This paper examines the relationship between the parasympathetic nervous system and touch through lovers' touch, cuddling, and massage. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for processes that maintain normal bodily functions like digestion and lowering heart rate. Touch activates the parasympathetic nervous system by stimulating pressure receptors and the vagus nerve, relaxing the body. When activated, the parasympathetic nervous system counters the stress response and produces feelings of calmness. Touch benefits the parasympathetic nervous system by improving self-esteem and reducing stress and anxiety through the release of hormones like dopamine and oxytocin. In summary, activation of the parasympathetic nervous system through touch has significant health benefits.

1. Purpose, Team Formation, and Team Member Roles
10.0
Professionally explains why a child study team would be
assembled, and who would be a part of the team. Descriptions
of team member roles are insightful and thorough.
Screening, Pre-Referral, and Classification
15.0
Thoroughly distinguishes differences between screening, pre-
referral, and classification procedures.
Legal Definitions and Procedures for Formal Classification
15.0
The legal definitions and assessment requirements explanation
regarding when the team might determine that all pre-referral
strategies have been exhausted is comprehensive. An in-depth
explanation of when a referral for a comprehensive evaluation is
the appropriate next step is given.
Referral Sources
15.0
Presentation selects one of the IDEA disability categories and
skillfully identifies and describes 3-4 resources teachers can use
to help determine students’ strengths and weaknesses in
consideration of a referral for the chosen disability category.
Handout
15.0
Handout skillfully describes three classroom pre-referral
instructional strategies that could be used to provide
documentation of targeted supports for a student not making
adequate progress.
Research
5.0
Research is supportive of the information presented. Sources are
timely, distinctive and clearly address all the criteria stated in
the assignment.
Overall Presentation

2. 5.0
The work is well presented. The overall appearance is neat and
professional. Work would be highly presentable to school
colleagues.
Aesthetic Quality
5.0
Design is pleasing. Skillful handling of color, text and visuals
creates a distinctive and effective presentation. Overall,
effective and functional audio, text, or visuals are evident.
Originality
5.0
The product shows significant evidence of originality and
inventiveness. The majority of the content and many of the
ideas are fresh, original, inventive, and based upon logical
conclusions and sound research.
Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar,
language use)
5.0
Submission is virtually free of mechanical errors. Word choice
reflects well-developed use of practice and content-related
language. Sentence structures are varied and engaging.
Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references,
bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)
5.0
Sources are documented completely and correctly, as
appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.
PSY 790 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric: Resource
Collection

3. In the discussion for Module One, you submitted potential
topics for your capstone research proposal. For this milestone,
you will collect potential peer-reviewed
resources that will be used to support your ideas. In your
capstone research proposal, you will develop a well-organized
research concept paper that lays the
foundation for a solid plan to implement research. You will
address a relevant problem that aligns with your focus within
the field of psychology. You may choose
a problem that reveals a gap in our understanding and requires
you to provide an explanation of psychological phenomena and
variables. Or it may be an applied
problem that directly involves the psychological well-being of
individuals, communities, or organizations. In either case, you
will need resources to support your
cause, which is why this milestone is necessary.
Prompt: Integrate the literature relevant to your research
questions or intervention in a three- to five-page paper. At the
beginning of this paper, state your
research questions or intervention and explain the significance
of these things within the field of psychology. Then discuss how
each resource relates to your
research questions or intervention. In this paper, you may
summarize each article in preparation for the synthesis that is
necessary for the literature review you
will submit for Milestone Two. Milestone One is an opportunity
for you to show how you can deeply immerse yourself in the
literature in preparation for your
literature review. In this assignment, you will analyze the
resources to tell your own story in your literature review.
In your submission, be sure to include the critical elements
listed below.

