Think about times in your life when you have been absolutely...

Think about times in your life when you have been absolutely elated (e.g., perhaps your school's basketball team just won a closely contested ballgame for the national championship) and very fearful (e.g., you are about to give a speech in your public speaking class to a roomful of 100 strangers). How would you describe how your arousal manifested itself physically? Were there marked differences in physiological arousal associated with each emotional state?

Key Concepts

Emotional Valence and Differentiation

Emotional valence, which refers to the positivity or negativity of an emotion, can influence the qualitative aspects of physiological arousal. Even though both high positive (e.g., elation) and high negative (e.g., fear) emotions elicit strong bodily responses, the specific manifestations—such as varying rates of heart beat, changes in respiration, or different hormonal responses—are shaped by the underlying valence and context of the emotional experience.

Emotion-Induced Physiological Changes

Specific emotions can give rise to distinct patterns of physiological responses. While both extremely positive and extremely negative emotions can result in heightened arousal, the nature of these responses might vary; for example, fear often induces a state of alertness with rapid heart rate and heightened senses due to sympathetic activation, whereas elation may be accompanied by a more energizing and sometimes less stressful pattern of physiological activation.

Physiological Arousal

Physiological arousal refers to the body's physical response to emotional stimulation, including changes such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and hormonal shifts. These bodily changes are automatic reactions that accompany both high positive and high negative emotional states, serving as indicators of the intensity of the experience.

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls involuntary bodily functions and is key to understanding emotional arousal. It consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, which work together to either activate or dampen physiological responses. In intense emotional states, such as elation or fear, the sympathetic branch is typically activated, triggering the 'fight or flight' response and leading to marked changes in the body.

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