Psychology2016

Motivation and Emotion 381

hypothesis, however. If the facial feedback hypothesis is correct, then people who have
facial paralysis on both sides of the face should be unable to experience emotions in a
normal way. But a case study conducted on just such a person revealed that although she
was unable to express emotions on her paralyzed face, she could respond emotionally to
slides meant to stimulate emotional reactions, just as anyone else would (Keillor et al.,
2002). Clearly, the question of how much the actual facial expression determines the emo-
tional experience has yet to be fully answered.

Cognitive Theories of Emotion

9.10 Identify the key elements in the cognitive arousal and cognitive-
mediational theories of emotion.

The early theories talked about the emotion and the physical reaction, but what about the
mental interpretation of those components?

COGNITIVE AROUSAL THEORY In their cognitive arousal theory (two-factor theory),
Schachter and Singer (1962) proposed that two things have to happen before emotion
occurs: the physical arousal and a labeling of the arousal based on cues from the
surrounding environment. These two things happen at the same time, resulting in the
labeling of the emotion. (See Figure 9.12.)
For example, if a person comes across a snarling dog while taking a walk, the
physical arousal (heart racing, eyes opening wide) is accompanied by the thought
( cognition) that this must be fear. Then and only then will the person experience the fear
emotion. In other words, “I am aroused in the presence of a scary dog; therefore, I must
be afraid.” Evidence for this theory was found in what is now a classic experiment,
described in the accompanying Classic Studies in Psychology.

Figure 9.12 Schachter-Singer Cognitive Arousal Theory of Emotion
Schachter and Singer’s cognitive arousal theory is similar to the James-Lange theory but adds the
element of cognitive labeling of the arousal. In this theory, a stimulus leads to both bodily arousal
and the labeling of that arousal (based on the surrounding context), which leads to the experience and
labeling of the emotional reaction.

FEAR

Schachter-Singer

cognitive arousal theory

“This snarling dog

is dangerous

and that makes me

feel afraid.”

Snarling dog ANS arousal,

changes in body

Conscious fear

Cognitive

appraisal

Stimulus First response Second response

cognitive arousal theory

(two- factor theory)

theory of emotion in which both the

physical arousal and the labeling of

that arousal based on cues from the

environment must occur before the

emotion is experienced.

The facial feedback hypothesis assumes

that changing your own facial expression

can change the way you feel. Smiling makes

people feel happy, and frowning makes

people feel sad. This effect seems to have an

impact on the people around us as well. Is it

hard for you to stay in a bad mood when the

people around you are smiling and laughing?

Classic Studies in Psychology

The Angry/Happy Man

In 1962, Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer designed an experiment to test their the-

ory that emotions are determined by an interaction between the physiological state of

arousal and the label, or cognitive interpretation, that a person places on the arousal.