Memory “nodes” are created, that contain a range of information that pertains to the valence of a stimulus – these nodes can be elaborated upon as new information emerges, and new stimuli are encountered, ultimately developing a network of responses. Then, we experience the emotion.
A mood is described by the APA as “any short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity.” Moods differ from emotions because they lack stimuli and have no clear starting point.
The reactions of the nervous system could include a fast heartbeat, tensed muscles, sweating and more. This theory is connected to the work of Charles Darwin and William James that hypothesized that facial expressions impact emotion as opposed to their being a response to an emotion.
Emotion is an acute disturbance of the indivi dual as a whole, psychological in origin, i nvolving behavior , conscious experience and viceral functioning. A bachelor’s degree from the University of West Alabama will give you a foundation in experimental design and data analysis. They often rule over how we interact with the world, biasing our perceptions when we encounter new stimuli, and shaping how we attend to stimuli too. Still, there’s a good basis of knowledge to analyze when exploring the topic.
Emotion Appraisal Theories. Some of the strongest criticisms came from Walter Cannon, who pointed out that physiological reactions aren’t strictly specific to certain emotions (e.g.
The James-Lange Theory of Emotion is one of the earliest emotion theories of modern psychology. Further to this, injection of adrenaline that increases heart rate has only been found to lead to specific emotions when cognitive prompts are made, which the James-Lange theory does not account for. Smith and Ellsworth, 1985, or Roseman, 1996) have emerged that attempt to create a full account of emotion formulation.
As discussed, emotions have helped humans evolve and survive. Clearly, there are personal and professional benefits to improving your emotional intelligence. Developed by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard in the 1920s, the Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion was developed to refute the James-Lange theory. Because a person is conscious of the experience, this is classified in the same category as hunger or pain. Complex emotions have differing appearances and may not be as easily recognizable, such as grief, jealousy or regret. While basic emotions are expressed by all individuals regardless of culture or upbringing, the experience that produces them can he highly subjective.
This theory builds upon the James-Lange theory by accounting for the potential ambiguity when experiencing physiological changes (such as with increased heart rate and anger or fear, as mentioned above).The changes are rather judged through the context and environment that the individual is in, and an emotion is attributed based on that. According to this theory, the physiological response comes before the emotional behavior.