An experiment in which male subjects were given phony feedback about their heart rate responses to slides of nude females shows that
A) perception of emotion is altered by misinformation about the effects of adrenaline.
B) people are not easily fooled about their own emotional responses.
C) physical arousal is unimportant to emotion.
D) emotion is affected by the attribution of physical arousal.

Question

An experiment in which male subjects were given phony feedback about their heart rate responses to slides of nude females shows that
A) perception of emotion is altered by misinformation about the effects of adrenaline.
B) people are not easily fooled about their own emotional responses.
C) physical arousal is unimportant to emotion.
D) emotion is affected by the attribution of physical arousal.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The experiment showed that when male subjects were given phony feedback about their heart rate responses to slides of nude females, their emotional response to the slides was affected by the attribution of physical arousal. The subjects who believed their heart rate had increased were more likely to report feeling sexually aroused than those who were told their heart rate had not increased. This suggests that the interpretation and attribution of physical arousal can affect the experience of emotion.

An Experiment in Which Male Subjects Were Given Phony Feedback