Theories of Emotion
Darwin’s Theory of the Evolution of Emotion
This theory posits that specific emotional responses, such as human facial expressions, are associated with the same emotional states in all members of a specie (Pinel, 2009). Darwin asserts that just like behaviors, the expression of emotions resulted from evolution where the natural selection process caused the development of the brain mechanisms that are responsible for emotions and motivation (Nesse & Ellsworth, 2009).
James- Lange Theory
This theory suggests that the sensory stimuli that induce emotion are received and interpreted by the cortex, which causes changes in the visceral organs in the skeletal muscles via the somatic nervous system, as well as through the autonomic nervous system. In turn, the somatic and autonomic responses set off emotion in the brain. This theory also suggests that the physical response (e.g. rapid heartbeat) to an event causes the emotion and not the other way around.
Cannon-Bard Theory
This theory states that emotional stimuli excite both the expression of emotion in the body and the feeling of emotion in the brain. In other words, this theory suggests that emotional expression and emotional experience are parallel processes, that is, neither causes the other.
Limbic System
This theory proposes that a number of interconnected neural structures known as the limbic system controls emotional expression. The limbic system consists of a group of tracts and nuclei that borders the thalamus. In particular, it consists of the following structures: the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, septum, cortex of the cingulate gyrus, fornix, hippocampus, mammillary body, and the amygdala. This theory further posits that the expression of emotional states occurs through the action of the other limbic structures on the hypothalamus while the emotional experience occurs through the action of the limbic structures on the cortex.
References
Nesse, R. M. & Ellsworth, P. C. (2009). Evolution, emotions, and emotional disorders. American
Psychologist. Retrieved from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nesse/Articles/Nesse-
Ellsworth-EvolEmotions-AmPsychol-2009.pdf
Pinel, J. P. J. (2009). Chapter 17: Biopsychology of emotion, stress, and health: Fear, the dark
side of emotion. In Biopsychology (7th ed.) (431-454). Allyn & Bacon.
