Final answer:
Emotions encompass behavioral, cognitive, and physiological components, which are evident when one experiences discomfort due to an upcoming stressful event like a test. Different theories of emotion support the idea that our emotional experiences are shaped by both our body's responses and our cognitive appraisal of the situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The example you have provided illustrates that emotions are not just behavioral but involve a combination of physiological, cognitive, and subjective experiences. When you felt uncomfortable during a conversation, remembering the upcoming test triggered a physiological response like increased heart rate or sweating. This response, combined with the subjective feeling of nervousness, reflects the cognitive appraisal of the situation where you determine the potential impact of the test. These components of emotion are deeply interconnected as established in emotion theories like the James-Lange theory, the Cannon-Bard theory, and the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory.
Emotions such as exhilaration and fear, as experienced during a winning ballgame or before giving a public speech, involve a physiological arousal that might manifest differently for each state. The James-Lange theory would suggest you feel these emotions after the associated physiological changes occur. In contrast, Schachter and Singer's theory would contend that without a cognitive label for the physiological state in the given context, there would be no specific emotional experience.