PS102 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Stanley Schachter
Document Summary
Said earlier theories did not consider the influence of cognition in our emotional experiences. Said that physiological differences alone are too subtle to define specific emotional states. It is cognitive appraisal of the immediate situation that provides a label for our bodily feelings. Physiological arousal is necessary for an emotion to occur and it determines intensity of the emotion. However its actually up to our cognitive faculties to determine our specific emotional state. When cause of our physical arousal is not immediately clear, we use cues from environment to determine cause. This can lead to mislabelling physical arousal from a non-emotional source as an emotion. Label of an emotion is influenced by whether or not a person has an appropriate explanation for the arousal. Book the expression of the emotions in man and animals. Similarities in emotional express across and within species throughout world. Emotional expression serves a communicative function essential to survival.
