James Lange Theory Of

Emotions

James Lange Theory Of Emotion

Introduction:

Earliest theory of emotion . American PsychologistIn 1980s James and Lange Independently propose idea that challenge common sense about emotion

Commonsense tells us most of us

Cry

Lash

Tremble

Sad

Angry,

Afraid

Exlpanation

o This idea which came to known as James Lange theory is that people experience emotion because they perceive their bodies psychological response to external events.

o According to this theory people feel sad because they cry, and likewise they they feel happy because they smile.

Definition:

An emotional event occur a response in the autonomic nervous system. This response is detected by central nervous system to produce an emotional experience.

Example

James-Lange Theory

The James-Lange theory of emotion argues that an event causes physiological arousal first and then we interpret this arousal.  Only after our interpretation of the arousal can we experience emotion.  If the arousal is not noticed or is not given any thought, then we will not experience any emotion based on this event.

 

James-Lange 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.  You notice these physiological changes and interpret them as your body's preparation for a fearful situation.  You then experience fear.

 

Critisims James Lange theory was criticized on a large

scale.o Since the theory inception, scientists have found

evidence that not all aspects of the theory are relevant and true.

o The theory was criticized by Walter Cannon and Phillip Bard who theorized that psychological changes are caused by emotions ,which is essentially opposite to the James Lange theory known as Cannon Bard theory of emotion.

o Cannon emphasized that the viscera can be separated from central nervous system and have no impact on emotion.

o This contradicts the James Lange theory because James believed that viscera is the centre of emotion.

o Cannon examined research performed by Sherrington who separated the spinal cord and Vegas nerves from all connection in the rest of the body, and found that the experience of emotion did not change, thus disproving the idea that the viscera has a major impact on emotion.

oTheory faced some controversy more recently, by scientists such as Lisa Feldman Barrett and James Gross, Barrett says testing theory with electrical stimulation there is not a one to one response between behavior and category.

Facial Feedback and Emotions

o Paul Elman(1984), Carol Izard(1971), and Sliven Tomlinson(1981) hypothesized that facial feedback from facial muscles and facial skin contribute to our feelings specific emotion states, such as anger, happiness, fear, or sadness.

o James Laired and his colleagues reported that subjects who held a “smile” pose, later reported being in batter mood than those who held a “trown” pose.

o When compared with control subjects people who held a “smile” pose while watching cartoons reported that the cartoon were funnier and pleasant scenes.

o Winton concluded that a number of studies provide evidence that facial feedback can influence one's general mood.

o He added “there is very little evidence that facial feedback actually causes a specific emotion”

References

An approach to Psychology Vol 1 by Rukhshanda Shahnaz

Www.Sparknotes.comCannon Walter The American Journal

of PsychologyFeldman Barrett, Lisa (2012)

“Emotions are real” American psychological association

An approach to Psychology Vol 1 by Rukhshanda Shahnaz.