Changes in autonomic responding to stress after practice at controlling heart rate

Subjects in this experiment viewed a stressful film and then received one of five treatments: (a) practice at increasing heart rate without feedback, (b) practice at decreasing heart rate without feedback, (c) practice at increasing heart rate with feedback, (d) practice at decreasing heart rate with feedback, or (e) a control condition. Subjects then returned on the following day, practiced controlling heart rate again (or sat quietly, for subjects in the control condition), and then viewed the stressful film again. Heart-rate results indicated that subjects in both feedback groups manifested tonic decreases in heart rate from the first viewing of the film to the second, whereas subjects in both of the no-feedback groups manifested no changes in heart rate between viewings, and subjects in the control condition manifested increases in heart rate between viewings. However, all five groups of subjects displayed phasic increases in heart rate during specific stressors in the film during both viewings. The tonic changes in heart rate noted between viewings of the film for the feedback groups were not accompanied by parallel changes in electrodermal activity or respiration rate. Self-report ratings of subjects' beliefs about ability to control heart rate were significantly correlated with the tonic changes in heart rate that were noted between viewings of the stressful film.