Physiological Reactivity to Different Stressors and Methods of Evaluation

Abstract

Several variables shown in past studies to be important determines of autonomic activation in humans are re-examined in 2 test situations spaced 1 year apart. There is considerable individual variation in responsivity not explicible in terms of the variables studied. However, nearly all subjects exhibited in at least one autonomic system levels of reactivity paralleling the presume stress effects of different conditions of stimulation. Subjective and objective measures of personality and emotionally appear to be less important determiners of physiological levels than the intensity of stress. A new method of scaling autonomic responses is outlined.