Definition
First proposed by American psychologist James [5] and independently developed by Danish psychologist Lange [8], the James-Lange theory of emotion states that the immediate, primary cause of an emotion is physical. Bodily changes and physiological processes, which occur as a result of environmental stimuli, evoke certain feelings in the conscious mind. In this sense, emotions are bodily sensations or processes variously combined.
Description
The James-Lange theory can be illustrated by the following anecdotes. A child sees her father walk into the room carrying her toys. She begins to grin, her heart beats a little faster, her pupils dilate, and she runs toward him. These bodily changes represent the emotion of excitement. In a different instance, a man walking down a deserted street at midnight hears footsteps behind him. He looks back and sees a large figure approaching. The man converts his walk into a run, he breathes more rapidly, his nostrils flare, his eyes widen, and...
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References
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Coleman, A.E., Snarey, J. (2011). James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_3146
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_3146
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