An introductory text reads, Imagine you are swimming and you think you see a shark. Fear pierces your gut, sending your heart racing as you swim frantically to shore. Or is it actually your churning stomach and racing heart that cause you to feel so terrified? And what part, if any, do your thoughts play in this process? Psychologists have long debated the order in which events lead to emotion. Let’s compare four major theories, each proposing a different sequence of events.
James-Lange: A shark labeled stimulus leads to a heart labeled physiological response which leads to star-shaped callout with the text fear and an exclamation mark beside labeled emotion.
Cannon-Bard: A shark labeled stimulus branches to a heart labeled physiological response and a star-shaped callout with the text fear and an exclamation mark beside labeled emotion.
Schachter-Singer: A shark labeled stimulus leads to a heart labeled physiological response which leads to a human silhouette with the text I’m scared labeled cognitive labeled cognitive labeling which further leads to a star-shaped callout with the text fear and an exclamation mark beside labeled emotion.
Cognitive Appraisal: A shark labeled stimulus leads to a human silhouette with text I’m scared which leads to a start shaped callout with the text fear and an exclamation mark labeled emotion.
A legend at the bottom as follows,
An image of a shark with accompanying text that reads, stimulus: external situation.
An image of a heart with accompanying text that reads, physiological response: Accompanying text reads, physical changes, (for fear, preparing body for threat: heart pounds, muscles contract, breathing changes).
A human silhouette with accompanying text that reads, cognitive activity: evaluation of the situation and/or labeling the physiological response.
A star-shaped callout with the text fear and an exclamation mark beside and accompanying text reads, emotion: subjective experience (fear).