what are modern psychologists saying about " THE JAMES-LANGE THEORY" ?

Question

William james said " we feel sorry, because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble" this was supported by danish physiologist carl Lange.

Answer 1

I'm not a psychologist, but I work in the mental health field as a child psychotherapist. I'll give you my opinion.

The theory's base is in causality. Most people, back then and now, believe that our behaviors are responses to emotional experiences. The inverse notion, that emotional experiences are instead responses to the behaviors (James-Lange) does not help us understand what compels us to behave as we do. Why would we cry, if not for an emotion to trigger it? Why would we run from danger if not for some sort of emotional mechanism to tell us it's a good idea to do so? It really makes no sense, even to modern psychologists.

This theory is largely rejected nowadays, and even if it wasn't, it wouldn't help us understand HOW to help people with emotional and behavioral disorders.

The theory almost applies to people with Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder involves physiological symptoms (i.e. heart & breathing rate increases) and related behaviors (i.e. social withdrawal) which in and of themselves cause emotional responses in people, but even this isn't entirely consistent with the theory.

Emotions, behaviors and thoughts are not linear in causality, but rather cyclical, interrelated and mutually reinforcing.