Emotion
Emotions involve the body, thoughts, and behaviour, and theories differ about which comes first.
Theories of emotion
The James-Lange theory says we feel emotion because of our bodily reactions: we feel afraid because we tremble. The Cannon-Bard theory says bodily arousal and emotional experience happen at the same time. The Schachter-Singer two-factor theory says emotion depends on arousal plus a cognitive label that explains it.
Expressing emotion
Paul Ekman's research found that several basic facial expressions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust, are recognised across cultures. Cultures also have display rules that govern when it is appropriate to show emotions. The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that making an expression can slightly influence how we feel.
Emotion and the brain
The amygdala helps detect threats and produce fear responses, sometimes before we are consciously aware of the threat. The prefrontal cortex helps regulate emotions. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognise, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others.
Flashcard
Emotion results from awareness of bodily changes
Check your understanding
According to the two-factor theory, a racing heart after climbing stairs might be felt as excitement if you then see someone you have a crush on because: