Lazarus Theory of Emotion

Definition of the Lazarus Theory of Emotion

What comes first: our cognition or our emotion? If you were to ask Richard Lazarus (1991), he would argue that our cognition (thought) comes first. However, before either can occur, we need a stimulus to begin the process.

In Lazarus's theory of emotion, there are four components in the cycle of emotion.

These four factors have to occur in the order below:

1. A stimulus is introduced

2. The individual creates a cognitive appraisal of the stimulus

3. An emotional response is produced based on the cognitive appraisal

4. A physiological response is formed based on the emotional response

Notice how each step of the cycle builds on the one before it. A stimulus is any internal or external factor experienced by an individual. That's a wide range of possibilities! Cognitive appraisals are what a person thinks about the stimulus. Do they like it? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it trigger memories?

The Lazarus theory of emotion says that humans respond to experiences cognitively first, emotionally second, and physically last. Lazarus believed that the order is always the same in every situation. Which emotions and physiological responses the person experiences depend on how they think about the event.

The Lazarus Theory of Emotion, StudySmarter Original

The Lazarus Cognitive Mediational Theory of Emotion

The cognitive mediational theory of emotion is the full and proper name for Lazarus's theory of emotion. Richard Lazarus was an American psychologist who focused on studying human emotion; his theory of emotion is his most well-known work. Lazarus based his theory on Magda Arnold’s "Appraisal Theory of Emotion". Arnold's theory says that cognitive appraisals signal emotional and physiological responses. She believed that emotion and physiological reactions come after cognitions.

You’re probably wondering how Lazarus's theory differs from Arnold’s. Arnold speculated that cognitive appraisals only signal the emotional and physiological responses to occur. Lazarus believed that cognitive appraisals determine emotional and physiological responses. Lazarus also added that our cognitive appraisals occur mostly unconsciously. Wait, unconscious thoughts cause our emotions and bodily responses? This is what Lazarus believed!

Cognitive appraisal, pexels.com

Examples of the Lazarus Theory of Emotion

Examples of Lazarus's theory happen in everyday life. Here are a few examples that show how this theory can play out.

Stress, pexel.com

The Lazarus Theory of Emotion Experiment

Lazarus (1963) published an experiment on the relationship between cognitive appraisals and our responses to stress. In this study, volunteers were asked to watch a 17-minute video of Australian Aboriginals performing a ritual. The video was supposed to elicit a stress response because it depicted the genital mutilation of young male Aboriginals. The stress responses of the volunteers were measured before, during, and after watching the video through heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance.

Lazarus provided four different versions of the video. His control group watched the video with zero narration. In another group of participants, the video was narrated as an educational video. The narrator sounded like an anthropologist trying to analyze the situation with little emotion. In the next group, the video included narration that denied the harmful effects of genital mutilation. The narrator emphasized that it was part of Aboriginal culture and symbolized emerging adulthood. In the last group, the video included narration that induced emotion by talking about the suffering and trauma the boys were enduring.

The experiment results showed that the volunteers experienced stress responses during all four videos. However, the last video that narrated the traumatic aspects of the situation caused the highest level of stress. The different types of video narration were designed to influence different kinds of cognitive appraisals: any (no audio), none (educational), positive (cultural), and negative (traumatic). The version of narration that caused the highest stress response was the last one, even though all participants watched the same video.

The Lazarus Theory of Emotion in Psychology

The Lazarus theory of emotion is an important part of psychology. It provides a sequence for how humans experience emotion. Lazarus emphasized the connection between our cognitions, emotions, and bodily responses. This information is invaluable to therapy, and it is foundational to cognitive-behavioral therapy in particular. His theory also helps explain why individuals sometimes react differently to the same situation. Cognitive appraisals and emotional responses are entirely subjective and differ from one person to another, even when the stimulus is the same.