Question

The primary cause of emotions according to the cognitive appraisal theory is:

a) Physiological responses
b) Environmental stimuli
c) Cognitive evaluations
d) Behavioral reactions

Answer 1

The primary cause of emotions according to cognitive appraisal theory is cognitive evaluations (Option c). This psychological theory suggests that emotions result from our subjective interpretation and evaluation of a situation, which mediates our emotional response.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary cause of emotions according to the cognitive appraisal theory is c) Cognitive evaluations. This theory posits that our emotions are determined by our cognitive appraisal of a stimulus, meaning the personal interpretation and evaluation of a situation is what causes the emotional response. This appraisal is an intermediary process that influences our emotional experience, and it can occur immediately and often unconsciously. Richard Lazarus, a key proponent of this theory, suggested that it is our appraisal of a situation—how we interpret its significance to our well-being—that ultimately drives our emotional response.

For example, if you are selected to give a lecture on emotion in a psychology class, your individual appraisal of this event as either an exciting opportunity or a fearful challenge will influence whether you feel happiness or anxiety. This cognitive process defines how we perceive, interpret, and then react emotionally to our environments and the events within them. Therefore, in the context of appraisal theory, environmental stimuli lead to cognitive evaluations, which in turn result in the experience of emotions, rather than emotions being directly caused by physiological responses or behavioral reactions.

Answer 2

According to cognitive appraisal theory, emotions are primarily caused by cognitive evaluations of a stimulus, which assess the significance of the event or thought before the emotional response occurs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary cause of emotions according to the cognitive appraisal theory is c) Cognitive evaluations:

Explanation: Emotions are complex responses that involve physiological arousal, psychological appraisal, and subjective experience. Cognitive appraisal theory, particularly as outlined by theorists such as Lazarus, posits that our emotional responses are primarily determined by our cognitive evaluations of a stimulus.

This appraisal is a cognitive process that assesses the significance of what is happening, and it occurs before any emotional response. It mediates between the environmental event or internal thought and the resulting emotional reaction, and this process can be immediate and often unconscious. Cognitive appraisal is crucial because it can shape how we understand the stimulus and, consequently, how we emotionally react to it.