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Emotions are our way of experiencing the world around us. Emotions allow us to live, laugh, and love. Without our emotions, we would have no motivation in life as the construct and feeling of happiness would have no meaning to us. Life would simply be the survival of the fittest. Many theories explain the basis behind emotions; however, research on emotions is an ever-expanding avenue. In this article, we will be discussing the James-Lange Theory of emotion to gain insight into the complex phenomenon of emotion.
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Sign up for freeSelect the best example of James Lange theory.
What term best characterizes the James-Lange theory?
What term best refers to the Cannon-Bard theory?
What phrase best explains the Cannon-Bard theory?
Jane recently found out that she won the lottery, select the best answer that is outlines by the James-Lange theory.
One her way to her car, Jane noticed that she had a flat tire, select the best answer that is outlined by the Cannon-Bard theory theory?
Which of the following is another term for the James-Lange Theory?
While smiling might not always produce happiness, some research does show that smiling can help improve a person's mood. Which theory of emotion does this finding best support?
Which theory came first?
Which of the following conditions supports the James-Lange Theory of emotion in its nature?
Which of the following is another criticism of the James-Lange Theory?
Select the best example of James Lange theory.
What term best characterizes the James-Lange theory?
What term best refers to the Cannon-Bard theory?
What phrase best explains the Cannon-Bard theory?
Jane recently found out that she won the lottery, select the best answer that is outlines by the James-Lange theory.
One her way to her car, Jane noticed that she had a flat tire, select the best answer that is outlined by the Cannon-Bard theory theory?
Which of the following is another term for the James-Lange Theory?
While smiling might not always produce happiness, some research does show that smiling can help improve a person's mood. Which theory of emotion does this finding best support?
Which theory came first?
Which of the following conditions supports the James-Lange Theory of emotion in its nature?
Which of the following is another criticism of the James-Lange Theory?
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Team James Lange Theory Teachers
The James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that physical changes occur in response to a given stimulus, influencing our emotions. In other words, our emotions result from physical changes occurring in our bodies. William James and Carl Lange first devised the James-Lange theory in the 1880s. These two psychologists proposed that physiological changes in the body occur before conscious emotional experiences.
The James Lange emotion theory states that emotional stimuli induce peripheral physiological changes without conscious effort. And these bodily changes are what produce an emotion, e.g. increase in heart rate produces the feeling of fear.
What is rarely discussed is that William James and Carl Lange had two distinct theories behind the emotion. James believed that the nervous system's responses to stimuli were the bases of creating conscious emotional experiences, while Lange thought that emotion occurs due to our hearts.
Either way, both scientists believed that emotion does not start with a conscious experience of emotion. Instead, the body's response to a given stimulus was the source of conscious emotions.
Fg. 1 Fear, Pixabay.com
So, how does the James-Lange theory work? Given what we already know about the James-Lange theory, let's look at an example.
Jane is walking to her car late at night and suddenly notices someone following her. As a result, her fight or flight system is activated, and Jane runs into her car feeling scared.
Jane's actions and emotions are a prime example of the James-Lange theory. When Jane was presented with the fear-evoking stimuli, physiological changes occurred in her body resulting in the activation of her fight or flight response and her action of running to her car. Based on the James-Lange theory, these physiological and physical responses to the person following her evoked her emotional reaction of fear.
Here's another example, describing the emotional response of happiness.
Brian is taking a stroll down his neighborhood sidewalk when suddenly an adorable puppy emerges from the bushes and runs straight toward Brian. Being an avid dog lover, he notices the puppy and smiles immediately. Based on the James-Lange theory, when Brian saw the puppy, physiological changes occurred in the pleasure center of his brain, causing him to smile. The physiological changes and the action of smiling evoked Brian's emotional response of happiness.
See, the James-Lange theory is not so hard. It is a simple case of what came first, but instead of the chicken or the egg, we are discussing physiological changes and emotions.
The James-Lange theory is defined as the peripheralist theory. Peripheralism is the belief that highlights events that occur within our peripheral nervous systems. This term originated amongst scholars and has been used to categorize psychological theories such as James-Lange. The James-Lange theory showcases emotion as a concept dependent on the events that take place within our nervous system. In other words, our bodies are in charge of producing the emotions that we feel from a given stimulus.
Peripheralism: the belief that higher processes like emotions are based on physiological processes occurring in our peripheral body.
The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion is another popular theory that emerged shortly after the James-Lange theory. Unlike James-Lange, the Cannon-Bard theory suggests that conscious emotion and physiological/physical changes occur simultaneously and independently. According to Cannon-Bard, a conscious emotional response does not depend on physical responses to a given stimulus and vice versa. The two events are independent and result from sensory signals relaying from the thalamus.
Unlike the peripheralist James-Lange theory, scholars classified the Cannon-Bard theory as centralist. The Cannon-Bard theory showcases how stimuli affect the brain and nervous system and outlines the thalamus as the basis for both conscious emotion and physiological responses to a given stimulus. The James-Lange theory of emotion outlines our physiological and physical responses to stimuli as the basis for an emotional response.
Centralism: The belief that the central nervous system is the basis behind higher functions like emotion.
Fg. 2 Central nervous system, Pixabay.com
The primary criticism of the James-Lange theory was the Cannon-Bard theory. Scientists Cannon and Bard believed that the James-Lange theory was flawed because the total separation of the body from the central nervous system does not alter emotional behavior. The same physiological changes occur within the body in extremely different emotions like being happy or sad. For example, you can have tears of joy but also tears of sadness.
Also, Cannon and Bard believed that changes within the body occur too slowly to be a source of emotion and that induction of emotional behavior such as smiling or frowning does not produce the feeling of being happy or sad.
The James-Lange vs Cannon-Bard theories have profoundly influenced the psychological research of emotion, and now you have a better understanding of both.
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What is the James Lange theory?
The James Lange emotion theory states that emotional stimuli induce peripheral physiological changes without conscious effort. And these bodily changes are what produce an emotion, e.g. increase in heart rate produces the feeling of fear.
How did James and Lange prove their theory?
James and Lange cited physicians' observations of increased blood flow to the skull when a patient was angry and interpreted this data to support their theory that emotion is based on physiological changes.
How did James Lange theory get proposed?
The James-Lange theory was proposed after a series of research articles showcased patients feeling a change in emotion when told to frown or smile.
How does the James Lange theory account for emotions?
The James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that physical changes occur in response to a given stimulus, influencing our emotions.
What is a strength of the James Lange theory?
James and Lange were the first scientists to speak of emotions as dependent on the physiology occurring within us, paving the way for modern science.
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