Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion suggests that when you experience a stimulus—like seeing a snake—your brain processes the threat and triggers both the emotional feeling (fear) and physical responses (like increased heart rate) simultaneously. Unlike theories that say the physical response causes the emotion or vice versa, Cannon-Bard proposes that both happen at the same time as independent but related reactions. This helps explain how people can feel emotions quickly and have physical responses without one directly causing the other.