Social Psychology: The Sympathetic Nervous System

646 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social cognitive theory argues that

One of areas social psychology places emphasis is subjectism. It is a theme in social psychology that has stood in opposition to behaviorism, which left a very little room for individual mental processes. Social psychologists have placed an emphasis on the significance of understanding subjective experiences that lead to human social behavior. In addition, researchers have acknowledged the importance of not only recognition of individuals’ interpretations, but also their beliefs about other people’s interpretations of their own behaviors and reactions. Focus on subjective meaning gave researchers a way to theorize the non-behavioristic reasons for social behavior (Ross, Lepper, & Ward, 2010). For this case, Jackson’s (as well as other family …show more content…

Especially, the Sympathetic Nervous System which is responsible for "fight or flight" behavior responds to such treat. The sympathetic nervous system is a part of the autonomic nervous system, which is a part of peripheral nervous system (PNS). It expands and raises energy that associated with fight-or-flight response coined by Walter Cannon. The "fight or flight” system speeds up the heart rate and releases Norepinephrine on to the heart. These responses are physiological responses to a stressful situation that prepares us to fight or flee. Sympathetic activation increases heart rate and blood pressure (Carlson, 2013). Jackson’s behaviors that appear as “peculiar” may be influenced by his autonomic responses. Thus, his behaviors following conflict with his father and/or sister can be understood as …show more content…

According to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM5) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), depressive symptoms can became severe enough for some people that can interfere with their daily function and interpersonal relationship. Moreover, the DSM5 indicates that depressive symptoms can be experienced by those who struggle with various diagnoses. Such diagnoses include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia), and personality disorders. Substance use and certain medication side effect may trigger depressive mood (APA, 2013). For Jackson’s treatment, it is critical to understand the nature of his depressive symptoms to reach the accurate

Show More
Related

  • Psychotherapy: Depression, And The Treatment Of Depression

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression is an incredibly serious matter that affects many people around the world. It is fairly common for many people to experience depression in some sort of way after a tragic event, such as the death of a family member or the severing of a long-term relationship. In fact, some may argue that these feelings are indeed appropriate for the time being. However, for some individuals, these feelings of despair and stress can last for weeks at a time or longer. While some who are not dealing with depression may interpret the feelings and the mindset of those who are struggling with major depression as a case of “the blues”, depression is undoubtedly a serious condition when left to itself without any type of support or medication. Depression

    Read More

  • The Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...onson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, R.M. (2013). Social Psychology (8th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

    Read More

  • Defining Clinical Depression

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)

    Read More

  • Children with Autism May Be Especially Suceptible to Bullying

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically. The fight-or-flight response was first described in the 1920s by American physiologist Walter Cannon. Cannon realized that a chain of rapidly occurring reactions inside the body help mobilize the body's resources to deal with threatening circumstances.

    Read More

  • Psychodynamic therapy for depression

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many different types of psychological disorders present for diagnoses. As well as many forms of treatment methods available focused on the remedial process for the individual. Each treatment often target on a different aspect for the individual, these aspects may include personal skills and coping, cognitive, social aspects, behavioural etc… Therapies can also be combined together to improve results for the patient depending on the patient’s situation and condition. Depression is one of the conditions under mood disorders and can be very influential on the individual’s life and daily activity functioning which may lead to significant consequences if left untreated. In this paper, I will explore the topic of psychodynamic treatments for depression. This paper will discuss about this area of treatment methods in detail and how they work to help the individual as well as comparing and contrasting other treatment methods and their effects on patients to explore which treatment are more effective.

    Read More

  • Mood Disorder

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    As many as 19 million Americans million are affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives.

