Donnie was on the verge of experiencing road rage. The teenagers in front of him were reckless and disrespectful. Suddenly he realized that one of the boys was his brother and he began to laugh. Donnie's emotional response is best explained by:

A. the James-Lange Theory of emotion.
B. the Cannon-bard Theory of emotion.
C. the Schachter-Singer Theory of emotion.
D. the Affiliation Theory of emotion.

C

The correct answer is C. the Schachter-Singer Theory of emotion.

The Schachter-Singer Theory of emotion, also known as the two-factor theory, states that emotions are a result of both physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. According to this theory, when Donnie realized that one of the boys was his brother, his cognitive interpretation of the situation changed, leading to a different emotional response.

To arrive at this answer, we can eliminate options A, B, and D:

A. the James-Lange Theory of emotion suggests that emotions arise from physiological responses. According to this theory, Donnie would have experienced a physical reaction first (such as increased heart rate or sweating) and then interpreted it as anger. However, the question states that Donnie was already experiencing road rage before realizing his brother was involved, so this theory does not explain his emotional response.

B. the Cannon-Bard Theory of emotion proposes that emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously and independently. Since Donnie's reaction changed after realizing his brother was involved, this theory does not explain his emotional response accurately.

D. the Affiliation Theory of emotion suggests that emotional responses arise from the need for social connection and affiliation. While Donnie may have felt a sense of connection and affiliation with his brother, this theory does not address the change in his emotional response.

Therefore, the best explanation for Donnie's emotional response is the Schachter-Singer Theory of emotion (option C), which emphasizes the role of cognitive interpretation in determining emotions.

C. the Schachter-Singer Theory of emotion.

According to the Schachter-Singer Theory, emotions are a result of a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive evaluation of the situation. In this scenario, Donnie's initial emotional response of anger and frustration (physiological arousal) was quickly changed when he recognized that one of the boys was his brother (cognitive evaluation). This cognitive evaluation helped Donnie reevaluate the situation and experience a different emotion, in this case, amusement and laughter.