Cardiac responses to psychological tasks: impedance cardiographic studies

In a series of studies, cardiac activity, assessed with an impedance cardiograph, was monitored as college students performed either a visual search or pursuit rotor task. Heart rate, systolic time intervals, stroke volume, cardiac output and the Heather (1969) index of contractility were measured before, during and after performance. In the first study, visual search did not affect the participants' (N = 44) level of cardiac output or their length of the pre-ejection period. It is likely that the lack of charge in cardiac output resulted from a fall in stroke volume and in the Heather index while the task was performed. Heart rate was most rapid during performance and emerged as the only measure affected by the withdrawal of monetary incentives for failure to solve the visual search problem. In the second study, 40 subjects performed a pursuit rotor task and increases in cardiac output as well as changes in all of the other cardiac measures occurred. The level of task difficulty influenced the extent of heart rate increases and stroke volume decreases during performance. An additional 20 male subjects participated in a third study in which the level of difficulty of the pursuit rotor task was signalled and the order of the levels of difficulty was balanced across trial blocks. Under these conditions, the changes in cardiac activity before, during and after performance were similar to those observed in the first two studies. Heart rate was the only measure sensitive to the level of task difficulty. In general, the findings underscore the sensitivity of heart rate to changes in subtle aspects of psychological situations. To enlist increases in cardiac output and inotropic parameters extensive alterations in behavioral state are required.