Sympathetic Activity and Perception
- 1 September 1953
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Psychosomatic Medicine
- Vol. 15 (5), 443-455
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-195309000-00008
Abstract
Psychological activity, such as the perception of a fearful object, can evoke autonomic changes. The inverse of this operation, however, is poorly understood. How, if at all, does autonomic activity influence psychological activity? An hypothesis is presented concerning an effect of autonomic activity on personality which is in essence an inverse feedback concept. If awareness of and reaction to a threat induce a sympathetic discharge, then sympathetic activity should have an inverse effect on awareness of cues. This postulated decrease in awareness and reactivity was termed decreased extroceptive input, and was tested by observing changes in visual perception produced by increased endogenous sympathetic activity. Using both a cold-pressor procedure and amyl nitrite inhalations to induce sympathetic activity, a consistent decrease in the apparent size of a distant object relative to a nearer object was observed. Evidence was presented to demonstrate that this was not due to local ophthal-mic effects nor to decreased attention, but rather, was explainable on the basis of decreased size constancy which could result from a narrowed awareness with reduction of reaction to distance cues. This fits the hypothesis of decreased extroceptive input. The literature of behavioral correlates of autonomic activity is reviewed and additional evidence in support of this hypothesis is pointed out. The implication of such a notion for the study of normal and pathological states is discussed.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Alterations in Electrical Activity of the Hypothalamus Induced by Stress StimuliAmerican Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 1952
- Differential Emphasis in Somatic Response to StressPsychosomatic Medicine, 1952
- Perceived size and distance in visual space.Psychological Review, 1951
- CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIONS TO EMOTIONAL STIMULI. EFFECT ON THE CARDIAC OUTPUT, ARTERIOVENOUS OXYGEN DIFFERENCE, ARTERIAL PRESSURE, AND PERIPHERAL RESISTANCE 1JCI Insight, 1948
- RELATION OF THE FRONTAL LOBE TO THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN MANArchives of Neurology & Psychiatry, 1947
- CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE TO ACETYL-BETA-METHYLCHOLINE (MECHOLYL) IN MENTAL DISORDERSJournal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 1943
- The Subjective Response of Psychoneurotic Patients to Adrenalin and Mecholyl (Acetyl-B-Methyl-Choline)*Psychosomatic Medicine, 1940