Schachter & Singer Flashcards
what, according to schachter & singer’s two-factor theory of emotion, are the two components of an emotion?
a) physiological arousal, caused by an external stimuli (eg. adrenaline rush)
b) cognitive interpretation of situation, ie. the label given to it (eg. “fear”), using cognition about what is happening in the surroundings (eg. dark parking lot + stranger approaching you)
AIM
to test the two-factor theory of emotions
RESEARCH METHOD
lab experiment
HYPOTHESIS 1
if a person doesn’t have an explanation for their state of arousal, they will label their feelings based on immediate cognition.
HYPOTHESIS 2
If a person has an explanation for their state of arousal they won’t necessarily take into account available cognitions to label their feelings.
HYPOTHESIS
If a person experiences a previously encountered emotional situation, they only react or feel emotional if they are physiologically aroused.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
independent measures
IVs
epinephrine informed euphoria/anger
epinephrine misinformed euphoria
epinephrine ignorant euphoria/anger
placebo
DV
reaction of participants to stooge
results of self-report on mood
SAMPLE
185 male students taking a course on introductory psychology at the University of Minnesota; given course credits for participation.
ETHICAL GUIDELINE: physical/psychological harm
how was it followed?
all participants’ medical records checked prior to experiment to ensure epinephrine wouldn’t have any adverse effects; injection administered by a doctor, who stayed around to monitor participants.
ETHICS: DECEPTION
how were the participants deceived?
told they would be injected with the vitamin Suproxin; experiment was on its effects on vision
IV: epinephrine misinformed
what were participants told & why?
incorrect symptoms: “your feet will feel numb, you will have an itching sensation over parts of your body and you may get a slight headache.” therefore participants have no explanation for actual symptoms they would experience.
IV: epinephrine informed
what were participants told & why?
correct symptoms: “your hand will start to shake, your heart will start to pound, and your face may get warm and flushed.” therefore participants would have an explanation for symptoms felt.
IV: epinephrine ignorant
what were participants told and why?
told they would not experience any side-effects. therefore participants have no explanation for actual side-effects they would experience.