放松训练和腹式呼吸对应激的影响

探讨腹式呼吸和放松训练对应激引起的T波幅度降低和心率升高的对抗作用。被试为 3组 38名女大学生。结果表明 :(1)放松训练和腹式呼吸均能显著促进T波幅度升高和对抗应激时T波幅度的降低 ,但腹式呼吸的效果优于放松训练。 (2 )应激会引起心率的显著上升和T波幅度的显著降低。 (3)心率不是测量放松训练和腹式呼吸效果的敏感指标。结论 :腹式呼吸和放松训练可以有效地缓解心血管系统的应激反应     

不同干预方式、不同应激源对血压、心率的影响

探讨不同干预方式、不同应激源对血压、心率影响的差异。被试为本科生48人,采取干预方式、应激源、实验间期的三因素混合实验设计。干预方式为放松训练和预知,应激源为心算和恐怖影片。实验间期包括基线期、干预期、应激期、恢复期。实验的因变量为每个实验间期的血压和心率。结果显示,心算应激引起的血压和心率升高显著高于恐怖影片应激引起的血压和心率的升高;放松训练组和预知组其干预期的血压和心率值都低于基线期;干预方式和应激源在血压和心率两个指标上交互作用不显著。结果表明,与恐怖情绪引起的紧张相比较,智力操作紧张更容易影响血压和心率;放松训练和预知对于对抗应激时血压和心率升高都起到了一定的作用;不同干预方式对于不同性质的应激源作用没有差别。     

肌电生物反馈术与自我松弛法对解除产妇焦虑的效应

处于焦虑状态的三个实验组孕妇分别接受肌电生物反馈、自我松弛、与肌电生物反馈加自我松弛三种训练。控制组被试只要求她们放松而不教给任何松弛方法。每一组都进行了每次30分钟共六次训练(或测定)。EMG、GSR的变化平均数和特质焦虑问卷分的变化说明三实验组训练前后有显著差异,但是三组之间的差异无统计意义。控制组的这些指标显示焦虑状态没有缓解。随访结果显示实验组与控制组在待产室和分娩时的主观焦虑感觉有显著差异。笔者建议在产妇中作集体自我松弛训练,以降低孕产期焦虑。     

应激干预对抑郁症患者心率变异性的影响

探讨分别以放松训练和静坐两种干预方式对抗心算对抑郁症患者心率变异性的影响 ,以及正常人、单纯抑郁症患者和伴焦虑症状的抑郁症患者在心率变异性上的差异.结果显示,静息状态下伴焦虑症状的抑郁症患者的交感神经功能亢进,兴奋性高于另外两组;放松训练可以缓解交感神经的紧张程度,并能够较静坐更好得对抗应激引起的交感神经活动增强;静坐对单纯抑郁症患者和对照组有放松作用,但引起伴焦虑症状的抑郁症患者紧张情绪.     

心算对内外倾者的心率、T波幅度和呼吸频率的影响

该文旨在探讨内、外倾者在三种不同难度心算时,心率、Ｔ波幅度、呼吸频率变化的差异。通过艾森克个性问卷筛选出１５名内倾者和１５名外倾者作为被试,让其完成三种不同难度的心算任务。实验结果表明,心算时两组被试心率均显著上升,内倾组上升幅度大于外倾组;Ｔ波幅度显著降低,内倾组降低幅度大于外倾组但差异不显著;呼吸频率显著上升,但两组上升幅度差异不显著。此外,从心率变化上看,两组被试对心算均表现出适应,内倾组的适应速度比外倾组慢。本实验表明,焦虑性精神紧张比智力操作性精神紧张对心率的影响更大。     

