Which of the following theories suggests that you feel happy because you are laughing?

• A. James-Lange theory
• B. Schachter-Singer two-factor theory
• C. Cognitive appraisal theory
• D. Cannon-Bard theory

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the core idea of each theory related to emotions: The James-Lange theory proposes that emotions result from physiological reactions to events, meaning you feel happy because your body reacts (e.g., laughing) first.
2. Recall that the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory emphasizes that emotion is based on both physiological arousal and cognitive labeling of that arousal, so it involves interpreting why you are aroused before feeling an emotion.
3. Recognize that the Cognitive appraisal theory focuses on how you interpret or appraise a situation cognitively, which then leads to an emotional response, rather than the emotion arising directly from bodily reactions.
4. Note that the Cannon-Bard theory argues that physiological reactions and emotional experiences occur simultaneously and independently, so feeling happy and laughing happen at the same time but one does not cause the other.
5. Based on these distinctions, identify that the theory suggesting you feel happy because you are laughing (a bodily reaction) aligns with the James-Lange theory.