The James-Lange Theory states that emotional experience depends on what?

The James-Lange Theory posits that emotional experience arises from the recognition and interpretation of physiological responses. According to this theory, an emotion is not experienced until we notice our physiological reactions to a stimulus. For example, if you see a bear, your body starts to react—your heart might race and your palms may sweat. The James-Lange Theory asserts that you interpret these physiological changes as the emotion of fear.

This perspective emphasizes the sequence of events: first, physiological responses occur, and then the brain interprets these responses in context, leading to the conscious experience of an emotion. Thus, the core of the theory is centered around the idea that it is the perception of bodily changes that leads to the identification of emotions.

In contrast, simultaneous emotional feelings and physiological reactions (the first option) imply that emotions and physiological responses occur at the same time, which is not consistent with the James-Lange perspective. The evaluation of situational cues (the third option), while relevant in some theories of emotion, is not the primary focus of the James-Lange Theory, which is concerned with the sequence of physiological response leading to emotional recognition. Lastly, innate emotional responses (the fourth option) do not align with the James-Lange approach, which emphasizes