Unit 4.7: Emotion
AP Psychology | Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality
🎯 Exam Focus
Master three major emotion theories — CRITICAL for exam. James-Lange: physiological arousal THEN emotion (see bear → heart races → feel fear). Cannon-Bard: arousal and emotion occur SIMULTANEOUSLY (see bear → heart races AND feel fear at same time). Schachter-Singer Two-Factor: arousal + cognitive label = emotion (heart races → "Why?" → see bear → label as fear). Also know: Zajonc/LeDoux (emotion can bypass cognition, instant reactions), Lazarus (cognitive appraisal always necessary). Understand universal emotions (Ekman's 6 basic), facial feedback hypothesis (facial expressions influence emotions), display rules (cultural norms for showing emotion). Know brain structures (amygdala for emotion processing, especially fear; prefrontal cortex for regulation). Understand autonomic nervous system (sympathetic arousal, parasympathetic calming), polygraph/lie detector. This heavily tested topic appears on both multiple-choice and FRQ sections.
❤️ What Are Emotions?
Emotions are complex psychological states involving subjective experiences, physiological responses, and behavioral expressions. They involve feelings, bodily changes, and actions.
Emotions are adaptive responses that evolved to help us respond to important situations. Fear helps us avoid danger, anger motivates us to overcome obstacles, happiness reinforces rewarding behaviors, and disgust protects us from contamination.
Unlike moods (which are longer-lasting and less intense), emotions are typically brief, intense reactions to specific events or stimuli. They prepare our bodies for action and communicate our internal states to others.
🧩 Three Components of Emotion
The Three Parts Working Together
1. Cognitive Component (Subjective Experience)
The subjective feeling or conscious experience of the emotion. "What am I feeling?"
- Thoughts about the situation
- Interpretation and appraisal
- Labels we give to feelings (happy, sad, angry)
- Memories and expectations
2. Physiological Component (Bodily Arousal)
Physical changes in the body during emotion. Autonomic nervous system activation.
- Heart rate changes
- Breathing rate increases
- Sweating, trembling
- Muscle tension
- Hormone release (adrenaline, cortisol)
- Pupil dilation
3. Behavioral Component (Expressive Actions)
Observable expressions and actions that communicate emotion to others.
- Facial expressions
- Body language and posture
- Vocal tone and volume
- Gestures
- Action tendencies (flee, fight, approach)
🧠 Major Theories of Emotion
⭐ CRITICAL FOR AP EXAM
The main debate: Does physiological arousal come BEFORE, AFTER, or SIMULTANEOUSLY with emotion? Does cognition (thinking) always precede emotion? These theories disagree on the sequence and role of these components.
James-Lange Theory
William James and Carl Lange proposed that physiological arousal comes BEFORE emotional experience. We feel emotion BECAUSE of bodily changes.
The Sequence:
Stimulus → Physiological Arousal → Emotion
(See bear → Heart races, palms sweat → Feel fear)
Key Idea:
"We don't run because we're afraid; we're afraid because we run." The physical response creates the emotional feeling. Different emotions have different patterns of physiological arousal.
Example:
You encounter a snake. Your heart pounds and you start sweating (arousal). Then you interpret these bodily sensations as fear. The physical response came first, then you felt the emotion.
Criticisms:
- Many emotions have similar physiological patterns — how do we distinguish them?
- Physiological arousal can be too slow to account for immediate emotional reactions
- People with spinal cord injuries (reduced bodily feedback) still experience emotions
Cannon-Bard Theory
Walter Cannon and Philip Bard proposed that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur SIMULTANEOUSLY — at the same time, not one before the other.
The Sequence:
Stimulus → BOTH Physiological Arousal AND Emotion (at same time)
(See bear → Heart races AND feel fear simultaneously)
Key Idea:
The thalamus receives sensory information and simultaneously sends signals to both the cortex (producing emotion) and the autonomic nervous system (producing arousal). These happen at the same time, independently.
Example:
You see a snake. Your brain instantly processes this. At the exact same moment, you feel fear AND your heart starts pounding. Neither causes the other — they're independent, simultaneous responses.
Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory ⭐ MOST IMPORTANT
Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer proposed that emotion requires TWO factors: (1) physiological arousal and (2) cognitive label/interpretation of that arousal.
The Sequence:
Stimulus → Physiological Arousal → Cognitive Label → Emotion
(See bear → Heart races → "Why am I aroused? There's a bear!" → Feel fear)
The Two Factors:
- Physiological arousal: Physical changes in body (heart racing, sweating)
- Cognitive label: Interpretation of WHY you're aroused based on situation
Key Insight:
The SAME physiological arousal can produce DIFFERENT emotions depending on how we interpret it. Context and cognition determine which emotion we experience. This explains misattribution of arousal.
