A professor conducts an experiment in which she asks her students to either hold a pen between their teeth or hold a pen between their lips. After five minutes, she finds that the students who held the pen between their teeth reported being happier than those who held it between their lips. These results most strongly support the
A) Schacter-Singer theory.
B) two-factor theory of emotion.
C) Cannon-Bard theory.
D) facial feedback hypothesis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The results of the experiment are in line with the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that facial expressions can influence one's emotional experience. Holding the pen between one's teeth activates the muscles typically used in smiling, while holding it between one's lips activates the muscles used in frowning or pouting. Therefore, the students who held the pen between their teeth felt happier due to the feedback they were receiving from their facial muscles.

A Professor Conducts an Experiment in Which She Asks Her