Term for stimuli or events that trigger an emotional response in an individual?

• A. Elicitors
• B. Triggers
• C. Stimuli
• D. Cues

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is naming what kinds of inputs provoke an emotional response. Elicitors are the term that fits best because they describe stimuli that actively bring forth an emotion—they’re the cause that elicits the feeling. It’s a precise way to talk about what sparks the emotional reaction, not just any input or a cue for behavior.

Triggers, while related, often carry connotations of something that sets off a specific, sometimes past-related, reaction or a dramatic re-experiencing. Stimuli is a broad label for any input that can cause a response, not necessarily emotional. Cues refer to signals that guide or hint at what comes next, rather than directly naming the emotion itself. So, the word that most accurately describes stimuli or events that provoke an emotional response is elicitors.