After watching the CNN reporter announce the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in the Jones vs. California case, Hunter reacted by spewing out a string of profanities while Christopher kept shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Although Hunter and Christopher both experienced similar physiological arousal to identical information, they had two very different emotional reactions. This example poses a major problem for the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The example actually supports the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, which suggests that our emotional experience depends on our interpretation of the situation. Hunter and Christopher had different emotional reactions because they appraised the Supreme Court's decision differently, despite the similar physiological arousal and information.

After Watching the CNN Reporter Announce the U