Personality correlates of bidirectional heart-rate control

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Human operant conditioning involves voluntary control over physiological responses.
• Biofeedback training aims to improve self-regulation of bodily functions like heart rate.
• Personality traits may influence an individual's ability to engage in biofeedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interplay between personality, instructional cues, and auditory feedback in heart rate conditioning.
• To determine if personality variables moderate the effectiveness of biofeedback interventions.
• To assess the efficacy of augmented sensory feedback in bidirectional heart rate control.

Main Methods:

• Fifty participants underwent operant heart rate conditioning with and without auditory feedback.
• The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule was used to assess personality traits.
• Heart rate changes were measured against pre-trial baselines under different instructional and feedback conditions.

Main Results:

• Subjects successfully altered heart rates according to instructed changes, independent of feedback.
• Augmented sensory (auditory) feedback did not yield reliable treatment effects.
• Distinct personality traits were associated with successful heart rate speeding and reduction.
• Succorance and abasement personality traits moderated heart rate reduction effects.

Conclusions:

• Instructional direction is a significant factor in operant heart rate conditioning.
• The efficacy of proportional auditory biofeedback for heart rate control requires further investigation.
• Personality characteristics play a crucial role in modulating psychophysiological responses during biofeedback.