Romantic relationship experience

Two-Component Model of Emotion As a Framework for

Romantic love Dr. Beatty

1. All emotions are accompanied by physiological arousal

Example:

Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased brain temperature

2. Physiological arousal is typically experienced as uncomfortable

3. People are motivated to explain physiological arousal

- Sometimes the “causes” seem obvious

Examples:

For a person with fear of spiders, they will attribute arousal to the presence of a spider

A person with stage fright will attribute the physiological arousal to the speaking situation

- Sometimes the causes are ambiguous

Example:

Guessing that arousal might be due to too much coffee

4. Cues from the environment are used to explain physiological arousal

5. Implications of the Model

A. The experience of a specific emotion requires the presence of physiological arousal interpreted as the manifestation of a particular emotion.

B. Schachters and Singer’s classic experiment

1. People who were uncertain whether they were afraid of snakes were divided into four groups

a. Group 1 was given epinephrine and seated in a room with a snake on the table b. Group 2 was given epinephrine seated in a room without a snake c. Group 3 was not given any epinephrine but was seated in a room with a snake on the table d. Group 4 was not given any epinephrine and was seated in a room without a snake

Study Results

Snake No snake

Epinephrine Fear Anxious but no fear

No Epinephrine No response in genetics No response

Implications for Romantic Love

A. Over the past fifty years, the two- component model has emerged as the principal conceptualization of romantic love.

B. Research indicates the following

Positive Traits Negative Traits

Physiological arousal Romantic Love Negative Reaction

No arousal Potential friend Indifference

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C. Traits

1. Physical attractiveness

2. Composure

3. Successful

4. Aspirational

5. Intelligent

6. Competent Communicator

7. Character

D. Sources of Physiological Arousal

1. Social facilitation- presence of strangers

2. Novelty

3. Physical threat

4. Ego- threat (example: rejection)

5. Euphoric or excitement

6. Chemical induced states