Cannon Bard Theory of Emotion 

Introduction

 Cannon and later another psychologist Philip bard conclude that body arousal and emotional experiences occur simultaneously

Definition 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 behaviour.  

Cannon Theory

EXAMPLE:  

You are walking down a dark alley late at night.  You hear footsteps behind you and you begin to tremble, your heart beats faster, and your breathing deepens.  At the same time as these physiological changes occur you also experience the emotion of fear.

Explenation:

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 .

Criticism:Cannon bard theory seems to have

been accurate in it rejection of James, Lange Theory that physiological arousal alone accounts for emotions.

It is understands that hypothalamus and limbic system play a major role in emotion and not the thalamus .

The Scachter Singer Theory

Introduction:Stanley Schechter and gernel singer

(1962) were the first who focused on the role of cognition and emphasized that we identify the emotion we are experiencing by observing our environment and comparing ourselves with other .

Definition:According to this theory an event causes physiological arousal first. You must the then identify a reason for this arousal and then you are label to experience and label the emotion.

Example:

You are walking down a dark alley late at night your foot steps behind you and you begin to tremble , your heart beat faster and your breathing deepens upon nothing this arousal you realize that it comes fuel that you are walking down a dark alley by you self this behaviour is dangerous and therefore you feel the emotion of fear.

Two Factor Theory of Emotions:

Introduction:

This theory is also known two factor theory two factor theory of emotions (Mandler1984) Schechter and singer (1962)

According to them emotions result from the psychological arousal as well as the cognitive appraisal ( evolution ) of the situation.

Definition:

Arousal comes first and is general in nature .according to Stanley Schechter the experience of emotions is the joint effect of physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal as both parts are necessary for an emotion to occur .

Attribution :

The labelling of arousal depends on an attribution which is the processes of identifying the cause of some events . People may attribute their

physiological arousal to different emotion. Depending on the available information , especially about the situation

For Example

If some one is watching the final moments of a crucial football match then he may attribute his rapid breathing , racing heart and perspiration to excitement, but the same physiological changes may be attribute to anxiety if individual is waiting for an important exams to begin.so emotion depends how we label our reaction .

Appraisal

Our appraisal of a situation contributes to our emotional experience. If we are in a car that starts to roll sown a step incline .we experience fear or terror , but if we know the car is part of fear will be less or cmotion will be different quality of emotion would be determined by the appraisal of situation if they are in a neural state of autonomic arousal .

Criticism

Criticism of this theory has come from attempted replication of the Schechter and singer(1962)study.

Marshal(1976)fried to replicate the Schechter and singer euphoria condition just Schechter and singer did the subjects were injected with epinephrine or a placebo except the administrator told the subject that they will be experiencing non arousal symptoms. Schechter and singer have made easier to follow the interplay between body and brain.

Emotion researcher Richard Lazarus disagree he says even instantaneously felt emotion require some sort of quick cognitive appraisal of the situation, otherwise, how do we know what are reacting to? 

Criticism:

Lazarus and zajonc agree that some emotional response involve no conscious thinking especially simple likes ,dislikes and fears .other emotions including the moods are greatly affected by our interpretation , memories and expectation ,such as depression and complex feelings such as hatred and love

Conclusion

Emotion are such complex phenomenon that no single theory has been able to explain all facets of emotional experience completely and satisfactorily .

for each three major theories , there is contradictory evidence of one sort of another , and therefore , no theory has proved invariably accurate in its prediction .

Referances Books

AN APPROACH TO PSYCHOLOGY [RAKHSHANDA SHAHNAZ]

COTTON ,EUROPIAN JOURANAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL 11-365-397

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