AUTONOMIC BEHAVIOR

This article summarizes a body of work which collectively shows that a utonomic responses meet the criteria for behavior. They can be modifie d reliably through the systematic use of antecedent (cues) and consequ ent (contingencies) stimuli. This means that autonomic responses, whic h are usually characterized as elicited reflexes, can be learned respo nses (viz., behaviors). This review cites a number of experimental and clinical studies in which autonomic learning has been shown to occur and to have clinical importance. Of special interest to gerontologists are the clinical studies which show that incontinent and hypertensive elderly patients can be trained to normalize their pathognomic respon ses.