Classic Experiment:
Participants injected with adrenaline (creates arousal). Some told accurate effects, others not informed or misinformed.
- Confederate acts euphoric → participants felt happy
- Confederate acts angry → participants felt angry
- Same arousal, different emotions based on situation/label
Example: Misattribution of Arousal
You meet someone attractive after running (heart racing from exercise). You might misattribute the arousal to attraction, feeling more attracted than you otherwise would. The arousal is real, but you label it as romantic interest rather than exercise.
Zajonc and LeDoux: Emotion Without Cognition
Robert Zajonc and Joseph LeDoux argued that emotion can occur WITHOUT conscious cognitive appraisal. Some emotional responses are immediate and automatic.
Key Points:
- Simple emotional reactions can bypass conscious thought
- Two pathways: "low road" (fast, unconscious) and "high road" (slow, conscious)
- Low road: Thalamus → Amygdala → Instant emotional reaction
- High road: Thalamus → Cortex → Amygdala → Reasoned emotional response
- Explains instant fear responses and gut feelings
Example:
You see a snake-like shape and instantly jump back in fear (low road). A split second later, you realize it's just a rope (high road). Emotion came first, before conscious thought.
Lazarus: Cognitive Appraisal Theory
Richard Lazarus argued that cognitive appraisal (interpretation) always comes first — even if it's fast and unconscious. Emotion requires thinking about the event.
Key Idea:
We must appraise (evaluate) a situation as personally relevant before experiencing emotion. "Is this good or bad for me?" This appraisal can be very rapid, but it always happens.
Debate with Zajonc:
Lazarus and Zajonc disagreed. Zajonc said emotion can occur without cognition. Lazarus said cognition (even if unconscious) is necessary. Both were partially right — different emotions may work differently.
📊 Comparing Emotion Theories
🫀 Physiological Basis of Emotion
Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary bodily functions and has two divisions that work oppositely:
Sympathetic Nervous System
"Fight or Flight"
Arousal during stress/emotion
- Increases heart rate
- Increases breathing rate
- Dilates pupils
- Inhibits digestion
- Releases adrenaline
- Increases sweating
Parasympathetic Nervous System
"Rest and Digest"
Calming after stress/emotion
- Decreases heart rate
- Decreases breathing rate
- Constricts pupils
- Stimulates digestion
- Returns body to baseline
- Conserves energy
Brain Structures Involved in Emotion
Amygdala ⭐ MOST IMPORTANT
- Central to emotion processing, especially fear and aggression
- Receives sensory information and triggers emotional responses
- Part of limbic system
- Damage to amygdala eliminates fear responses
- Involved in emotional memories
Hypothalamus
- Controls autonomic nervous system
- Triggers physiological responses during emotion
- Releases hormones through pituitary gland
Prefrontal Cortex
- Regulates and controls emotional responses
- Involved in cognitive appraisal of emotions
- Decision-making about emotional situations
- Damage leads to poor emotional regulation
Thalamus
- Sensory relay station
- Sends information to both cortex and amygdala
- Involved in emotion theories (Cannon-Bard, Zajonc/LeDoux)
😊 Universal Emotions (Ekman)
The Six Basic Emotions
Paul Ekman identified six basic emotions that are universally recognized across cultures through facial expressions. These appear to be innate, not learned.
The Six Basic Emotions:
- Happiness
- Sadness
- Anger
- Fear
- Surprise
- Disgust
Evidence for Universality:
- People from different cultures recognize the same facial expressions
- Even isolated tribes with no media exposure recognize these emotions
- Congenitally blind people show same facial expressions (not learned visually)
- Suggests these emotions are biologically based and evolved
😀 Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Your Face Influences Your Feelings
The facial feedback hypothesis proposes that facial expressions don't just express emotions — they can actually influence or intensify the emotions we feel.
How It Works:
- Making a facial expression can trigger the associated emotion
- Smiling can make you feel happier
- Frowning can make you feel sadder
- Facial muscles send feedback to brain about emotional state
Classic Study:
Participants held pen in teeth (forced smile) or lips (prevented smile) while viewing cartoons.
- Pen in teeth (smiling) → found cartoons funnier
- Pen in lips (no smile) → found cartoons less funny
- Demonstrates facial expression influences emotional experience
🎭 Display Rules
Cultural Norms for Expressing Emotion
Display rules are culturally specific norms about when, where, and how emotions should be expressed. While emotions are universal, their expression is shaped by culture.
