Final answer:
In some situations where a single highly emotional event leads to a life-long amplification of emotional responses to a wide range of stimuli, the phenomenon can be identified as c) Emotional sensitization.
The answer is option ⇒c
Step-by-step explanation:
This is not to be confused with sensory adaptation, which is the diminished sensitivity to a stimulus after prolonged exposure, or emotional resilience and stability, which refer to an individual's ability to cope with stress and maintain a stable emotional state despite the challenges.
Emotional sensitization often occurs as a result of a traumatic event that causes the emotional arousal system to become hyper-responsive to future stimuli, even if they are not inherently threatening. This is because the high level of arousal from the initial event can lead to a lasting imprint on the brain's emotional circuitry, resulting in an exaggerated stress response to stimuli that would not typically provoke such a strong reaction. Studies indicate that this heightened state of arousal can lead to negative health effects, such as an increased risk of heart disease and a compromised immune system, as the body and mind struggle to maintain homeostasis.
The concept of emotional sensitization aligns with various theories of emotion that propose the combination of physiological arousal, psychological appraisal, and subjective experiences as components of emotion. The James-Lange theory of emotion, for example, asserts that emotions result from physiological responses to stimuli, while the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory includes cognitive appraisal as a necessary component for labeling arousal as specific emotions. Emotional sensitization can therefore disrupt the natural balance of these emotion components and lead to lasting psychological effects.
The answer is option ⇒c