Schachter's Two-Factor Theory: Arousal & Cues in Emotion, Study notes of Social Psychology of Emotion

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Schachter’s Two-Factor

Theory of Emotion

 This theory is similar to Bem’s explanation for the cause of behavior in general. Schachter’s theory looks specifically at how we decide what emotion we are experiencing – when we are experiencing one.

 We then try to find a label to explain our feelings, usually by looking at what we are doing (behavior) and what else is happening at the time of the arousal (environment).

 Thus we don’t just feel angry, happy or whatever: we experience general feeling and then decide what they mean, a specific emotion.

Two Factor Theory

 Physiological arousal (up or down) occurs

 +  Environmental circumstances  =  Attributed emotion

Example 2

 I am tense and sweating  +

 Sorority Sue is looking at me and smiling

 =  I am in love

 Note in these two examples, the state of arousal that the person is experiencing is the same. What changes is the environment.

 Two-factor theory argues that the cues in the environment are what determine the emotion that we believe we are experiencing.

 Would this work for severely depressed people? No

 But, for minor ups and downs, there is something to the argument.

Research Example

 Schachter and Singer (1962) gave some people a mild stimulant and others a placebo (on a pretence of testing vitamins). They then gave them a questionnaire containing rather personal questions. Another person in the room got angry at the questionnaire. The people who had been given the stimulant (and thus felt aroused) reported that they felt angry themselves.

Research Example

 Dutton and Aron (1974) had an attractive woman ask for interviews of young men. Some were interviewed on a swaying rope bridge, 200 ft above a river. Others were interviewed on level ground. A part way through the interview, she gives them her phone number. Over 60 % from the rope bridge called her. Only 30% interviewed on ground called her.

 Explanation: Bridge Interviewees

 Arousal  +

 Attractive woman gave me her phone number

 =  Emotion: I must like her (I’m turned on). I’ll call

 Two-factor theory says that the emotion that we feel that we are experiencing when we are aroused is determined by factors present in our environment. The environmental factors determine the emotion that we believe we are experiencing.

 How do we know what emotion to attach to an experience? This must be learned.

Example

 I am a child watching a high wire act in a circus and I am aroused  +  Dad tells me that this is really exciting to him  =  The arousal I am experiencing must be excitement