宽恕干预对降低农村留守儿童拒绝敏感性的作用

为探讨宽恕干预对降低农村留守儿童拒绝敏感性的作用,本研究将18名高拒绝敏感性农村留守儿童随机分配到实验组和控制组,其中实验组接受为期六周的团体宽恕干预,控制组不接受任何干预。结果显示:(1)留守儿童的拒绝敏感性水平与宽恕水平之间存在显著负相关。(2)在前测数据中,实验组和控制组之间不存在显著差异;在后测和追踪数据中,实验组儿童的拒绝敏感性水平显著低于控制组。(3)在干预之后,实验组留守儿童的拒绝敏感性水平显著下降,并且维持在较低水平,而控制组留守儿童的拒绝敏感性水平始终处于较高水平。该结果在一定程度上证明宽恕干预对降低农村留守儿童的拒绝敏感性水平是有效的,并且其效果稳定。     

构思策略教学改善小学写困生故事文质量的实验研究

采用实验组、控制组前后测实验设计,运用SRSD策略教学模式,对23名小学写困生进行构思策略的训练。实验结果表明,在训练之前,实验组与控制组学生在故事文的长度、6项分质量指标及总体质量上的得分差异均不显著;但在接受策略教学后,实验组学生所写的后测故事文在情节吸引力、条理清晰度和总体质量上的平均得分均显著优于控制组学生,其总体质量的改善效应为0.80。因此,构思策略的教学能显著改善小学写困生的故事文写作质量。     

生物反馈放松训练和表象训练在飞行训练中的应用研究

本研究试用生物反馈放松训练和表象训练相结合方法,减轻飞行学员的精神紧张及有关的生理反应、２６名２０—２２岁的男性飞行学员,实验、对照组各１３名、实验组学员每次飞行后进行一次肌电生物反馈放松训练和起落航线表象训练,共１６次;对照组学员参加日常飞行训练不加任何干预。实验前后实验组及对照组学员进行黑红数字测试,记录其测试前后的血压、心率;第一次升空及单飞考核飞行后也记录他们的血压和心率。结果表明,实验组学员的单飞考核成绩优于对照组;实验织学员单飞考核后的收缩压及第二次黑红数字测试后的收缩压比实验前显著降低;而对照组的前述生理指标无变化。生物反馈放松训练和表象训练能有效地减轻飞行中的紧张情绪及其生理反应,适于在飞行部队应用。     

基于元认知的拓展训练对高职学生自信心的影响

本研究以高职学生常见的自信心缺失为出发点,选取同专业同年级的两个班级随机分为实验组和控制组,分别进行为期10周的拓展训练和排球训练,研究基于元认知理论设置的拓展训练对于提高高职学生自信心的影响。实验前两组被试在自信心各因子和自信总分方面没有显著差异,实验结束后,实验组在接受拓展训练后各个维度均有提高,尤其在学业表现、外表自信、社会交往、心境四个分量表及量表总分方面的得分显著高于控制组,课程结束时被试对小组成员的满意度很好,对自己自信心的评估有显著提高。因此,基于元认知理论设置的拓展训练课程提高了高职学生的自信心。     

珠心算训练儿童加法心算的ERP早成分研究

采用事件相关电位(ERP)的方法,对32名儿童进行了双位数加法心算实验,探讨了珠心算训练方式对儿童加法心算加工早期感知觉的影响。研究结果表明,与非珠心算训练儿童相比,在加法心算过程的早期阶段,珠心算训练儿童枕部P1、额中央区的N1波幅增大,而颞枕区N170以及额中央区P2波幅减小。本研究结果发现珠心算训练对儿童心算过程的早期感知有显著影响。     

A single session of meditation reduces of physiological indices of anger in both experienced and novice meditators

The goal of the present study was to explore how anger reduction via a single session of meditation might be measured using psychophysiological methodologies. To achieve this, 15 novice meditators (Experiment 1) and 12 practiced meditators (Experiment 2) completed autobiographical anger inductions prior to, and following, meditation training while respiration rate, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured. Participants also reported subjective anger via a visual analog scale. At both stages, the experienced meditators’ physiological reaction to the anger induction reflected that of relaxation: slowed breathing and heart rate and decreased blood pressure. Naïve meditators exhibited physiological reactions that were consistent with anger during the pre-meditation stage, while after meditation training and a second anger induction they elicited physiological evidence of relaxation. The current results examining meditation training show that the naïve group’s physiological measures mimicked those of the experienced group following a single session of meditation training.     

