physiological response
Automatic bodily reaction
A physiological response is a bodily reaction to a stimulus—changes in heart rate, breathing, sweating, hormone release, or muscle tension.
The term appears in scientific and medical contexts: The polygraph measures physiological responses to questioning.
Fear triggers physiological responses like increased pulse and adrenaline.
Distinguishing physiological responses from psychological ones separates bodily reactions from mental states, though the two intertwine.
- reflex arcNerve pathway for involuntary responses
- inflammationProtective tissue response
- heart rate variabilityBeat-to-beat timing differences
- racing heartAbnormally rapid heartbeat
- sweatingMoisture through pores
flushed cheeks · blood pressure regulation · vasodilation · sensory perception · pupil dilation · dry mouth · shallow breathing · autonomic nervous system · vasoconstriction · cold sweat · fever · body temperature · oxygen uptake · stress hormones · cardiac output · blushing · goose bumps · reproductive hormones
- biological responsesthermoregulation, fight or flight, reflexes, shivering, sweating
- lie detectionpolygraph, lie detector, polygraph test, polygraph tests, truth serum
physiological responseemotional response
Feeling prompted by stimulus
thought process · mental state · subjective experience · psychological state · ideation
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