Belinda usually drinks decaffeinated coffee, but this morning her local coffee shop accidentally gave her a latte with full caffeine. As she drives to work, Belinda is thinking about a meeting she will have with her supervisor later that day, to receive a performance review. Unaware of the error with her coffee, as Belinda feels her heart begin to pound, she thinks "wow, I must be more anxious about this meeting with my supervisor than I realized!" This example best illustrates which of the following theories of emotion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Schachter and Singer's theory states that emotions are the result of both physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. In this case, Belinda's physiological arousal (her heart pounding) is caused by the caffeine in her coffee, but she interprets it as anxiety about her meeting with her supervisor.

Belinda Usually Drinks Decaffeinated Coffee, but This Morning Her Local