Ten-year-old Sasha begins crying uncontrollably while watching Old Yeller,a movie in which a brave dog saves his master but is killed by the bad guys.Her mother tells Sasha,"It's all pretend! Don't worry.Yeller is alive and living in Hollywood,California!" After her mom explains,Sasha feels much better and stops crying.This difference in Sasha's emotional reaction can best be explained by ____.
A) arousal theory
B) a difference in her interpretation of the situation
C) drive reduction theory
D) Maslow's hierarchy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sasha's emotional reaction changed because her mother provided her with a different interpretation of the situation, reassuring her that the events were not real and the dog was still alive. This suggests that her emotions were influenced by cognitive factors such as perception and interpretation rather than physiological arousal (arousal theory) or basic biological needs (drive reduction theory) or the hierarchy of needs (Maslow's hierarchy).

Ten-Year-Old Sasha Begins Crying Uncontrollably While Watching Old Yeller,a Movie