The Cannon-Bard theory is a model that describes how we experience emotion. According to this model, we experience two components of emotion: physiological response and cognitive response.
The Cannon-Bard theory states that these two components occur simultaneously. That is, we experience a physical response (our bodies respond) and a cognitive response (we think about what just happened) at the same time.
This theory is named after Richard Herbert Cannon and James Allport who developed it. They drew their inspiration from the work of Walter Cannon who studied emotional responses in his lab rats.
As you will learn later in this article, some researchers now believe that the order in which these responses occur may be different according to individual people based on personal experiences. For example, someone who has experienced emotional trauma may first think about the situation before feeling any physical or psychological response.
Perception
Before emotion can be experienced, the brain must process the information received through the senses. This stage of emotion processing is called perception.
Information from the external and internal environments is received by our senses, such as smell, sight, taste, and touch. The brain also processes internal information, such as pain and emotional responses.
According to Cannon-Bard theory, perception of an event directly corresponds with the physiological response to that event. That is to say, when we perceive an event (such as being threatened), we experience a specific emotional response (such as fear).
Emotions are internal responses to external stimuli. According to this theory, emotions are not produced by our internal thoughts and beliefs, but by our responses to events in our environment.
However, other theories state that emotions originate from internal thought and belief systems.
Association
The second theory states that perception of a stimulus and emotional response happen at the same time. This is called association theory.
The Cannon-Bard theory states that both the peripheral and central mechanisms occur at the same time, so there is no separation of when one happens and the other.
Peripheral receptors in the skin, muscles, and other organs send information to the brain about a stimulus. This happens almost instantly.
Then, associations are made in the brain about the stimulus based on past experiences, which triggers an emotional response.
Emotions are a part of our everyday life and play a large role in our health. Discovering how emotions work and how to handle them is important for your health and wellbeing.
Cognition
Before an emotion can be experienced, the brain must process a cognitive event. This happens in two stages:
The first stage is called the appetitive phase, and it refers to the processing of a stimulus. In this case, the stimulus is an external event or thought that elicits either a positive or negative response.
The second stage is called the reflexive phase, and it refers to processing of internal states such as memories, thoughts, and emotions. These must be processed before an emotion can be experienced.
For example, if you hear a song that brings up memories of a happy time in your life, you will smile before you even realize that you are thinking about that time. The cognitive processing of the song happened reflexively before the emotional response of happiness was experienced.
Feeling
According to the Cannon-Bard theory, the feeling and thinking components of emotional response occur at the same time.
However, this theory states that feeling occurs first, then thinking occurs second. This is in contrast to the dual-pathway theory, which states that thinking occurs first, then feeling occurs second.
As mentioned earlier, this is a very simplified explanation of these theories. There are many nuances within each theory that make them more complex. For example, in the Cannon-Bard theory, there is no mention of which component (feeling or thinking) comes first. It is assumed that they happen at the same time.
How do these theories relate to trauma? According to experts, if trauma victims can learn how to think about a situation before feeling any emotions about it, they may be able to prevent some emotional responses from happening.
Response
Following an emotional stimulus, there are two different processes that occur. The first is the experience of emotion, and the second is the experience of physiological arousal.
According to the Cannon-Bard theory, these two processes occur simultaneously. The theory states that emotional experiences are processed in the cortex (the layer of the brain that is responsible for higher order processing such as thinking and reasoning) and physiology is regulated in the hypothalamus (a part of the brain responsible for regulating basic bodily functions such as sleeping, eating, and sex).
The hypothalamus releases chemicals that direct other parts of the body to respond. For example, if you are emotionally traumatized, your body will naturally respond with a high level of cortisol (a hormone) and glucose (a type of sugar) to prepare your body to fight or flee.
This response occurs at the same time as your emotional response according to this theory.
Bodily changes
The Cannon-Bard theory states that emotions are not experienced at the same time, but that they are experienced in a specific order.
First, there are physical changes, then comes the awareness of situations, then comes the emotional response, and finally, there are behavioral responses.
For example, if you were walking down a dark alley and saw a figure ahead of you, you would tense up and start to sweat. This is a physical change that occurs before you realize it is just a trash can. You then recognize the scare and get emotional and angry. Finally, you yell at the trash can because of your emotional response.
The Cannon-Bard theory is criticized because it does not take into account internal feelings such as thoughts or feelings. Many people do not recognize these internal feelings as emotions, however.
Expression of emotion
According to the Cannon-Bard theory, emotional expression and emotional experience occur at the same time. Emotional expression occurs before emotional experience, which is simultaneous in this theory.
Theories that state that emotion occurs after physical reactions such as sweat and increased heart rate are refuted by this theory. This is why it is called a “theory”—because it has been observed that emotion and physical reaction occur at the same time.
However, this theory does state that there are two separate processes involved in the experience of emotion: perception and expression. The process of perception occurs rapidly, registering an event or situation as emotionally laden; this happens before any outward expression of emotion.
Emotion can be difficult to define, however: Is it a “thing” or a set of bodily responses? According to Cannon and Bard, it is the latter.
Perception of the stimulus
The second theory of emotion suggests that emotional responses are not exclusively due to physiological changes, but also to cognitive processes.
This theory is called the Cannon-Bard theory, after its developers Walter Bradford Cannon and Herbert Hardy Bard. According to this theory, both the perception of a stimulus and emotional or bodily responses occur simultaneously.
The Cannon-Bard theory states that we perceive a stimulus, our brains process the information, and we then have an emotional response. This response occurs at the same time as physiological changes.
For example, if you walk into a room with a scary spider on the wall, you will immediately recognize it and feel fear. Your body will react with sweatiness and trembling; this is called your “emotional response” in the Cannon-Bard theory.
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