Perception of autonomic reactions and actual heart rate in phobic patients

The relationship between perceived physiological arousal and actual heart-rate reactions was studied in two behavioral test situations. The subjects were 70 phobic patients (34 social phobics and 36 claustrophobics) who were given the general form of the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire about 1 month before the respective behavioral test and the specific form immediately after the test. The results showed significant correlations between APQ and actual heart rate for the social phobics, while the picture was more complicated for the claustrophobics. The implications of these results are discussed.This research was supported by Grant 05452 from the Swedish Medical Research Council.     

Autonomic and subjective responsivity to emotional images in people with dissociative seizures

People with dissociative seizures (DS) report a range of difficulties in emotional functioning and exhibit altered responding to emotional facial expressions in experimental tasks. We extended this research by investigating subjective and autonomic reactivity (ratings of emotional valence, arousal and skin conductance responses [SCRs]) to general emotional images in 39 people with DS relative to 42 healthy control participants, whilst controlling for anxiety, depression, cognitive functioning and, where relevant, medication use. It was predicted that greater subjective negativity and arousal and increased SCRs in response to the affective pictures would be observed in the DS group. The DS group as a whole did not differ from controls in their subjective responses of valence and arousal. However, SCR amplitudes were greater in ‘autonomic responders’ with DS relative to ‘autonomic responders’ in the control group. A positive correlation was also observed between SCRs for highly arousing negative pictures and self‐reported ictal autonomic arousal, in DS ‘autonomic responders’. In the DS subgroup of autonomic ‘non‐responders’, differences in subjective responses were observed for some conditions, compared to control ‘non‐responders’. The findings indicate unaffected subjective responses to emotional images in people with DS overall. However, within the group of people with DS, there may be subgroups characterized by differences in emotional responding. One subgroup (i.e., ‘autonomic responders’) exhibit heightened autonomic responses but intact subjective emotional experience, whilst another subgroup (i.e., ‘autonomic non‐responders’) seem to experience greater subjective negativity and arousal for some emotional stimuli, despite less frequent autonomic reactions. The current results suggest that therapeutic interventions targeting awareness and regulation of physiological arousal and subjective emotional experience could be of value in some people with this disorder.     

Evaluating the Safety and Effectiveness of the Weighted Blanket With Adults During an Inpatient Mental Health Hospitalization

The weighted blanket (WB) is a modality used to self-comfort, rest, sleep, and decrease anxiety. This exploratory, pilot study investigates the safety and effectiveness of the standardized use of the 30-pound WB with 30 adults during an acute inpatient mental health hospitalization. Safety measures include blood pressure, pulse rate, and pulse oximetry monitoring, with and without the 30-pound WB. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory-10 (STAI-10), a self-rating 0–10 anxiety scale, and electrodermal activity (EDA) readings measure effectiveness for anxiety reduction. No statistical differences in vital signs indicate WB safety. The STAI-10 and self-ratings indicate 60% had a significant reduction in anxiety using the WB. EDA readings were inconclusive.     

正负性情绪的自主生理反应实验研究

随机抽取２４名大学生（男女各半）观看了两段内容不同的录像片段,对观看录像时的主观体验和心率（ＨＲ）、指端脉搏容积（ＦＰＶ）的变化情况做了研究。结果表明：①实验选用的两段录像分别诱发出了正性和负性情绪．②不同情绪下的自主生理反应是不同的。正性情绪下,ＨＲ变化不显著,ＦＰＶ显著下降;负性情绪下,ＨＲ显著增加,ＦＰＶ显著下降。③不同情绪下的生理反应恢复速度没有差异,但不同生理指标的恢复速度有差异,ＨＲ的恢复速度比ＦＰＶ的快．④正性情绪下,ＨＲ和ＦＰＶ之间的相关很低;负情情绪下。两种生理指标之间里显著的负相关．⑤性别只对生理指标的基础值有影响。     

中学生成就动机的发展特点研究

本研究用量表法对652名中学生的成就动机从四个角度进行研究,结果表明,随着年级的上升,成就归因、自主性动机、自我效能、成就目标基本保持平稳的发展趋势,但在不同的维度上,其发展变化趋势和水平各有不同,所起的作用也不同,自我效能与掌握目标是中学生的主要学习动力。     

Speech anxiety and rapid emotional reactions to angry and happy facial expressions

