Two factor theory of emotion

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Two factor theory of emotion

• By Mr Daniel Hansson

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Questions

• 1. What would be your subjective experience and
  bodily changes (heart beat, breathing) if you
• Heard that your best friend is in a hospital
  because of a car accident?
• Learn that you have been accepted to a top
  university?
• Are attacked by a vicious dog in a dark soi?
• 2. In what way are the cognitive and biological
  reactions similar for these scenarios? In what
  way are they different?

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Schachter Singers two factor theory of emotion

• We need two factors to feel emotional. One is
  physiological arousal, the other is attribution
  (appraisal, cues in the environment of how we
  should feel)
• Without arousal or attributions we will not
  experience any emotion

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The order of the emotional components in two
factor theory of emotion

• External stimulus General physiological arousal
  Cognitive appraisal of arousal (attribution)
  Subjective experience of emotion Behaviour

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Hypotheses in the Schachter Singer experiment

• The labelling of arousal will depend on the
  situation if there is no other explanation
• If a reason for arousal is known the participant
  will not look for another reason
• No arousal will result in no emotion

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Sample

• 184 male college psychology students
• Received credits towards finals
• Health records checked

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Method

• Controlled experiment
• At the start of the experiment, all participants
  had an injection of epinephrine (causes shaky
  hands, pounding heart, increased breathing)
• Experimenter pretended that they were
  investigating side effects of Suproxin
  (pretend vitamin)

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Information of effects - conditions

• EPI informed Participants were informed of the
  real effects of epinephrine
• EPI misinformed Participants were misinformed of
  the effects of epinephrine (instead were told
  that there would be itching, numb feet,
  headaches)
• EPI ignorant Participants were told that there
  would be no side effects
• Control group Participants were injected a
  placebo (a saline solution with no side effects)

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Condition - Euphoric

• Participants from the different information of
  effect conditions were put in a waiting room with
  a stooge, one at a time for 20 minutes (EPI
  effects last 15-20 minutes)
• Stooge was friendly, played with paper
  (basketball, aeroplanes)

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Condition - Angry

• Same but had to complete questionnaire during 20
  mins
• Stooge moaned about injections
• Personal questions, e.g. Do you bathe and wash
  regularly?
• Stooge angry, ripped up questionnaire, left

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Question

• Which group should be most affected by the
  stooges behaviour? Based on Schachter Singers
  theory and hypotheses, order the groups from most
  angry/happy to least angry/happy EPI informed,
  EPI misinformed, EPI ignorant, Control group

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Procedure for both

• Experimenter returns, takes pulse
• Participants are asked to complete a
  questionnaire
• Participants are debriefed

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Crucial questions on the questionnaire

• Euphoric condition 5 point scale 0I dont
  feel happy at all or good 4I feel extremely
  happy and good
• Angry condition 5 point scale 0I dont feel
  at all irritated or angry 4I feel extremely
  irritated and angry
• The measure of emotion was decided by deducting
  the self rating of anger from the self raing of
  happiness

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Question

1. If you were very happy in this experiment, would
   you get a low or a high score?
2. If you were very angry in this experiment, would
   get a low or a high score?

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Results table- Euphoric
Condition Number of Ps Self report Happiness minus anger
Informed 25 .98
Misinformed 25 1.9
Ignorant 25 1.78
Control 25 1.61
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Results table Anger
Condition Number of Ps Self-report (happiness minus anger)
Informed 22 1.91
Misinformed 0
Ignorant 23 1.39
Control 23 1.63
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Question

• Compare the results with your predictions. To
  what extent do the results support the two factor
  theory of emotion?

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Controls

• Double blind stooge did not know what condition
  the participant was in
• Data questionnaire included irrelevant questions,
  e.g. current mental health. Some questions
  open-ended
• 11 participants expressed suspicion data was
  taken out

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Methodological evaluation

• Participants were randomly allocated to
  different conditions
• Procedure was standardized
• Stooge did not know which condition the
  participant was in

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Methodological evaluation

• - No assessment of the subjects emotional state
  before the experiment, or the emotional effect of
  receiving an injection
• - Experiment lacked ecological validity.
  Injection of epinephrine does not produce the
  experience of a true emotion
• Sample might not be representative
• (male college students taking introductory
  psychology at the university of Minnesota)

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Ethical evaluation

• -Participants were not informed about the purpose
  of the experiment
• - Participants were injected epinephrine without
  consent

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Ethical evaluation

• Participants were given health checks before
  the experiment
• Participants were debriefed after the experiment

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Activity

• Do the multi-choice quiz and matching quizzes of
  the study on
• http//www.holah.karoo.net/schachter.htm