The peripheral theory by James-Lange holds primarily to the notion that the main cause of emotional experience is owed to the activities of the peripheral nervous system. However, this idea is contrary to Walter Canon’s central theory. According to Cannon, emotional feelings and experiences begin in the brain. James held to his belief that emotional experience depends on the physiological response feedback outside the brain. On the other hand, Schachter Singer’s concept accentuates the notion that feelings result from a combination of feedback from the body’s reactions and the body’s interpretation of the causes of the responses. Cognitive appraisal Theory by Richard Lazarus explains that human thinking best explains differing reactions to certain events and how such events are likely to affect their well-being.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Cannon-Bard theory is based on the idea that sensory information about the situation is sent to a person’s brain during a situation. The brain interprets the info and develops an experience of the situation. The brain also sends information to the body to react based on the situation (Chowdhury, 2020). An example is when a young girl sees a fellow mate picking a dried nasal mucus. The young girl will most probably make a face of abhorrence. Ideally, the young girl’s brain received information about the booger, interpreted the information, and then developed a response.

James-Lange Theory

James-Lange theory clarifies that emotions are produced by awareness of autonomic responses (Tallon-Baudry, 2018, pp. 140). The most practical and lucid example is fear. An anxious person speaking in public may experience nerve loss or character strength due to stage fright. Stage fright may be associated with decreased blood flow. According to Tallon-Baudry (2018), the awareness of all body functions and responses to a particular stimulus triggers emotions (pp. 140). The decreased blood flow and cold feet associated with fear impact emotions in response to a stimulus.

Schachter-Singer Theory

Schachter-Singer Theory is based on the idea that emotions result from a different interpretation of particular events and feedback from body responses (Uzan, 2020, pp. 1-15). Based on Schachter-Singer Theory, two different interpretations of the theory exists. One is the perception leading to body responses. The other is the interpretation of body responses as different emotions. An example of the theory is excitement. In a case where just an hour is left for the bride to walk down the aisle, the intended develops another views and chooses to forgo the marrying. The bride may decide that she is so anxious and is not ready for the wedding because she is nervous. Also, she may regard the feelings as mere butterflies in her stomach.

Cognitive theory

The cognitive appraisal theory asserts that particular events affect people’s wellbeing, thereby produce different reactions. Humans are most concerned with events that affect their personality (Manthiou, Kang, & Hyun, 2017, pp. 1072). An instance of this is during anger emotions. A teenage boy is likely to care less whether or not he passes his exams. However, if the boy chooses nursing as a major in college and scores an E in biology, the boy would be reasonably concerned.

The Schachter-Singer Theory resonates better, unlike the other theories discussed. Several people react differently to the same stimulus. Humans’ mindset and perspective plays critical roles in their perception to certain things or events. We are likely to care little about small events and vice versa. The above theories can be applied to our typical daily lives. Humans’ reactions are likely to change if they change their manner of viewing or interpreting things or events.

References

Chowdhury, M. F. S. (2020). EEG BASED ASSESSMENT OF EMOTIONAL WELLBEING IN SMART ENVIRONMENT. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/344912809.pdf

Manthiou, A., Kang, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2017). An integration of cognitive appraisal theory and script theory in the luxury cruise sector: the bridging role of recollection and storytelling. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(8), 1071-1088. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10548408.2016.1277575

Tallon-Baudry, C., Campana, F., Park, H. D., & Babo-Rebelo, M. (2018). The neural monitoring of visceral inputs, rather than attention, accounts for the first-person perspective in conscious vision. Cortex, 102, 139-149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945217301740/pdfft?md5=9523bdf2f5d5dc8b31fe4b79d1debd52&pid=1-s2.0-S0010945217301740-main.pdf Uzan, P. (2020). Mind-Body Connection and Causation: Conceptual and Experimental Advances. Foundations of Science, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-020-09709-6