Question

One of the problems associated with asthma is that once patients experience difficulty breathing, they often make their symptoms worse by concentrating on them and/or worrying about them. Consequently, many doctors include relaxation exercises as part of a treatment program to prevent patients from making their asthmatic reactions worse. This example of how our awareness of physiological changes can influence or even cause subsequent emotions is most supportive of which of the following theories of emotion?

a.Plutchik
b.Cannon-Bard
c.James-Lange
d.Yerkes-Dodson

Answer 1

The example of how asthma patients' symptoms can worsen due to their focus on breathing difficulties supports the James-Lange theory of emotion, which suggests that emotions result from physiological arousal. The correct answer is c. James-Lange.

Step-by-step explanation:

The example of how patients with asthma can exacerbate their symptoms by concentrating on them supports the James-Lange theory of emotion. According to this theory, emotional experiences arise from the physiological arousal that individuals detect within themselves. As patients experience difficulty breathing and focus on this physiological change, it leads to increased emotional distress, which in turn worsens the asthma symptoms. This sequence aligns with the James-Lange theory which posits that emotions are the result of physical changes in the body.

This theory states that emotions arise from physiological arousal, meaning that our bodily sensations come before our emotional experiences. In the case of asthma patients, when they concentrate on their difficulty breathing and worry about it, their awareness of the physiological changes worsens their symptoms. This aligns with the idea that emotions are a result of the body's response. Therefore, the correct answer is c. James-Lange.