There are three classic theories on emotion that I will be discussing in this hub. But, what are emotions? Why do our emotions energize our actions and our attention when we are faced with challenges? Why do we cry when we receive bad news? To answer these questions, you must understand that emotions are a mix of the following:

• Physiological activation- This is when our heart begins to pound when adrenaline is released in our bodies.
• Expressive behaviors- This is when we pick up our pace in a certain situation.
• Conscious experience- This is our thoughts and feelings reacting to a situation.

The James-Lange Cannon-Bard Theories

The first of the three theories of emotion that I will be writing about is theJames-Lange Theory. His theory states that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to arousing stimuli. In other words, this theory says that we feel sorry because we cry; we feel afraid because we tremble; our body responds to the stimuli and our emotions follow the response.

Cannon-Bard Theories

The second of the three theories of emotion is the Cannon-Bard Theory. This theory states that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers physiological responses and the subjective experience of emotion. Walter Cannon thought that the body’s responses were not able to evoke the different emotions. He questioned whether a racing heart signaled fear, anger, or love.

Later on, Cannon met up with another psychologist Phillip Bard. The two men came up with the conclusion that the physiological arousal of and our emotional experience occur simultaneously. What ever triggers the emotion is routed simultaneously to the brain’s cortex, causing awareness of emotion. Then, the sympathetic nervous system causes the body’s arousal. In other words, your heart begins pounding at the same time as you experience fear.

Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

The last of the three theories of emotionsis Schachter’s two-factor theory of emotion. Stanley Schachter believed that our perceptions, memories and interpretations are an essential part of emotion. His theory states that to experience an emotion one must be physically aroused and must cognitively label the arousal. For example, you see a car coming in your lane. Then your heart begins to pound as you cognitively recognize “I’m afraid.” This is followed by the emotion of fear.

How do you see emotion?

Emotions can be expressed in many different ways. The first way is through nonverbal communication. Below is a list of some ways to show emotions in this form:

• Looking into someone’s eyes that you are in love with-the mutual feeling will stir up emotion
• Facial expressions- Anger, sadness, happiness, mad, excited. (You can look at someone’s face and see their emotions.
• Body language- If you are a nurse and you have a patient with a nasty wound, you may be telling the patient that the wound is fine, but your body language says, “GROSS.”

How do you Detect Emotion

There are some ways to detect a person’s emotions. Below is a list of some ways to detect emotions that a person may be trying not to show.

· Lifting just the inner part of the eyebrows-distress or worry

· Eyebrows raised and pulled together-fear

· Activated muscles under the eyes and raised cheeks-natural smile

· Fidgeting- anxiety

· Cold stare or avoidance of eye contact- hostility

Now that you know the three theories of emotion you can decide on which one that you agree with. Regardless of which theory you trust, we all have emotions and they are an important part of our lives. Life would not be the same without the genuine smile of a little girl opening her birthday presents. Emotions help us to know each other better. Pay attention to those around you more and learn their emotions. This will help you to understand the individual better and strengthen your relationships.