focuses on how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment. He believed that the purpose of consciousness is to help individuals navigate the world and make decisions.
The Cognitive Neoassociationistic Theory posits that negative emotions and thoughts can activate specific memory networks, leading to a cascade of negative thoughts and emotions. This theory suggests that our emotional and cognitive responses are interlinked and influence each other, contributing to patterns of behavior. It emphasizes the role of cognitive and emotional processes in shaping our reactions to stimuli and experiences.
The central idea of psychoanalytic theory is that unconscious thoughts and emotions influence behavior. This theory posits that early childhood experiences shape adult personality and that exploring the unconscious mind can help individuals understand their motivations and behaviors.