Question

You are feeling upset when your mother turns toward you and says "turn that frown upside down." You turn your frown into a smile and realize that you now feel happy. This experience can be best described by the _____.

a) James-Lange theory of emotion
b) Cannon-Bard theory of emotion
c) Two-factor theory of emotion
d) Schachter-Singer theory of emotion

Answer 1

The experience described in the question can be explained by the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The experience described in the question is best explained by the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion. According to this theory, emotions are composed of two factors: physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. In this case, when your mother told you to 'turn that frown upside down,' it changed your cognitive evaluation of the situation and influenced how you interpreted your physiological arousal. By turning your frown into a smile, you changed your cognitive interpretation and thereby changed your emotional experience.