    Read More

  • Depression: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments

    1957 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people who commits suicide do so during a severe depressive episode. There are over 300 million people in the world today who suffer from depression. Depression has affected people for a long as records have been kept. It was first called out by the famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates over 2,400 years ago. Hippocrates called it “melancholia”. Many times we think of depression as one disorder alone, when in fact there are many different types of depression. The different types of depression are major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, atypical disorder, adjustment disorder, and depressive personality disorder. All types of depression share at least one common symptom. It is commons from the person who suffers from any form of depression to feel an unshakable sadness, anxious, or empty mood. Major depressive disorder also known as unipolar depression or recurrent depressive disorder is the most severe depressive disorder out of all of the depressive in my estimation. Major depressive disorder is a condition in which affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping, eating and general health. It is important to emphasize that we can understand the mechanics of this disorder and how it affects people with major depressive disorder.

    Read More

  • Major Depressive Disorder Essay

    1505 Words  | 4 Pages

    “In depressive disorders, sadness and despondency are exaggerated, prolonged, or unreasonable. Signs of a depressive disorder are dejection, hopelessness, and an inability to feel pleasure or to take interest in anything. Other common symptoms are fatigue,...

    Read More

  • Mental Illness: Depression

    1817 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...

    Read More

  • Depression Treatments

    1703 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is a psychological disease. It is one of the most common mental illnesses (Blais, et al., 2013). Depression was known since antiquity. Hippocrates diagnosed it in fourth century BC (McNamara and Horan, 1986). After World War II, depression was described as “aggression turned inward” (McNamara & Horan, 1986). Now there is Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, which is designed to evaluate how severe is depression (Gibbons et al., 2012).

    Read More

  • St. John Wort

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Depression is a mental illness, which affects millions of Americans each year. Currently there are many prescription drugs, called anti-depressants that have been proven to successfully treat it. The causes of depression are somewhat of a medical enigma, however, it is known that depression is associated with a change in the brains chemistry involving the function of neurotransmitters (Reichert). This chemical change occurs in healthy brain’s, which experience sadness, but ends after the unpleasant stimulus is removed. In people suffering from depression this chemical change does not correspond to any particular stimulus. Symptoms of depression are often incapacitating and include severe and extended sadness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of emptiness, irritability and anxiety (Reichert, Spake).

    Read More

  • Overview of Depression

    1880 Words  | 4 Pages

    Depression is sometimes mistaken as the typical sad feeling all humans get once in a while. However, the distinct difference between depression and those typical sad feelings are that depression is long-term whereas feeling sad is short-term. Depression is a mental illness that should be taken seriously as this illness can affect the individual emotionally and physically, and impair the daily life. So what is it that causes depression? This is the big question psychologists try to answer through research but their explanations do not explain how those who face one of those factors, only a few are able to avoid developing depression. Everyone thinks and behaves differently, but there are specific personal factors such as one’s negative personalities, chronic illnesses, and substance abuse that causes each individual to respond in a similar and certain way, thus causing them to be prone to developing a depressive disorder. Low self-esteem and negative personality styles can cause depression due to its negative influences on the individual’s mind. Chronic illnesses triggers depression due to its biological and psychological effects. Lastly, substance abuse affects an individual’s mood, personal life, and health causing vulnerability to developing depression.

    Read More

  • Solomon Asch Conformity Experiments (1951)

    1532 Words  | 4 Pages

    Crisp, R, J. Turner, R, N. (2007). Essential Social Psychology. Sage Publications Limited. London. (UK). First Edition.

    Read More

  • Depression And Anxiety Essay

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    The World Health Organization estimates that there are over 350 million people in world who struggle with depression. It is also the leading cause of disability worldwide. Similar to anxiety, depression effects people of all races, ages, and genders however it has been shown that women are more likely to be effected than men. Depression is growing problem. Specifically in America, approximately 17% of adults will suffer through a season of depression at some time in their lives. This rate has been increasing since 1915 and the trend shows that it will continue to do

    Read More

  • Essay On Effects Of Stress On The Body

    1606 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stressors initiate a response within the organism and causes changes in the body, specifically responses in the body’s autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic autonomic nervous system helps the body deal with the stress it encounters, initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response. Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system will take over, relaxing the body. There is a balance between these two in a healthy person. However, when someone stays on guard, using the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, all sorts of physical effects can

    Read More

More about Social Psychology: The Sympathetic Nervous System

Open Document