Short‐term numerosity training promotes symbolic arithmetic in children with developmental dyscalculia: The mediating role of visual form perception

Studies have shown that numerosity‐based arithmetic training can promote arithmetic learning in typically developing children as well as children with developmental dyscalculia (DD), but the cognitive mechanism underlying this training effect remains unclear. The main aim of the current study was to examine the role of visual form perception in arithmetic improvement through an 8‐day numerosity training for DD children. Eighty DD children were selected from four Chinese primary schools. They were randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received training on an apple‐collecting game, whereas the control group received an English dictation task. Children's cognitive and arithmetic performances were assessed before and after training. The results showed that the intervention group showed a significant improvement in arithmetic performance, approximate number system (ANS) acuity, and visual form perception, but not in spatial processing and sentence comprehension. The control group showed no significant improvement in any cognitive ability. Mediation analysis further showed that training‐related improvement in arithmetic performance was fully mediated by the improvement in visual form perception. The results suggest that short‐term numerosity training enhances the arithmetic performance of DD children by improving their visual form perception.     

Repeated exposure of flight phobics to flights in virtual reality

The present study examined the effects of repeated exposure of flight phobics to flights in virtual reality (VR). Flight phobics were randomly assigned either to complete one VR test flight followed by four VR exposure flights (VR group; N=15) in one lengthy session or to complete one VR test flight followed by a lengthy relaxation training session (relaxation group; N=15). All participants completed a second VR test flight at the end of the session. Fear reports and physiological fear reactions (heart rate, skin conductance level) during VR exposures were registered, and fear of flying was assessed psychometrically from 3 weeks before to 3 months after exposure. Exposure to VR flights elicited subjective and physiological fear responses in flight phobics, and these responses attenuated within and across VR flights. Fear reduction associated with repeated VR exposure was greater than fear reduction caused by relaxation training. Fear of flying improved in both treatment groups, but several outcome measures indicated greater effects in the VR treated group than in the relaxation group. These findings indicate that exposure in virtual reality may offer a new and promising approach for the treatment of fear of flying.     

EFFECTS OF RELAXATION TRAINING ON PULMONARY MECHANICS IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA1

An experiment, designed to overcome shortcomings in previous work, was conducted to investigate the potential symptomatic benefits of relaxation training in the treatment of asthma in children. Fourteen chronic, severely asthmatic children received three sessions in which they rested quietly, followed by five sessions of relaxation training, and finally three sessions of relaxing as trained previously. Pulmonary function was assessed, in a manner far more definitive than in previous studies, before and after each session, and three additional times at 30-minute intervals thereafter. Tension in the frontales muscles, heart and respiration rates, and skin temperature and conductance were also monitored. Heart rate and to some extent muscle tension results tended to confirm the attainment of relaxed states. However, the lung function results failed to substantiate the previous, preliminary findings of a clinically meaningful change in pulmonary function following relaxation. The status of relaxation in the treatment of asthma was discussed.     

Mental relaxation improves long-term incidental visual memory

Experimental evidence has linked increased arousal to enhanced memory retention. There is also evidence that procedures reducing arousal, i.e., mental relaxation, might improve memory, but conflicting results have been reported. To clarify this issue, we studied the effects of a single session of relaxation training on incidental visual long-term memory. Thirty-two relaxation-naive subjects viewed 280 slides without being told that there would be subsequent memory testing. Afterwards, subjects listened to a 12 min relaxation tape; 16 subjects relaxed by following the instructions (relaxation group), and the other 16 subjects pressed a button whenever a body part was mentioned (control group). While listening to the relaxation tape, high frequency heart rate variability (HRV) was greater and low frequency HRV was lower in the relaxation group, implying effective relaxation and increasing parasympathetic activation. The relaxation group had superior memory retention 4 weeks later (p = .004), indicating enhancement of long-term memory performance. This effect could not be explained by retroactive interference experienced in the control group because short-term memory performance immediately after the tape was slightly better in the control group. Retention of materials acquired after the relaxation session remained unaffected, suggesting relaxation has retrograde effects on memory consolidation. Our data demonstrate a favorable influence of relaxation on at least this aspect of learning. Our data also extend previous knowledge on the beneficial effects of ascending parasympathetic stimulation on memory retention in that enhanced long-term memory consolidation may also occur in the presence of central and descending parasympathetic activation triggered by willful psychomotor activity.     

