Final answer:
According to the Cannon-Bard theory, Aiden's physiological response and emotional response to finding a raccoon in his trash can would occur simultaneously but independently. His body might react with a startle, and he might feel surprise or fear at the same moment, but these responses would not cause each other.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks what the Cannon-Bard theory would predict about Aiden's emotional response upon encountering a raccoon in his trash can. The Cannon-Bard theory postulates that physiological arousal and the experience of emotion occur simultaneously but independently when stimulated by an event. Therefore, upon seeing the raccoon, both Aiden's physiological response (like a startled jump or an increased heart rate) and his emotional response (such as surprise or fear) would occur at the same time. However, these responses are separate from each other according to the theory. Unlike other theories of emotion that suggest a sequential occurrence of physiological response followed by emotion or vice versa, the Cannon-Bard theory asserts that emotions are not solely dependent on bodily states and that both reactions are distinct.
For example, studies with rats have shown that the presence or absence of a mother can influence the activation of the amygdala, which plays a significant role in processing emotions. When rats were exposed to negative stimuli such as an odor paired with electrical shock, their response and the subsequent activation of the amygdala varied depending on the mother's presence. Similarly, Aiden's reaction to the raccoon would involve his amygdala, but according to the Cannon-Bard theory, his physiological and emotional responses would be independent yet concurrent events. Aiden's body might go into a fight or flight mode while, at the same instant, he feels surprise or fear, but these processes would not cause one another.