The James & Lange Theory of
Emotion
Prepared by: Haider Ali
BS Applied Psychology

James Lange
theory of
emotions
In 1980s….

What are Emotions?
Emotion comes from Latin roots
Meaning to move out or to excite

Arousal: Arousal is the physiological
and psychological state of being awoken or of
sense organs stimulated to a point of
perception. Arousal is important in regulating
consciousness, attention, alertness, and
information processing.
Subjective feeling:
Subjective feeling is the
current subjective phenomenological state of an
individual.

Physiological reaction:
Physiological responses are the body's
automatic reactions to a stimulus. Most of us are familiar
with the automatic and instinctive physiological
responses we experience every day, but we typically
remain unaware of them.
Cognitive interpretation: is defined as 'the mental
action or process of acquiring knowledge and
understanding through thought, experience, and the
senses.

Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic Parasympathetic
Overall effect is excitory
Active during stressful condition
Flight or Fight response
Overall effect is hibitory
Active during rest time
Rest and Digest response

Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Limbic System
Cerebral Cortex
Group of nerve cells, Relay Nerve cells, Produce
Fear, Anxiety and autonomic reactions
Primary center for regulation of emotion, Homeostatis,
autonomic activity, secretion of endocrine and somatic patterns.
Amygdala responsible for emotional control
forms emotional memories.
Left frontal cortex +ve feelings
Right frontal cortex -ve feelings

Emotion are input and output feeling of our body. Emotion
begin with subjective feeling which in is then transmitted to
the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system.
autonomic nervous system responds to stimulate through
psychological changes are muscles activity which then send
message to cortex to produce emotion feelings
Example
A stimulus (e.g. Bear) produce physiological changes
(e.g. increase heart rate) that cause emotion called fear.
According to this theory people feel
sad because they cry and likewise
They feel happy because they smile.
Defination of Theory

Event
Physical Reaction
Emotional Response
A dog is barking
increase Heart Rate, Sweating,
Quickness of breath
Fear (Emotion)

Theory in short flow chart
Presence of emotion
Provoking stimulus
Perception of emotion
Provoking stimulus
Emotional Behavior
Conscious experience of emotion

Criticism
1.Psychological changes are slow but emotions are immediate
2.Many different emotions may show same physical changes
3.Stimulation in cortical area of the brain result in experience of
emotions without a comping any physiological change.