Chapter 02 of 5
The Body Feels First
Does your heart race because you're afraid — or are you afraid because it races?
- Common Sense
See the bear, feel afraid, run
We usually assume emotions come first: you see a bear, feel fear, and then your body reacts.
- 1884
William James flips it
Psychologist William James argued the opposite: we feel afraid because we notice our body trembling and our heart racing.
- James-Lange
A shared idea
Danish physician Carl Lange proposed something similar, so the idea became known as the James-Lange theory.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
In the 1974 shaky bridge study, what were men on the wobbly bridge more likely to do?
😊 What Are Feelings For?
- 01Darwin's FacesAre facial expressions a universal language — or less than they seem?
- 02The Body Feels FirstDoes your heart race because you're afraid — or are you afraid because it races?
- 03The Fear Centre?The amygdala, fear, and why there's no single fear button.
- 04Built, Not Born?The newer idea that the brain constructs emotions rather than reacting with them.
- 05Riding the WaveWhat research says actually helps with difficult emotions.