Week 5

Emotions and Body Reactions

Emotions store many interesting story behind it and what it will caused to our body. Emotion mostly affects our whole body state whether in bad, good, or worst condition. There are two big theories that related to the human emotion affecting human body. Those are James-Lange theory and also Cannon-Bard theory. However, those two big theories are contradicting each other. One believed cause as the cause and one believed effect is the cause. Hence, there will be further explanation of both of the theory and examples to make it more obvious to understand.

First is the theory of Williams James and Carl Lange which are both physiologists. They state that external stimulus leads to a physiological reaction. The theory of James-Lange itself describe that emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events. Human emotional reaction will be directly affected and caused by specific events. For instance, we are walking in the park and suddenly there are huge bear going berserk near us. The events trigger our body to start trembling, sweating, and weakening. Hence we become afraid and worry. In simple statement, we could say that “I am sweating, I am trembling, and therefore I am afraid.” Cause will result an effect. Cause: trembling, sweating, weakening and the effect are afraid. Result will cause the emotions.

In contradiction with James-Carl theory, the Cannon-Bard theory challenges the old theory with modern approach. Both Walter Cannon and Philip Bard believe that our body experience lots of sense and emotions, sweating, happiness, trembling, winking, and many more including muscle tension simultaneously. Specifically, the body will react to the events when brain receives the message from the senses. Hence we experience the events right after or in the same time when the event happen. For instance, we see a berserk bear near us à we afraid à we began sweating, trembling, and weakening. They believe that emotions will cause some body reaction and not the body reaction will result the emotion. For short, we feel and we our body will react. Emotions will cause the result.

In the end, there are no right and wrong theory and both of the theories are accepted by the society. It is depending on how we respond for the two theory, but for myself, I am somewhat agree with the Cannon-Bard theory. We are afraid we will tremble, we are happy we will smile a lot, and we are sad we will cry. It is more logic and more accurate in my perspective. Both of James-Carl and Cannon-Bard theory is strong in their own and people have to understand both in order to understand and get the answer.

references

Cannon, W. B. (1927) The James-Lange theory of emotion: A critical examination and an alternative theory. American Journal of Psychology, 39, 10-124.

James, William. (1884). What is an emotion? Mind, 9, 188-205.

Kendra, C. (n.d.). What is the cannon-bard theory?. Retrieved March 16, 2105, from http://psychology.about.com/od/cindex/g/cannonbard.htm

Kendra, C. (n.d.). What is the james-lange theory of emotion?. Retrieved March 16, 2105, from http://psychology.about.com/od/jindex/g/jameslange.htm