4. • Develop well-formed research questions or a relevant
intervention and explain the significance of these things within
the field of psychology.
• Summarize the literature and identify the main argument in
support of the research questions or intervention.
• Assess sources specific to research questions, describing the
author’s credentials, arguments, objectivity, persuasiveness, and
conclusions.
• Analyze sources, including the methodology, to determine
their strengths and weaknesses in how they impact our
understanding of the intervention or
the research questions.
• Include a conclusion that ties together the literature addressed
and reiterates the connection to the research questions and the
main argument.
• Ensure that the submission has no major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization.
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a
three- to five-page Word document with double spacing, 12-
point Times New Roman font, one-
inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.
Critical Element Meets Expectations
(100%)
In Progress

5. (80%)
Does Not Meet Expectations
(0%)
Value
Develop Research
Question
Develops well-formed research questions or
a relevant intervention and explains the
significance of these things within the field
of psychology
Develops research questions or a
relevant intervention and explains the
significance of these things within the
field of psychology, but research
questions are not well-formed or
explanation is cursory
Does not develop well-formed research
questions or a relevant intervention or
explain the significance of these things
within the field of psychology
25
Summarize Literature Summarizes the literature and identifies
the
main argument in support of the research
questions or intervention
Summarizes the literature but fails to
accurately identify the main argument

6. in support of the research questions or
intervention
Does not summarize the literature or
identify the main argument in support of
the research questions or intervention
15
Assess Sources Assesses sources specific to research
questions, describing the author’s
credentials, arguments, objectivity,
persuasiveness, and conclusions
Assesses sources specific to research
questions, describing the author’s
credentials, arguments, objectivity,
persuasiveness, and conclusions, but
there are errors in the assessments or
the descriptions
Does not assess sources specific to research
questions, describing the author’s
credentials, arguments, objectivity,
persuasiveness, and conclusions
20
Analyze Sources Analyzes sources, including the
methodology, to determine their strengths
and weaknesses in how they impact our
understanding of the intervention or the
research questions
Analyzes sources, including the
methodology, to determine their

7. strengths and weaknesses in how they
impact our understanding of the
intervention or the research questions,
but there are inaccuracies in
determinations or analysis is cursory
Does not analyze sources, including the
methodology, to determine their strengths
and weaknesses in how they impact our
understanding of the intervention or the
research questions
25
Develop Conclusion Includes a conclusion that ties together the
literature addressed and reiterates the
connection to the research questions and
the main argument
Includes a conclusion that ties the
literature addressed and reiterates the
connection to the research questions
and the main arguments, but
connections are unconvincing or
conclusion does not effectively connect
to literature
Does not include a conclusion that ties
together the literature addressed or
reiterate the connection to the research
questions and the main argument
10
Articulation of
Response

8. Submission has no major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization
Submission has minor errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
Submission has major errors related to
citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization
5
organization with room for
improvement
Total 100%
PSY 790 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric: Resource
CollectionRubric
Running Head :Parasympathetic Nervous System & Touch
1
Parasympathetic Nervous System & Touch
Parasympathetic Nervous System & Touch
Sandy Pennington
Southern New Hampshire University

9. Parasympathetic Nervous System & Touch
Final Project research question
My final project research question is: Is there a relationship
between the parasympathetic nervous system and brain injury?
More specifically, can the act of touching, hugging, cuddling,
and massage have more of an effect than a pill or medication?
Research Introduction
The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for
maintaining ordinary processes which are vital for a normal life.
Some of the key functions of the parasympathetic nervous
system include regulating digestion, sexual arousal, lowering
the blood pressure and slowing the heart rate. The
parasympathetic nervous system, therefore, plays an important
role when it comes to ensuring that the body is well monitored
and is able to carry out its normal daily activities (Colman,
2006). This paper is going to examine the parasympathetic
nervous system and touch; which will be subdivided into, lovers
touch, touch through cuddling and touch through massage.
Lover’s Touch
The reproductive organs are receive parasympathetic
innervation from the spinal cord. Via the pelvic nerve, the
sacral parasympathetic pathway send these signals to the target
organs. When the postganglionic neurons are activated in the
target parasympathetic ganglia, dilation of penile and clitoral
arteries occurs. The corresponding smooth muscles of the
cavernous sinusoid relax which lead to expansion of sinusoidal

