Two factor theory of emotion

Scientists believe that when something happens around us, it makes us feel a certain way. This is called an emotion. The two factor theory of emotion says that there are two things that combine to create our emotions.

The first thing is called the stimulus. This is the thing that happens around us that causes us to feel a certain way. For example, if you see a dark alley with nobody around, that might make you feel scared.

The second thing is called the physiological arousal. This is how our bodies react to the stimulus. For example, if you see a dog and your heart starts racing, that is your physiological arousal.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The two factor theory says that if we don’t know what caused our physiological arousal, we will look to the stimulus for an answer.

Imagine being really scared while watching a scary movie. You might assume that the movie is causing your fear, but in reality it’s the physiological arousal from the movie that’s making you feel scared.

So, the two factor theory of emotions says that two things combine to create our emotions: the stimulus and the physiological arousal. If we don’t know what’s causing our physiological arousal, we’ll look to the stimulus for an explanation.