The first modern theory of emotion was formulated by James. According to the James-Lange Theory, environmental stimuli bring on physiological changes in our bodies, and emotions then arise from those physical changes. Our sensory receptors send information to the brain, which sends signals to the body. We feel the sensation as emotion. The role of cognition or thought is not addressed. In other words, we feel sad because we cry.
The cognitive theory of emotion holds that the situation that we are in when we are aroused, the overall environment, gives us clues that help us interpret this general state of arousal.
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