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Feedback and incentive effects on the decrease of interbeat interval
Biofeedback and Self-Regulation
|June 1, 1983
Summary
Heart rate feedback plays a motivational role in maximal heart rate increase tasks and an informational role in precise heart rate decrease tasks. Monetary incentives aided maximal heart rate increase performance independently of feedback.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Physiology
Background:
- Johnston and Lethem (1981) proposed distinct roles for interbeat interval feedback based on task goals.
- Feedback may serve a motivational function during maximal heart rate increase attempts.
- Feedback may serve an informational function during precise heart rate decrease attempts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that interbeat interval feedback's role (motivational vs. informational) depends on the task objective.
- To investigate the influence of monetary incentives on heart rate control performance under different feedback conditions.
Main Methods:
- Compared the performance of 16 subjects on two tasks: maximal interbeat interval decrease and precise interbeat interval decrease.
- Manipulated the presence or absence of interbeat interval feedback.
- Introduced additional monetary incentives to assess their interaction with feedback.
Main Results:
- Monetary incentives improved performance on the maximal interbeat interval decrease task, irrespective of feedback.
- Feedback significantly improved performance only on the precise interbeat interval decrease task.
- The predicted interaction between incentives and feedback conditions was not supported.
Conclusions:
- Interbeat interval feedback appears to have a primarily informational role in precise heart rate decrease tasks.
- Monetary incentives can enhance maximal heart rate increase performance, but this effect is separate from feedback's influence.
- The dual role hypothesis of interbeat interval feedback requires further investigation.