Citation

Jacobson E. J. Exp. Psychol. 1926; 9(1): 19-25.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1926, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0072591

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The response to a sudden unexpected stimulus is conditioned not only by the nature of the stimulus itself, but also by the preceding general state of muscular tonus. When an individual is extremely relaxed a sudden loud stimulus causes little or no start and seems to lose its irritating character; while the same kind of stimulus, when an individual is in a state of muscular tenseness, will bring about a start and very considerable muscular contraction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)