Relaxation and skin conductance feedback in the control of reactions to cognitive tasks

Steptoe, Andrew; Greer, Kerry

doi:10.1016/0301-0511(80)90033-2

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…These results are in line with the data from our between‐block questionnaires (see SuppInf_1), where participants indicated deliberation blocks to be more exhausting than intuition blocks. This idea also concurs with research on the psychophysiological signature of relaxation: Decreased EDA signals were reported for subjective relaxation processes , when participants had to engage in specific relaxation and/or meditation techniques (Mathews & Gelder, ; Mohan et al, ; Steptoe & Greer, ), while increased EDA signals have been reported for more effortful cognitive processes (Kahneman, ). Thus, we interpret our results as indicating that participants in the intuitive conditions were more relaxed than in deliberation conditions, which required more cognitive effort.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Scrutinizing the Emotional Nature of Intuitive Coherence Judgments

Cruz

Winkelmann

Volz

2016

Behavioral Decision Making

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Dual‐system models propose that cognitive processing can occur either intuitively or deliberately. Unlike deliberate decision strategies, intuitive ones are assumed to have an emotional component attached to the decision process. We tested if intuitive decisions are indeed accompanied by an emotional response while deliberate decisions are not. Specifically, we conducted a psychophysiological study in which participants were instructed to decide either intuitively or deliberately if three simultaneously presented words were semantically coherent or incoherent (triad task). The degree of emotionality of these two decision strategies (intuitive vs. deliberate) was compared using changes in electrodermal activity (EDA) and the reaction time (RT) effect of an affective priming paradigm as primary measurements. Based on a valence‐arousal model, our results revealed that intuitive and deliberate judgments do not differ as to their emotional valence but that they do differ in emotional arousal. Most notably, sympathetic activation during intuitive judgments was significantly lower compared to sympathetic activation during deliberate judgments. Our results reflect that a relaxed state of mind—manifested in low sympathetic activity—could underlie the holistic processing that is assumed to facilitate the proliferation of semantic associations during coherence judgments. This suggests that coherence judgments made under an (instructed) intuitive decision mode have a specific psychophysiological signature and that arousal is the differentiating component between intuitive and deliberate decision strategies. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Behavioral Decision Making Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Scrutinizing the Emotional Nature of Intuitive Coherence Judgments

Cruz

Winkelmann

Volz

2016

Behavioral Decision Making

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“…Several studies have indicated that skin electrical conductance may be influenced by such multiple psychological factors as anxiety [ 6 , 7 ], phobia [ 8 , 9 ], and schizophrenia [ 10 ]. The skin electrical conductance test has also been used as a tool for biofeedback training [ 11 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A complementary method for detecting qi vacuity

Chen

et al. 2009

BMC Complement Altern Med

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“…Steptoe and Greer (1980) investigated SCL biofeedback 63 combined with taped relaxation instructions, compared to relaxation instructions alone in counterbalanced order on 2 consecutive days, using 8 participants of each gender. Six 5-min relaxation phases were inserted between two complex problemsolving tasks on each day.…”

Section: Biofeedback Of Electrodermal Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To replicate and enhance the results of Steptoe and Greer (1980), Falkowski and Steptoe (1983) performed a study with extended biofeedback training and a more suitable control group. In addition, they inserted 1 week between the initial presentation of a stressful cognitive task plus an anxiety-provoking industrial accident film and the first biofeedback and/or relaxation session.…”

Section: Biofeedback Of Electrodermal Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, they matched their two groups of 5 females and males each by their electrodermal reactivity 64 during the initial day. After 24 min of relaxation with or without SCL biofeedback training with the same methodology as used by Steptoe and Greer (1980), another 20 min of relaxation training was conducted on a third day, followed by the same stressful tasks used on the initial day. On the final day, the group with additional SCL biofeedback showed lower SCLs compared to the relaxation-alone group, the difference being marginally significant during the relaxation period and highly significant during the stressful tasks.…”

Section: Biofeedback Of Electrodermal Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electrodermal Activity

Boucsein

2012

1,564

1,589

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except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights.Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Foreword to the Second EditionAs noted by David Lykken in the foreword to the first edition of this book, electrodermal activity was observed for the first time in Germany. A quartercentury later the scientific study of psychology also originated in Germany. Over time, however, the focus of psychological research, including the then new field of psychophysiology, shifted to the United States and Great Britain. This trend to the dominance of the United States and Great Britain was prolonged by the devastation of World War II and its aftermath in Germany (and elsewhere in continental Europe). Slowly at first and then more rapidly, German psychological science, including psychophysiology, recovered. For several decades German psychophysiologists have been a major force in psychophysiology. With the publication of the first English edition of this book in 1992, it became essential for electrodermal researchers worldwide again to learn from our German colleagues.When I came into psychophysiology in the mid-1960s, electrodermal activity was the most common system studied. Because of its popularity, a large literature had emerged on the physiological mechanisms producing these changes in the electrical properties of the skin and on the best methodology for recording them. Major reviews and/or chapters had been published or soon were to be published by Peter Venables and Irene Martin, Robert Edelberg, and David Lykken. Later reviews and articles were published by Venables and Margaret Christie, and by me. A chapter in 1990 by Michael Dawson, Anne Schell, and Diane Filion was especially noteworthy for its coverage of the psychological applications of electrodermal measures.Note that all these publications were journal articles and chapters and that most of them focused almost entirely on mechanisms and methodology. The publication of this book, first in German and then in English, provided the first book on electrodermal activity, and one that extensively covers psychological applications as well as mechanisms and methodology. Again to quote David Lykken back in 1992, "The return of German scholarship to what I shall loftily call the high table of psychophysiology is exemplified by this fine book, the most comprehensive treatise on the electrodermal system to appear in any language . . ." I completely agree with v that evaluation. Professor Boucsein's outstanding scholarship has produced a book of such breadth of coverage ...

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Relaxation and skin conductance feedback in the control of reactions to cognitive tasks

Cited by 8 publications

References 18 publications

Scrutinizing the Emotional Nature of Intuitive Coherence Judgments

Scrutinizing the Emotional Nature of Intuitive Coherence Judgments

A complementary method for detecting qi vacuity

Electrodermal Activity

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