The aim was to explore whether people high as opposed to low in speech anxiety react with a more pronounced differential facial response when exposed to angry and happy facial stimuli. High and low fear participants were selected based on their scores on a fear of public speaking questionnaire. All participants were exposed to pictures of angry and happy faces while facial electromyographic (EMG) activity from the Corrugator supercilii and the Zygomaticus major muscle regions was recorded. Skin conductance responses (SCR), heart rate (HR) and ratings were also collected. Participants high as opposed to low in speech anxiety displayed a larger differential corrugator responding, indicating a larger negative emotional reaction, between angry and happy faces. They also reacted with a larger differential zygomatic responding, indicating a larger positive emotional reaction, between happy and angry faces. Consistent with the facial reaction patterns, the high fear group rated angry faces as more unpleasant and as expressing more disgust, and further rated happy faces as more pleasant. There were no differences in SCR or HR responding between high and low speech anxiety groups. The present results support the hypothesis that people high in speech anxiety are disposed to show an exaggerated sensitivity and facial responsiveness to social stimuli.     

Psychological and autonomic effects of art making in college-aged students

Background and objectives: Anxiety disorders comprise the most common category of mental illness among US young adults. Art making might be one method to help reduce anxiety, but the few studies investigating this have used only subjective measures of anxiety. Design: This study employed both subjective (self-reported state anxiety from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and objective (heart rate variability) measures to assess whether 30-minute periods of art making reduced anxiety in 47 first-year college students prior to their final examinations. Methods: Students participated in free-form painting, mandala coloring, clay modeling, and control sessions. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVA with post hoc analysis revealed significantly greater pre- to post-session reductions in anxiety for all three types of art-making sessions than for the control session, as measured objectively. Measured subjectively, only free-form painting yielded a significant decrease in anxiety compared to the control session. Conclusions: Given the health benefits of anxiety reduction, further study is warranted to determine the duration of art making's anxiety-reducing effect.     

神经及内分泌系统对社会支持缓冲应激的调节机制

应激是生活中不可避免的事件,过度应激也是许多疾病发生的诱因。应激会引起一系列生理反应,包括激活自主神经系统及神经内分泌系统,表现为自主神经系统(ANS)和下丘脑–垂体–肾上腺(HPA)活动的增加。社会支持通过改变或抑制应激相关脑区的活动,缓冲了应激引起的ANS和HPA轴活动,使机体快速恢复到应激前水平,避免应激引起的内稳定失衡对机体的伤害。     

情绪标注对负性情绪的抑制：来自自主神经活动的证据*

在情绪标注的研究中,存在着情绪标注是增强还是抑制负性情绪以及非情绪标注能否抑制负性情绪的争论。研究选择负性情绪面孔和图片为实验材料,以女大学生为被试,采用了16导生理记录仪记录其完成任务时皮电、指温和指脉率上的变化。实验1以负性情绪面孔为材料,采用经典范式试图验证以往研究结果。实验2采用负性情绪图片为材料,探讨了情绪标注和非情绪标注对负性情绪的抑制作用。结果发现：(1)在情绪标注条件下被试的指脉率比情绪匹配条件下的更低;性别标注(即非情绪标注)条件下被试的指脉率与性别匹配条件下的差异不显著;(2)在情绪标注条件下被试的指温比自然或人工标注条件(即非情绪标注)下的更高。研究结果表明,情绪标注可以抑制负性情绪,而非情绪标注则不能抑制负性情绪。     

正负性情绪的自主神经反应及应用

情绪可以唤醒自主神经系统, 伴随有一系列的生理变化。从基础研究的角度来看, 正负性情绪可以诱发心血管系统(如心率、血压、心率变异性)、皮肤电系统(如皮肤电导水平)、呼吸系统(如呼吸阻力、每分通气量)和其他系统(如瞳孔直径、胃肌电等)的活动及其变化。在应用研究方面, 正负性情绪诱发的自主神经反应可以应用在多个领域, 主要包括用户体验中的情绪测量、基于生理信号的人-机情感交互系统的开发, 以及消费者态度和偏好的测查等。对于现有研究结果中存在的分歧, 从被试的个体差异、诱导范式的不一致性和诱导效果的可靠性, 以及刺激材料属性的多样化等方面进行了分析, 指出了未来研究应该注意的问题。