10. spaces (Purves, Augustine, Fitzpatrick, et al., 2001). As a
result of this, blood in the aforementioned tissue is increased
which in-turn leads to a drastic rise in pressure and expansion
of the cavernous spaces thus achieving arousal. The
parasympathetic nervous system also raises the heart rate and
excites the brain.
Touch through cuddling
When cuddling, the physical touch works to activate pressure
receptors within the body. Immediately, signals are sent to the
vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is an important element in the
parasympathetic nervous system. It acts as a safety valve when
the body or brain is suddenly overexcited or put under
heightened stress. When cuddling, the vagus nerve relaxes and
the feeling is carried all along the body. As a result of the nerve
relaxing, blood pressure drop and one feels calm and secure.
Touch through massage
Many a times, stressful situations affect individuals. During the
stressful period, stress hormones are released resulting in
physiological changes such as increased heart rate, quickening
in breathing, muscle tension and sweating. Knowing how to use
the parasympathetic nervous system to control anxiety and
stress promotes long lasting sobriety by reducing the urge to
turn to addictive substances (Diego & Field, 2009). When the
parasympathetic nervous system is activated, changes in the
body occur rapidly. Once the parasympathetic nervous system is
activated to decrease activity, calmness and relaxation is
achieved. Through massage, the parasympathetic nervous
system works to reduce the body’s blood pressure and the heart
rate. Massage stimulates the sensory and proprioceptive nerve
fibers of the skin and underlying tissues (Diego & Field, 2009).
Through the PNS, the stimuli is dispersed to the target body
part. This achieves a soothing effect that enhances relaxation.
Massage often causes the skin and muscles to dilate through
receptor stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system.

11. What happens when the parasympathetic nervous system gets
activated?
As one progresses in recovery, worry and anxiety tend to creep
in. The environment, such as deadlines, family issues, may at
times induce stress. When the stress hormone is released
physiological changes occur. These responses are better known
as fight or flight responses. We will look into this response
when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. The
response is meant to be a survival tactic that allows mammals to
react fast to a situation that was threatening. Unfortunately, the
same response to non-life threatening stressors that trigger high
anxiety levels receive the same fight or flight responses from
the human body. Stress contributes to high blood pressure and
anxiety. The parasympathetic nervous system works to relax and
slow down the body’s response. It counter-acts the effects of the
sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system
once activated has rapid changes to the body. The brain
continually releases corticotropin and adrenocorticotropic
hormones that keep the body on high alert until it perceived that
the danger is over. When the threat is deemed over, the hormone
levels decline and the parasympathetic system works to inhibit
the stress response by slowing down high energy activities
within the body. When the parasympathetic system is activated,
it enhances relaxation to the mind and body. Activation of the
parasympathetic system can be learnt. When achieved,
individuals’ moods are lifted, the immune system is
strengthened and blood pressure lowers to a normal rate. Some
of the techniques that can be used can be; getting a massage,
spending time in nature, meditation, exercise, hobbies, among
numerous others.
What benefits do we get?
There are several benefits that can be derived from
parasympathetic nervous system when activated. The benefits
include: Improving self-esteem and reducing stress and anxiety.
Improving self-esteem occurs when the hormones are released

12. and they calm the body, therefore, the body is able to sense
security and safety. Studies have been able to show that lovers
who often cuddle and hug each other tend to have high self-
esteem (Colonnello, 2016). Improved self-esteem can be
observed from social interaction and connection and image that
is portrayed within the public. Reduced stress and anxiety, on
the other hand occur when one is hugged or cuddle to feel
better. The brain will naturally produce dopamine which makes
the body to relax, dopamine will reduce the pressure and make
one feel relaxed (The Autonomic Nervous System, 2016).
Dopamine and Oxytocin when released as a result of a hug, they
tend to lower the level of cortisol in the body which increases
stress or anxiety.
To sum it all up, activation of the parasympathetic nervous
system has a long effect on the health of an individual. This is
because one is able to trigger the release of important hormones
that benefit or improve the health of an individual. A good
example of health benefit would include: better heart health and
increased immunity. Lack of it has been found to have some
health effect on some individuals as they cannot cope in certain
stressful situations and also, they tend to have problems with
their self-esteem. Therefore, activities such as cuddling,
massages, and touching of lovers is an important part of one’s
health.
Reference
Colman, A. M. (2006). Oxford dictionary of psychology. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Colonnello, V. (2016). Oxytocin and Self-Consciousness. PMB
Med.

13. Diego M. A, Field T, (2009). Moderate pressure massage elicits
a parasympathetic nervous system response. Int J
Neurosci. 119(5):630-8. doi: 10.1080/00207450802329605.
Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al., (2001).
Neuroscience. 2nd edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer
Associates.
The Autonomic Nervous System. (2016). Regulation and
Intergration, 529-534.
.