Synonyms
Definition
A phenomenon originally identified through the field of physiology whereby activation of reflexes in the body stimulate one group of muscles and concurrently inhibit an antagonistic or opposite set of muscles (Sherrington 1906). Reciprocal inhibition was a foundation for initial psychological theories that formed the basis for systematic desensitization as a treatment for anxiety. Wolpe (1954) applied the concept of reciprocal inhibition by proposing that one cannot be simultaneously anxious and relaxed. Therefore, an antagonistic response to counter anxiety would be a state of relaxation. From this, the technique of systematic desensitization for treatment of anxiety was borne.
Introduction
The term Reciprocal Inhibition was first coined by the British physiologist Sir Charles Sherrington (1906). Sherrington suggested and demonstrated that “in the end-effect of certain reflexes, for instance the scratch-reflex, there supervenes on a phase of...
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References
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Bater, L.R., Jordan, S.S. (2017). Reciprocal Inhibition. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_938-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_938-1
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