Example

Example of the Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory

According to the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory, physiological arousal is interpreted within a specific context to produce an emotional experience. For example, encountering a venomous snake in a backyard triggers sympathetic nervous system activation. Given the dangerous context, this physiological arousal is cognitively appraised and labeled as fear, resulting in the emotional experience of fear. If the same physiological arousal were labeled as joy, the resulting emotional experience would be joy.

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Updated 2026-05-16

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