You are walking through a store when you run into a friend you have not seen in a long time and whom you miss very much. According to the James-Lange theory, what might happen?

A) You experience physiological changes followed by a feeling of happiness.
B) You feel happiness followed by physiological changes.
C) You experience physiological changes and a feeling of happiness simultaneously.
D) You experience physiological changes and context appraisal followed by a feeling of happiness.

Question

Josiah Everett · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : A, Explanation :  According to the James-Lange theory, an event in the environment first triggers physiological arousal, which is then experienced as a particular emotion. In this scenario, running into a friend you miss would likely trigger physiological changes, such as an increase in heart rate, before you experience the emotion of happiness. Therefore, A is the best choice as you experience physiological changes followed by a feeling of happiness.

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