Schachter and Singer -

Determinants of Emotional State

The study looks at the process by which emotions are created and recognised.

 

The researchers propose a two step process in the activation of emotions: firstly a physiological arousal created by an external event; followed a by a cognitive process of labelling based on cues provided by the environment.

 

The study attempts to manipulate these two steps to test the hypothesis that they are separate processes.