After examining the nature of affective experiences, the previous chapter considered a number of factors that lead to these feelings. We can also think of the influences affecting emotional states in a broader way. Generally speaking, psychologists sometimes talk about two types of emotion theories: those that emphasize central processes, primarily involving cognitions, and the more peripherally oriented formulations giving much more attention to the role of bodily reactions. This chapter will look at both of these approaches to emotional experience. It will begin with an examination of several cognitively focused theoretical schemes indicating that people's understandings determine the specific nature of the feelings they have when they are emotionally aroused. Then the chapter will turn to the study of how certain skeletal-muscular reactions can influence specific feelings.

To illustrate the differences between these two different approaches, let's start with the passage from William James's pioneering 1890 book on psychology cited in the Introduction.