Types of Display Rules:
- Intensify: Exaggerate emotional expression
- Deintensify: Minimize emotional expression
- Neutralize: Show no emotion
- Mask: Show different emotion than felt
Examples:
- Smiling when receiving unwanted gift (masking)
- Not crying at funeral in some cultures (neutralizing)
- Men taught not to show fear or sadness in many cultures (deintensifying)
- Acting excited about teammate's success even if envious (masking)
🔍 Polygraph (Lie Detector)
Measuring Physiological Arousal
The polygraph measures physiological arousal (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, perspiration) to detect deception. Based on assumption that lying causes stress/arousal.
What It Measures:
- Heart rate and blood pressure
- Breathing rate
- Galvanic skin response (sweating)
Problems with Polygraph:
- Measures arousal, not lying: Can't distinguish between lying and other sources of stress
- Innocent people may be anxious (false positives)
- Guilty people who don't feel guilty may pass (false negatives)
- Can be fooled with countermeasures
- Not admissible in most courts due to unreliability
- Better than chance but far from perfect
🧩 Emotional Intelligence
Understanding and Managing Emotions
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively in yourself and others.
Four Components:
- Perceiving emotions: Accurately recognizing emotions in self and others
- Understanding emotions: Comprehending emotional meanings and relationships
- Managing emotions: Regulating emotions appropriately
- Using emotions: Harnessing emotions to facilitate thinking and problem-solving
📝 AP Exam Strategy
Multiple Choice Tips
- Master the three main theories: James-Lange (arousal → emotion), Cannon-Bard (simultaneous), Schachter-Singer (arousal + label = emotion)
- Know the sequences: Be able to identify which theory matches a given scenario
- Understand Zajonc vs. Lazarus debate: Can emotion occur without cognition?
- Identify brain structures: Amygdala (fear/emotion processing), prefrontal cortex (regulation)
- Know autonomic NS: Sympathetic (arousal), parasympathetic (calming)
- Memorize Ekman's 6: Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust
- Recognize facial feedback: Expressions influence emotions
- Understand display rules: Cultural norms for expressing emotion
Free Response Question (FRQ) Tips
- Apply theories to scenarios: Given a situation, explain which theory best accounts for the emotion and why
- Show the sequence: For each theory, clearly lay out the order (stimulus → ? → ? → emotion)
- Distinguish theories: Explain key differences between James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and Schachter-Singer
- Connect brain to function: Don't just list amygdala — explain its role in fear processing
- Use proper terminology: "Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory" not "the one with labeling"
- Explain facial feedback clearly: Show how expression influences emotion, not just that it does
- Provide concrete examples: Always illustrate theoretical concepts with specific situations
✨ Quick Review Summary
🔑 The Big Picture
Emotions have three components: cognitive (subjective feeling), physiological (bodily arousal), behavioral (expression). Major theories differ on sequence: James-Lange (arousal → emotion; heart races → feel fear), Cannon-Bard (arousal AND emotion simultaneously), Schachter-Singer Two-Factor (arousal + cognitive label = emotion; most important — same arousal can produce different emotions based on interpretation). Zajonc/LeDoux: emotion can bypass cognition (low road vs. high road). Lazarus: cognitive appraisal always necessary. Autonomic nervous system: sympathetic (arousal, fight/flight) vs. parasympathetic (calming, rest/digest). Brain structures: amygdala (emotion processing, especially fear), prefrontal cortex (regulation), hypothalamus (autonomic control), thalamus (sensory relay). Universal emotions (Ekman): happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust — recognized across cultures. Facial feedback hypothesis: expressions influence emotions. Display rules: cultural norms for showing emotion. Polygraph measures arousal, not lying — unreliable. Emotional intelligence: perceiving, understanding, managing, using emotions.
💡 Essential Concepts
- Emotion
- Three components of emotion
- James-Lange Theory
- Cannon-Bard Theory
- Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory
- Misattribution of arousal
- Zajonc and LeDoux
- Low road vs. high road
- Lazarus
- Cognitive appraisal
- Autonomic nervous system
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Parasympathetic nervous system
- Amygdala
- Prefrontal cortex
- Hypothalamus
- Thalamus
- Paul Ekman
- Universal emotions
- Six basic emotions
- Facial feedback hypothesis
- Display rules
- Polygraph
- Lie detector
- Emotional intelligence
📚 AP Psychology Unit 4.7 Study Notes | Emotion
Master emotion theories and concepts for exam success!