THEORIES OF

EMOTIONS
(PART 2)
SHACHTER AND SINGER’S THEORY OF
EMOTION

• Emerged in 1960s as part of “cognitive revolution”

• Also known as two factor theory
• According to this theory:
Emotion = Physical arousal + Cognitive Label/Appraisal
CONT.

“It focuses on the interaction between physical arousal

and how we cognitively label that arousal. In other
words, simply feeling arousal is not enough; we also
must identify the arousal in order to feel the emotion.”
COMPARISON
PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE
THEORY
EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED BY
SCHACHTER AND SINGER
EXPERIMENT CONT.
 CRITICISM

• Other researchers have only partially supported the findings

• Contradictory results at times
• We sometimes show emotional reactions before the
interpretation or cognitive labelling of the situation.
 ZANJONC-LE DOUX THEORY

•  Emotional responses and cognitive responses do not always

follow a specific pattern
• Some emotions are processed before cognition, while others
come after cognition.
• Emotions that are helpful to our survival (e.g., fear) come
before our cognitive rationalization
 EXAMPLE

You were sleeping peacefully but suddenly you have been

startled awake by a loud banging noise.
i. Your immediate response is fear.
ii. Within seconds, you realize that it’s raining hard, and you
rationalize those sounds as claps of thunder.
EXPLANATION

Emotional responses follow two different brain pathways:

1. A “high road” ; stimulus follows the following path

Sense Amygdal
Cortex Response
organ a
CONT.

2. The speedy “low road”; a neural shortcut that by

passes the cortex

Sense Amygdal
Response
organ a