Cannon-Bard Theory

Introduction
• Cannon and later another psychologist Philip bard
conclude that body arousal and emotional experiences
occur simultaneously
What is this?
• The Cannon-Bard theory argues that we experience
physiological arousal and emotional at the same time,
but gives no attention to the role of thoughts or
outward behavior.
• Seeing a snake might prompt both the feeling of fear (an
emotional response) and a racing heartbeat (a physical
reaction). Cannon-Bard suggests that both of these reactions
occur simultaneously and independently. In other words, the
physical reaction isn’t dependent on the emotional reaction,
and vice versa.
• The theory assume that emotional states and the physiological
reactions work independently, but are triggered by the same
nerve impulse simultaneously

• cannon and bard viewed that we experience emotions

normally because they believed emotion occur separately.
Forum the body’s arousal