Walking home late at night after watching a scary movie at a friend's house, Ashley suddenly hears a strange, shrill noise that almost sounds like a distant scream. Her heartbeat and blood pressure increase, her muscles tense, her mouth goes dry, and she begins to perspire. Ashley is experiencing the _____ component of emotion that is due to the activation of her _____.
A) psychological; sympathetic nervous system
B) physiological; sympathetic nervous system
C) subjective; parasympathetic nervous system
D) expressive or behavioral; parasympathetic nervous system

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ashley is experiencing physiological (bodily) changes due to the activation of her sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "fight or flight" response in scary or dangerous situations. This response leads to an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, perspiration, and dry mouth. The psychological component of emotion refers to the subjective experience of the feeling itself, which in this case would be fear or anxiety. The expressive or behavioral component refers to the outward expression of the emotional state through facial expressions, body language, or vocalizations, which is not evident in this scenario. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" response and would not be activated in this situation.

Walking Home Late at Night After Watching a Scary Movie