The Autonomic Nervous System (AQA GCSE Psychology)
Revision Note
Written by: Claire Neeson
Reviewed by: Lucy Vinson
The sympathetic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) transmits and receives information from the organs e.g. heart-rate, breathing via the lungs
The ANS is involuntary; it cannot be controlled
The ANS is divided into two further sections:
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS)
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is associated with the 'fight or flight' response:
It prepares the body for physical activity e.g. running away or fighting
It is utilised when the body is in an 'alert' state e.g. when crossing a busy road
It can:
accelerate heart rate
widen bronchial passages for increased breathing capacity
reduce activity of the large intestine
cause pupil dilation
increase sweating
raise blood pressure
The parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is popularly known as the 'rest and digest' system:
It helps to conserve the body's activity levels and energy by decreasing activity to be used later
It regulates bodily functions like digestion and urination
It slows heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure as the body enters a state of relaxation
Relaxation enables the body to go into 'standby' (recovery mode): the more time spent in a PNS state, the healthier a person will be
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Make sure that you don’t confuse the SNS with PSNS in the exam as they have directly opposite functions. One way to remember the difference between the two is to think that the ‘S’ in the SNS = stress and the ‘P’ in the PSNS = peace.
Worked Example
Here is an example of a question you might be asked on this topic - for AO1.
AO1: You need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts, ideas, theories and research.
After each featured question there is a ‘model’ answer i.e. one which would achieve top marks in the exam.
Question: Outline two differences between the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system. [4]
Model answer:
The ANS acts involuntarily e.g. breathing and heart-rate are involuntary, they are difficult if not impossible to fully control; the SNS controls voluntary movements e.g. kicking a ball, writing a letter - movements which can easily be stopped or controlled.
The ANS is divided into two parts (the SNS and the PSNS) whereas the SNS is a unitary system, having no sub-systems.
Nerve fibres in the ANS carry messages more slowly than those in the SNS.
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