5 Theories of Emotions Explained.

An Introduction

Emotions are connected to one's mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. Emotions can be thought of as unidentified thoughts.

When you feel something, for example, it is likely that you are thinking about something unconsciously. They manifest tingles, hot spots, and muscular tension in our bodies. While emotions have cognitive components, it is the physical sensation that distinguishes them.

List of 5 Theories of Emotions.

1. James-Lange Theory
2. Cannon-Bard Theory
3. The Schachter-Singer Theory
4.  Opponent Process Theory
5. Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Emotion

1-James-Lange Theory

William James and Carl Lange proposed this theory. According to the theory, individuals experience emotions as a result of physiological changes. Thus, an individual's emotions can be defined as a reaction or response to bodily changes that occur as a result of certain external events and situations (Feldman, 2015). When a person is exposed to an external event or situation, he or she will have a physiological reaction. And how this physiological reaction is interpreted determines the individual's emotional reaction. For example, if a teacher catches a student playing a game in class, the student will experience physiological changes such as rapid heartbeats. The student interprets this physiological reaction as fear ("My heart is racing, so I must be scared").

The theory has been criticized because in some circumstances, emotions may be experienced prior to physiological reactions. Additionally, because visceral changes occur at a slow rate, it may be difficult to deduce how they are the source of the emotions experienced. Additionally, some emotional experiences may occur in the absence of physiological arousal. For instance, while exercising, an individual may experience a rapid heartbeat, which is not necessarily a sign of fear. Thus, physiological changes alone are insufficient to elicit an emotional response. Additionally, diverse emotions may be associated with similar visceral changes, which contradicts the theory's assumptions. For instance, an individual may cry both when happy and when sad. In this context, one might also mention the facial feedback hypothesis, which states that emotional experiences are influenced by sensory feedback received via the facial musculature. Thus, facial expressions can amplify emotional feelings.

2-Cannon-Bard Theory

Walter Cannon and Philip Bard proposed this theory. This theory postulates that a single nerve stimulus (originating in the thalamus) induces both physiological arousal and emotional experiences concurrently. Thus, when an individual perceives an emotion-producing stimulus, the thalamus sends a signal simultaneously to the autonomic nervous system, which produces the visceral reaction, and to the cerebral cortex, which processes the emotional experience.

While the theory rejects the view that physiological arousal results in emotional experience, recent research has highlighted the role of the hypothalamus and limbic system in emotional experience (rather than the thalamus) (Feldman, 2015).

3-The Schachter-Singer Theory

This theory, also known as the two-factor theory, was proposed by Stanley Schachter and Jerome E. Singer. It is based on the belief that "emotions are determined jointly by a nonspecific type of physiological arousal and its interpretation in response to environmental cues" (Feldman, 2015, pg. 316). Thus, the theory states that individuals identify their emotions based on their observations of the environment and their comparisons to others. Schachter and Singer also tested this hypothesis in their experiment. In 1962, an experiment was conducted on a sample of 184 participants (male college students) who were informed they would be receiving an injection of a vitamin to assess its effect on visual abilities. A doctor then administered either a placebo (a saline solution with no known side effects) or epinephrine (adrenalin) to the participants. Epinephrine is a drug that mimics the physiological responses that occur during intense emotional experiences (increased heart rate, blood sugar levels, increased breathing, increased blood flow to the brain and muscles, and so on). Individuals receiving epinephrine injections may experience trembling, rapid heartbeats, flushing, and other symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions:

a) Participants who received epinephrine without being informed of its effect.

[Adrenalin illiterate]

b) Participants who received epinephrine (despite the fact that they were told they were receiving a vitamin injection) and were informed about the effects (of the vitamin) were thus prepared. [Informed by Adrenaline]

c) Participants who received epinephrine (despite the fact that they were told they were receiving a vitamin injection) but were misinformed about the effects (of the vitamin) and were told they would experience headaches and numbness in their feet. [Adrenalin misleads]

d) Placebo-treated participants. [This group served as a control]

The participants were then placed in situations with a confederate who exhibited one of the two behaviours. The confederate was either delighted and ecstatic or enraged and hostile. The study's objective was to ascertain the participants' emotional response to the confederates' behaviours.

The findings indicated that participants attributed their physiological arousal to the behaviour of others and environmental cues. Thus, one could say that this theory takes a cognitive approach to emotions.

4-Opponent Process Theory

The theory's central tenet is that "an emotional response to a stimulus is automatically followed by an opposite reaction; repeated exposure to a stimulus weakens the initial reaction while strengthening the opponent process (opposite reaction)" (Baron, 2005 pg. 398). Thus, the theory asserts that the physical law that every action results in a reaction also applies to emotion. The theory has been applied to the study of drug addiction. When a person first begins to use drugs, he or she may experience intense pleasure. However, with repeated use of drugs, the intensity of pleasure decreases and the withdrawal symptoms become more severe. Thus, the individual now consumes drugs in order to avoid the negative feelings associated with abstinence rather than for pleasure.

5-Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Emotion

Richard Lazarus proposed this theory in 1970. According to the theory, any piece of information is appraised using a variety of sources, the majority of which involve cognition. Thus, emotions are the result of appraisals of information received from the environment and the body.

Additionally, the past experiences and dispositions that influence how one reacts, as well as consideration of the possible consequences of an emotional action, all contribute to the appraisal process. Additionally, the theory emphasizes reappraisal of the situation that elicited emotions. Reappraisal also aids in coping with stressful situations. For instance, when a student is informed that he/ she will be contacted by the college's principal, the student will feel apprehensive, as he/ she will wonder why he/ she is being contacted. However, when the Principal informs the student that he or she has been chosen for an educational trip abroad, the situation is reassessed and the student experiences happiness.