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Two-factor theory of emotions
The experiment of Schachter and Singer (1962):
Gregorio Marañon (1924) found that participants did not
experience a genuine emotion after injection of epinephrine.
There was one exception: If participants were asked to
imagine how their parents die or how their children get ill,
participants felt a genuine emotion, but only if this
instruction was given after the injection of epinephrine. If
it was given before, no effect could be observed.
Contributor © POSbase 2003
Two-factor theory of emotions
(1) Unspecific physiological activation. This is a
necessary, but not sufficient condition to elicit an
emotion.
(2) Cognitive interpretation of the situation
determines the quality of an emotion.
This led several authors to postulate a two-factor theory of
emotions, assuming that an emotion is determined by two
factors:
© POSbase 2003
Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer tested the two-
factor theory in a now classical study. The logic behind
their experiment was the following:
Experiment of Schachter and Singer
(1) If there exists physiological arousal for which
there is no explanation: Quality of emotion
depends on cognitive interpretation. The same
state of physiological arousal can be
experienced as either joy or anger.
(2) If physiological arousal can be explained: No
emotion.
(3) Identical cognitive interpretations elicit an
emotion only if there is physiological arousal.
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Euphoria
Anger
Euphoria EuphoriaNeutral Neutral
AngerNeutralNeutral
Hypotheses:
P
P
Placebo
Epinephrine
A
A
Informed
A
A
Not informed
A
Misinformed
Experiment of Schachter and Singer
© POSbase 2003
Euphoria
Anger
P
P
Placebo
Epinephrine
A
A
Informed
A
A
Not informed
A
Misinformed
1.61 1.78 1.900.98
1.391.911.63
Results: Self report
In both conditions:The higher numberdenotes more positive emotions
Experiment of Schachter and Singer
© POSbase 2003
Euphoria
Anger
16.00 18.28 22.5612.72
2.28-0.180.79
Results: Behavior
EuphoriaThe higher, the more euphoria
Anger:The higher, the more anger
P
P
Placebo
Epinephrine
A
A
Informed
A
A
Not informed
A
Misinformed
Experiment of Schachter and Singer
© POSbase 2003
Euphoria
Anger
16.00 18.28 22.56
2.28
12.72
-0.180.79
Results: Behavior
P
P
Placebo
Epinephrine
A
A
Informed
A
A
Not informed
A
Misinformed
EuphoriaThe higher, the more euphoria
Anger:The higher, the more anger
Conclusion:
The hypotheses of the two-factor theory of
emotions were only partly confirmed, and some other
studies did not provide support for or even contracdicted the
two-factor theory of emotion (Lazarus et al., 1965; Maslach, 1979;
Marshall & Zimbardo, 1979).
However, this study stimulated many other experiments
on the role of arousal and cognitive appraisal
of the situation (e.g., Dutton & Aron, 1974;
Zillmann et al., 1972)
Experiment of Schachter and Singer
© POSbase 2003
