Appraisal determinants of discrete emotions

Abstract

A theory specifying how appraisals of a situation determine one's emotional responses (Roseman, 1979) was subjected to an experimental test. According to the theory, particular combinations of 5 appraisals determine which of 13 qualitatively different emotions will be experienced in any given situation. The appraisals are: motivational state (rewarding/punishing), situational state (presendabsent), probability (certaiduncertain), legitimacy (positivehegative outcome deserved), and causal agency (circumstanced other person/self). The emotions whose occurrence they determine are joy, relief, hope, liking (“warmth-friendliness”), pride, distress, sorrow, fear, frustration, disliking (“coolness-unfriendliness”), anger, regret, and guilt. In the experiment, 120 college students read brief stories in which these appraisals were manipulated, and rated the intensities of various emotions felt by story protagonists. Results showed that each appraisal had a significant effect upon emotions, and that the particular combinations of appraisals specified by the theory predict the relative intensities of particular emotions, across a wide variety of situations. Theoretical predictions were more clearly supported for appraisals of motivational state, situational state and probability than for appraisals of legitimacy and agency. Results provide significant support for the theory, and suggest that it be subjected to further testing and development. Possible modifications in the theory are also discussed.