We determine our emotion based on our physiological arousal, then label that emotion according to our explanation for that arousal

We determine our emotion based on our physiological arousal, then label that emotion according to our explanation for that arousal

• A. Low road emotions
• B. Qualitative Research
• C. Conscious mind
• D. Schachter-Singer theory of emotion

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is the two-factor theory of emotion. It says that our emotional experience comes from a combination of physiological arousal and a cognitive label we place on that arousal based on the situation. The arousal itself is not specific to a particular emotion, so we interpret it by looking at the context and decide what emotion we’re feeling. In other words, we feel the arousal, then we explain it, and that explanation names the emotion. This idea was tested in experiments where people were made aroused (with a drug) and placed with someone behaving in a happy or angry way. Those who didn’t know why they were aroused tended to label their feelings according to the other person’s behavior, showing that the cognitive label drives the emotion. It’s not about fast, automatic emotional responses via a low road pathway, which is a different concept; it’s not a research method like Qualitative Research; and it’s not about the conscious mind in general.

The main idea here is the two-factor theory of emotion. It says that our emotional experience comes from a combination of physiological arousal and a cognitive label we place on that arousal based on the situation. The arousal itself is not specific to a particular emotion, so we interpret it by looking at the context and decide what emotion we’re feeling. In other words, we feel the arousal, then we explain it, and that explanation names the emotion.

This idea was tested in experiments where people were made aroused (with a drug) and placed with someone behaving in a happy or angry way. Those who didn’t know why they were aroused tended to label their feelings according to the other person’s behavior, showing that the cognitive label drives the emotion.

It’s not about fast, automatic emotional responses via a low road pathway, which is a different concept; it’s not a research method like Qualitative Research; and it’s not about the conscious mind in general.