Psychosomatic Medicine 15:443-455 (1953)
© 1953 American Psychosomatic Society

Sympathetic Activity and Perception

An Approach to the Relationships between Autonomic Activity and Personality

¹ Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland

We have presented an hypothesis concerning an effect of autonomic activity on personality which is, in essence, an inverse feedback concept. If awareness of and reaction to a threat induces a sympathetic discharge, then we would expect sympathetic activity to have an inverse effect. This expected decrease in awareness and reactivity we have termed decreased exteroceptive input. This is contrasted to the traditional Eppinger-Hess concept of the sympathicotonic personality, which actually postulates a positive feedback mechanism.

We have attempted to test this idea by observing changes in visual perception produced by increased endogenous sympathetic activity. Using both a cold-pressor procedure and amyl nitrite inhalations as methods of inducing sympathetic activity, we observed a consistent decrease in the apparent size of a distant object relative to a nearer object. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that this is not due to local ophthalmic effects nor to decreased attention. It is explained on the basis of decreased size constancy, which could result from a narrowed awareness, with reduction of reaction to distance cues. This fits our hypothesis of decreased exteroceptive input. The literature of the 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.

Note:

Lieutenant, Medical Corps, United States Naval Reserve, now with the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore 1, Maryland

Commander, Medical Corps, United States Navy