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Reducing heart rate reactivity to stress with feedback. Generalization across task and time
K T Larkin1, C Zayfert, J L Abel
1Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506.
Behavior Modification
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Biofeedback training significantly reduced heart rate (HR) in experimental subjects during stressful tasks. These HR reductions were maintained long-term and generalized to new challenges, unlike in control groups.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Heart rate (HR) regulation is crucial for managing physiological responses to stress.
- Biofeedback offers a potential method for individuals to gain voluntary control over autonomic functions like HR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of biofeedback training in reducing heart rate responses to behavioral stressors.
- To assess the long-term maintenance and generalization of heart rate reductions following biofeedback.
Main Methods:
- Eight subjects received biofeedback training during a videogame task, while eight controls played without feedback.
- Heart rate was measured pretraining, posttraining, and at a one-week follow-up during videogame and mental arithmetic tasks.
Main Results:
- Experimental subjects showed significant HR reductions post-biofeedback training, which were maintained at follow-up.
- HR reductions generalized to a mental arithmetic task in the biofeedback group.
- Videogame performance declined in the experimental group from posttraining to follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Biofeedback training is effective in reducing heart rate during behavioral stressors.
- The benefits of biofeedback for heart rate regulation can be long-lasting and transferable to different tasks.