Suppose that Lauren has always wanted to go out with Sam. She calls him up and asks him to go to a movie with her, and he accepts enthusiastically. Just prior to calling Sam, Lauren took some allergy medicine. Under which of the following conditions will she experience the most joy?
A) The allergy medicine she just took, she knows, makes her hyper and excited.
B) The allergy medicine she just took, unknown to her, causes mild arousal.
C) The allergy medicine she just took, she knows, causes mild arousal.
D) The allergy medicine she just took, unknown to her, causes relaxation and sleepiness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lauren will experience the most joy under condition B because the mild arousal caused by the allergy medicine, unknown to her, can be misattributed to her excitement about going out with Sam, enhancing her emotional experience. This is based on the two-factor theory of emotion, which suggests that physiological arousal is interpreted in context to form the emotional experience. Since Lauren is unaware of the cause of her arousal, she is more likely to attribute it to her excitement about the date, thus intensifying her feelings of joy.

Suppose That Lauren Has Always Wanted to Go Out with Sam