Bodily Changes During Emotions

Brief   Introduction

            The experience and expression are the two aspects of emotions. Experience is connected with internal bodily activities while expression is with external which are attributed to physiological arousal. The internal changes are subjective conscious feelings and the external changes are the specific response patterns meant for others and self.

(i)        Self, in the form of biofeedback to complete the psycho-neuro-physiological cycle. 

(i)        For others, it’s a way of transformation of feelings into body language or non-verbal cues for communication.

The bodily or physiological changes are based on the activation of autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system, part of autonomic nervous system, is responsible for generalized physiological arousal in response to emotion provoking stimuli or situation. The activation is set in motion by the information received from sense organs. The received information travels through brain to various internal organs setting up an involuntary chain reaction through out the body.

The interesting aspect of emotional response is that the internal changes are more or less similar in different types of emotions, the only difference lies in the facial expression and affiliated body language. For example take the case of anger and fear. The symptoms of both the emotions are similar yet experience and facial expression are different.  Emotions generates following two type of bodily changes: -

(i)        Internal

(ii)       External

Internal Bodily Changes

            These are accelerated by Sympathetic Nervous System and brought back to normalcy by Parasympathetic Nervous System.           

1.         Increase in Heart Rate – During emotional states adrenaline hormones are released that prepare body for fight or flight. The hormonal release increases supply of electrical pulses to the heart leading to increase in heart rate. To maintain the oxygen supply to the muscles the heart need to beat faster.

2.         Blood Pressure Increases – The increase in heart rate leads to increase in blood

pressure.

3.         Respiration Becomes Rapid – During emotional state the muscles consume more energy leading to higher production of carbon dioxide. To flush it out the lungs have to

function at rapid rate consequently increasing the respiration rate.

4.         Pupils Dilate – Pupils control the amount of light enters our eyes. It is suggested that during emotional arousal body needs enhanced visual field which is provided by dilation of pupils. "The pupils reflect the extent of mental effort in an incredibly precise way,"  Daniel Kahneman (Fong, 2012).

5.         Mouth Dries Up – The dry mouth occurs due to changes in the composition of saliva or reduction in supply of saliva attributed to the neurological changes in the brain. These changes are prompted by emotional arousal. 

6.         Digestive Rate Increases – Due to enhanced heart rate the supply of blood to various organs increases. The digestive system also receives increased rate of blood supply that prompts the system to move with rapid rate. The increased digestive rate promptly digests the food to meet        the enhanced need of energy.

External Bodily Changes

1.         Trembling of Limbs – The trembling occurs due to Adrenaline rush. The muscles shiver to generate heat to maintain the body temperature that prepares an individual for fight or flight behaviour. This occurs during exciting or frightening events.

2.         Facial Expression Changes – About 2000 years ago Cicero said, “The face is the image of the soul”. The facial expressions are the best identification channel of emotions.

3.         Skin Temperature Changes – Fear is associated with decrease in skin temperature, whereas anger is associate with an increase (Ciccerelli and Meyar, 2013).

4.         Muscles Gets Tensed – The adrenaline rush prepares muscles to meet the demands of emotional challenge.

5.         Throbbing Temples – The temples is a place where all four cranial bones meet. The middle meningeal artery is found underneath these temples. The increase in blood pressure induces movement in this artery leading to throbbing of temples.

6.         Goosebumps or Piloerection – In various emotional states goose bumps appear due to muscular tremors. The shivering muscles led to erection of hair bristles that creates a thin layer of air which protects the heat loss.

7.         Crying – It’s a natural response to emotional arousal. It is associated with autonomic (Sympathetic and Parasympathetic) and somatic responding (Gross et al. 1994).

8.         Perspiration – Sweat glands (almost 40 Lakh) are found through out body. Emotional arousal increases the body temperature which needs to be maintained at constant level. For that the sympathetic nervous system activates the ‘Eccrine’ sweat glands. These glands release water to cool down the body by evaporation.

References:

1.         NCERT,  (2013). XI Psychology Text book.

2.         Ciccarelli, S. K. & Meyer, G. E. (2016). Psychology. Noida: Pearson India.

3.         Baron, R. (1993). Psychology.

4.         Gross, J. J., Fredrickson, B. L., & Levenson, R. W. (1994). The psychophysiology of crying. Psychophysiology, 31(5), 460–468. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1994.tb01049.x

5.         https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/eye-opener-why-do-pupils-dialate/

6.         https://www.britannica.com/science/perspiration.

*******