Relation of Physiological Response to Affect Expression: Including Studies of Autonomic Response Specificity

I. Introduction  A central notion in psychosomatic theory is that emotion which is dammed-up and fails to be "discharged" leads to physiological alterations which eventuate in tissue pathology. Concerning the physiological changes accompanying emotional responses, Dunbar³ states: "If they are not discharged in action they tend to persist or to be followed by other changes, such for example as disturbed endocrine balance . . . and any state of chronic disturbance of function tends to become crystallized in structural change." Similarily, Alexander¹ indicates that: "Fear, aggression, guilt, frustrated wishes, if repressed, result in permanent chronic emotional tension which disturb the functions of the vegetative organs."Manifold clinical reports have suggested that a concomitance exists between the presence or exacerbation of "psychosomatic" disorders and emotion which is repressed or suppressed. Research has demonstrated clearly that widespread physiological changes take place during the development of overt emotional states. But