The James-Lange theory of emotions: A misnomer we should abandon.

In the literature on emotions, reference is often made to the "James-Lange theory" from the 1880s. This article clarifies that this term is a misnomer. Although James's and Lange's views shared the centrality of bodily changes in emotion, there were also important differences. There is not one theory, but two, as evidenced by Lehmann's pioneering psychophysiological experiments of the 1890s showing their differential refutability. Moreover, the "James-Lange" labeling of Lange's work emphasizes something that was important to James, the experience of bodily changes, but which received little attention from Lange. Furthermore, the shared labeling obscures two contributions by Lange that are perhaps as important as the shared contribution with James: a dual-route model of emotional responding and classical conditioning of emotions. For future mentions, it is recommended to refer to the theories separately or in the plural. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).