Which description correctly matches the James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and Schachter-Singer theories of emotion?

• A. James-Lange: emotion results from physiological arousal; Cannon-Bard: arousal and emotion occur simultaneously; Schachter-Singer: arousal plus cognitive labeling.
• B. James-Lange: emotion is cognition; Cannon-Bard: arousal causes emotion; Schachter-Singer: emotions are purely cultural.
• C. James-Lange: arousal and emotion occur together; Cannon-Bard: emotion follows behavior; Schachter-Singer: arousal is not involved.
• D. James-Lange: emotion is present without arousal; Cannon-Bard: arousal is primary; Schachter-Singer: labeling is unnecessary.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how each theory explains the relationship between bodily arousal and what we feel as an emotion.

James-Lange says the body’s arousal is the trigger for feeling an emotion—emotions arise because we perceive our physiological changes. So, the description that emotion results from physiological arousal fits this view.

Cannon-Bard argues that arousal and emotional experience happen at the same time but through separate processes, not in sequence. That parallel, simultaneous occurrence is what this theory proposes.

Schachter-Singer adds a cognitive twist: arousal happens first, and then we label that arousal based on the situation to determine the specific emotion. So arousal plus cognitive labeling is the essence of this theory.

Other descriptions either misstate the sequence, deny the role of arousal, or mischaracterize the role of cognition, making them incompatible with these theories.