Facts about The James-Lange Theory of Emotion
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William James articulated the theory in his 1884 paper 'What is an Emotion?' published in the journal Mind, predating his more comprehensive treatment in Principles of Psychology.
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Influential in shaping early physiological psychology, the James-Lange Theory of Emotion inspired subsequent competing theories including the Cannon-Bard theory and Schachter-Singer two-factor theory.
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Walter Cannon challenged the James-Lange Theory of Emotion by demonstrating that visceral organs are relatively insensitive and too slow to account for emotional experience.
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Contrary to common intuition, the James-Lange Theory of Emotion argues that people feel afraid because they tremble, not that they tremble because they feel afraid.
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Proposed independently by William James and Carl Lange in 1884, this theory holds that emotions arise from the body's physiological responses to stimuli, not the reverse.