Final answer:
The theories of emotion, including James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Singer, and Lazarus, offer different sequences and explanations for the emotions experienced after almost hitting a bicyclist, ranging from physiological responses leading to emotion, to simultaneous arousal and emotion, to cognitive appraisal dictating emotional response.
Step-by-step explanation:
To match the theory of emotion to the sequence of events specified by that theory for the example of almost hitting a bicyclist, we refer to the explanation provided by each theory.
- James-Lange theory: This theory posits that emotions arise as a function of physiological arousal. If you narrowly avoid hitting a bicyclist, your heart rate might increase due to the sudden stress. According to this theory, you would feel fear after recognizing these physiological changes.
- Cannon-Bard theory: This theory maintains that emotional experience occurs simultaneous to and independent of physiological arousal. In our bicyclist scenario, you would feel fear at the same time as your body reacts with a fight or flight response.
- Schachter-Singer theory: Also known as the two-factor theory, it suggests that physiological arousal is given a cognitive label based on the context, which together result in the emotional experience. In this instance, the arousal caused by the near-accident would be labeled as fear because of the dangerous context.
- Lazarus theory: Developed by Lazarus, this cognitive-mediational theory asserts that our emotions are determined by our appraisal of the stimulus, which is immediate and often unconscious. In the example, the emotional response of fear would come after the appraisal of the situation as threatening.