Emotions-everyone has them. Very complex and unique, emotions have physical and mental components. Typically, researchers can agree emotions do have subjective feelings, physiological responses, and expressive behavior. The James-Lange theory of emotion was developed by William James and Carl Lange. They both had the same belief about the experiences of an emotion. The theory is that an event causes physiological arousal then interpret the certain arousal. It is after the interpretation, we show emotion. For example, you are walking to your car through a quiet parking lot late at night. Then, suddenly, a figure emerges from behind a parked car. As he starts to move towards you, you walk quickly. "Hey, what's your hurry?" he calls out, and picks up his pace. Your heart starts pounding. Reaching your car, you fumble with your keys, jump in the car and lock the doors. You are shaky and barely get the keys into the ignition but able to hit accelerator. Also, your hands are sweaty and heart is racing but after a while you are finally calm and relieved. In the example given there are three emotion components present: a subjective feeling that would be labeled as "fear." Physical arousal was experienced such as trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and rapid breathing. In the James-Lange theory, the brain will recognize physiological changes that happen in response to a frightening event. Then it will activate the frightened emotion in a person. Feedback from the arousal and muscles involved in the behavior caused subjective feeling of fearfulness.
             The Cannon-Bard theory was by Philip Bard and Walter Cannon. The theory is that we feel emotions and experience physiological reactions such as trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and muscle tension; emotions result when the thalamus send a message to the brain in response to a stimulus which comes up as a physiological reaction. For example, when I see a spider. I get ...