Relaxation in Children: Effects of Extended and Intensified Training

Although relaxation training is often used with children, there are few comparative evaluations of different approaches to relaxation. This study examines the effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and imagination, both presented with five and ten sessions, as well as in a standard and an intensified version. Both techniques are compared to presenting nontension producing neutral stories and tension-inducing arithmetic problems. One hundred and sixty children aged 9-12 years participated in the study. Evaluative criteria included physiological parameters (heart rate, skin conductance level, and skin temperature) and self-report measurements of mood and physical well-being. The results show clear short-term effects of both relaxation techniques and of presenting neutral stories. However, there is nearly no benefit if the training is extended or intensified.     

Voluntary Blood Pressure Control: Operant Conditioning by a Continuous Blood Pressure Feedback Technique

Abstract

The present study evaluated a single session operant conditioning of blood pressure in borderline hypertensives. A double blind randomized two period (each lasting for 20 minutes) cross over study consisting of a treatment (operant conditioning of mean arterial blood pressure) and a control condition (heart rate) was performed. Sequence of treatments was randomly assigned. Fourteen borderline hypertensive subjects participated and were trained to decrease their continuously measured blood pressure (Finapres) and heart rate. Subjects receiving blood pressure feedback during the first session showed a significant (4.3 mmHg) decrease in diastolic blood pressure. In contrast, subjects receiving blood pressure training during the second session showed a non-significant increase in diastolic blood pressure. Treatment consisting of more sessions is a promising adjunct to antihypertensive regimens.     

Investigating the effects of a virtual reality-based stress management programme on inpatients with mental disorders: A pilot randomised controlled trial

This study aimed to examine the effects and feasibility of a virtual screen-based stress management programme (V-DESSERTS) on inpatients with mental disorders. A single-blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Convenience sampling was used and participants were randomised into either the intervention group or the waitlisted control group (WL). The intervention group received individual-based, twice-daily sessions of the programme. Each session comprised education and virtual screen-based relaxation practice. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires and physiological measures. The intervention group showed a significant increase in perceived relaxation and knowledge in comparison with the WL group. However, inconclusive results were observed on subjective and objective stress. The findings in this study indicated that the V-DESSERTS programme is feasible to be implemented for patients with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders.     

An examination of methods for producing relaxation during short-term laboratory sessions

Reductions in psychological and physiological correlates of tension produced by various muscle relaxation training techniques were examined during a short-term laboratory session. Two studies are described involving a combined total of one hundred subjects receiving either abbreviated progressive relaxation, visual, auditory, or tactile electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback procedures. The Anxiety Differential was administered before and after the laboratory session. Heart rate, respiratory rate, skin conductance, systolic blood pressure, and frontalis and dominant forearm extensor EMG measures were obtained before, during, and after administration of relaxation training. Results indicated feedback in the tactile modality to produce overall reductions in tension comparable to those produced by progressive relaxation. Overall reductions in tension displayed by both progressive relaxation and tactile feedback were generally greater than reductions shown by visual or auditory feedback procedures. Interpretations suggest that certain forms of EMG feedback may offer an alternative to progressive relaxation techniques for producing short-term reductions in tension. Feedback modality is further indicated as a potentially important variable during relaxation training using the EMG feedback technique.