In the domain of psychological study, scientists have been trying hard to understand the nature of emotions since time immemorial. Two of the most prominent persons in this discussion are William James and Walter Cannon. According to James, bodily changes directly follow the perception of the exciting fact, and as a result, our feeling of the same changes as they occur is referred to as emotion (Keltner et al., 2014, p6). On the other hand, Cannon suggested that emotions are generated in the brain, not the peripheral organ. This paper will focus on different aspects of James and Cannon’s Points of view and present the evidence underlying each position. Moreover, it will make those divergent views consistent enough to understand human feelings in-depth.
The bodily theory of emotions argues that physiological processes in the body are part of our emotional experience. Proposed by William James, the theory explains that physical responses occur first and serve as a cause of emotional experiences (Keltner et al., 2014). According to James, people generally have emotions due to their bodily reactions towards stimuli, not the reverse. This theory contradicts the belief that emotions result from emotions originating exclusively from mental processes.
As far as evidence is concerned, James’ theory of Emotion, which he developed with Danish psychologist Carl Lange, is based on the view that physiological arousal occurs before the experience of the Emotion (Keltner et al., 2014). According to the theory, people experience emotions after discovering that their bodies behave differently; for example, their hearts beat faster, or their palms get sweaty. James also showed that there is more to feeling than body; he suggested that bodily sensations are just as intensely involved in the experiences as emotions (Keltner et al., 2014). For Instance, trembling knees may be interpreted as something fearful. In other words, bodily reactions are the essential ingredients of the emotional experience. James’ ideas resonate with modern views that explore physical and emotional interaction. Additionally, his ideas set the stage for other theories of Emotion, forming the foundation of numerous psychologists’ work in their studies on humankind’s emotional processes.
In the Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion, Walter Cannon views the brain as initiating all emotions. As per the theory, the brain is the primary organ of Emotion. Unlike James, who only looked at bodily peripheral reactions, Cannon emphasized the role of the brain as the main organ that begins and controls emotional processes (Statharakos et al., 2022). As far as evidence is concerned, Cannon validates in several ways. First, he criticized the James-Lange theory, saying that the body’s reactions cannot explain how diverse our emotional experiences could be (Keltner et al., 2014). According to Cannon, emotions go hand in hand with integrated responses within the central nervous system, and the hypothalamus and amygdala are the brain structures that play a significant role in this process. In addition, Cannon adds that the brain, in collaboration, triggers mechanisms of stress and fear and plays a central role in emotional management (Keltner et al., 2014). These arguments are why Cannon’s work is believed to have played a critical role in paving the way for today’s neuroscientific studies of the neural bases of Emotion.
Though James and Cannon approach the subject emotionally in contrasting ways, the correlation between their opinions can be seen. While the bodily reactions are integral components of emotions in both theories, the emphasis is different. On the other hand, both theories reveal that bodily changes sense the mood, which may be intertwined between physical sensations and emotional experiences (Keltner et al., 2014). However, there was considerable disagreement between James and Cannon on this as they studied Emotion in distinct ways. According to James’s sense-body theory, bodily sensations are the initial factors that give rise to emotions, and individuals subsequently judge their bodily states as particular emotions (Szanto & Landweer, 2020). Conversely, Cannon’s brain-centric approach highlights the critical role of the brain in generating and controlling emotions, hence his criticism of James’ peripheral-centric approach. Cannon suggests that the brain, such as the hypothalamus and amygdala, plays the most influential role in emotional experiences and not only bodily sensations.
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