Six Theories of Emotion

Ever wonder WHY we feel the way that we do sometimes. Here are 6 theories that  may help explain:

1. Charles Darwin: Said emotion is a way of communication with other members of our species; also said we inherit much of our emotional expressions from animals where it functions as a form of communication, which benefits survival

2. James-Lange: Defined emotion as the conscious state of feeling. Says we aarrive at that conscious feeling state in an odd way. Believed that rather than feeling leading to action, action led to feeling. For example if we see something scary:
1. You see a bear
2. You run
3. You feel fear as you are running (get emotion from observing your body running)

3. John B. Watson: behaviorism, defined emotions as observable behavior
anger-- attack behavior, fear=running away, sadness=crying, happiness=smiling,

4. Autonomic Response Theory: Believed that brain waves showed different patterns of emotions; and idiosyncratic response: show emotional response with organ (skin turns color, blood pressure)

5. Neurological Changes: Says the limbic system is involved in emotions. This includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus. THis is where they first started talking about lobotomies/psychosurgery

6. Schacter-Singer Cognitive Arousal Theory
Says we make a cognitive appraisal of the situation and then label emotion accoringly. For example, being around other people who are angry makes you angry. This is why you shouldn't hang out with people who are negative/unhappy all the time!!