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Going With Your Gut: How William James' Theory Of Emotions Brings Insights To Risk Perception And Decision Making Research, Katherine Lacasse
Going With Your Gut: How William James' Theory Of Emotions Brings Insights To Risk Perception And Decision Making Research, Katherine Lacasse
Faculty Publications
The basic premise of William James’ theory of emotions - that bodily changes lead to emotional feelings - ignited debate about the relative importance of bodily processes and cognitive appraisals in determining emotions. Similarly, theories of risk perception have been expanding to include emotional and physiological processes along with cognitive processes. Taking a closer look at Principles of Psychology, this article examines how James’ propositions support and extend current research risk perceptions and decision making. Specifically, James (1) described emotional feelings and their related cognitions in ways similar to current dual processing models; (2) defended the proposition that emotions and …
Bodily Influences On Emotional Feelings: Accumulating Evidence And Extensions Of William James’ Theory Of Emotion, Katherine Lacasse, James D. Laird
Bodily Influences On Emotional Feelings: Accumulating Evidence And Extensions Of William James’ Theory Of Emotion, Katherine Lacasse, James D. Laird
Faculty Publications
William James’ theory of emotion has been controversial since its inception, and a basic analysis of Cannon’s (1927) critique is provided. Research on the impact of facial expressions, expressive behaviors, and visceral responses on emotional feelings are each reviewed. A good deal of evidence supports James’ theory that these types of bodily feedback, along with perceptions of situational cues, are each important parts of emotional feelings. Extensions to James’ theory are also reviewed, including evidence of individual differences in the effect of bodily responses on emotional experience.