Abstract
Schachter and Singer argue emotional experience requires physiological arousal plus a cognitive label — context shapes which emotion you feel.
Schachter, S., & Singer, J. (1962). Psychological Review, 69(5), 379–399. DOI
Key findings
- Two-factor frame — Arousal alone is ambiguous — interpretation steers fear, anger, or excitement.
- Label from context — Social and situational cues supply the name for what the body is doing.
- Misattribution effects — Wrong labels produce wrong feelings — reframe can shift state.
- Classic paradigm — Epinephrine studies are contested later — but the labeling idea endures.
Limits
1960s lab paradigm — replication debates; use as lens, not law.
Application
When arousal spikes and the story assigns fear — ask whether the label fits the body signal. See Exteroception.