bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Feedback in a Forced‐Choice GSR Detection Task
Authors: Diekhoff George M.
Published: February 2007

Previous studies of the detection of internal events have failed to assess adequately the effects of external feedback on detection and identification of internal events. The purpose of the present study was to make use of a signal detection paradigm in an evaluation of feedback effects on the detection and identification of galvanic skin responses (GSRs). GSR detection was measured by the absolute difference between the areas above and below the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and reflected the extent to which subjects were able to differentiate between GSR and no‐GSR trials. GSR identification was measured by the area below the ROC curve and reflected the labeling strategy (accurate or reversed) chosen by the subjects. It was found that external feedback as to the presence or absence and relative magnitude of GSRs was not necessary for differentiation of GSR and no‐GSR trials, and that such feedback was detrimental to increased differentiation over sessions. External feedback may, however, have been useful in directing the attachment of identifying responses to the differentiated internal events. The similarity of these findings to findings reported in the schematic concept formation (SCF) literature was discussed. It was concluded that internal event detection tasks such as that used in the present study may be seen as examples of SCF involving internal stimulus events.
An Evaluation of Finger Pulse Volume as a Psychophysiological Measure of Anxiety
Authors: Bloom Larry J. , Houston B. Kent , Burish Thomas G.
Published: February 2007

The present experiment explored the utility of finger pulse volume (FPV) as a measure of anxiety. Subjects were exposed to either a threatening or nonthreatening situation, and indices of physiological arousal (pulse rate (PR) and FPV) and self‐report of anxiety (Affect Adjective Checklist (AACL)) were collected. Results indicated that FPV was responsive to changes in experimentally induced anxiety and significantly correlated with PR and AACL, although the strength of these relationships was not substantial. Relevance for psychophysiological theory and the clinical observation of anxiety is discussed.
Auditory Evoked Potential in Stage 2 and REM Sleep During a 30‐Day Exposure to Tone Pulses
Authors: Townsend R. E. , House J. F. , Johnson L. C.
Published: February 2007

Ten subjects were exposed to 3.5K Hz tone pulses of 660 msec duration, presented 24‐hr‐per‐day for 30 days. The interstimulus interval was 22 sec. There were 10 days each at 80, 85, and 90 dB in that order. The average evoked potential (AEP) at C3 referenced to linked mastoids was obtained from contiguous stage 2 and REM sleep segments on the first, second, and last recorded nights of tone‐pulse exposure. The AEP was consistently larger in stage 2 than in REM sleep. In both stage 2 and REM sleep, AEP amplitude on the second recorded night bore no consistent relationship to first or last recorded night AEPs. Only the N2–P3 amplitude yielded consistent decreases, with 9 of 10 subjects in both stage 2 and REM sleep having smaller N2–P3 amplitudes on the last than on the first recorded night. There were no changes in latency of any component. During sleep there is little, if any, habituation of the auditory AEP during long‐duration exposures to nonmeaningful stimuli, and certainly no extinction of the AEP under these conditions.
Feedback for High EEG Alpha Does Not Maintain Performance or Mood During Sleep Loss
Authors: Hord D. J. , Lubin A. , Tracy M. L. , Jensma B. W. , Johnson L. C.
Published: February 2007

Can performance and mood during sleep loss be maintained by self‐induced high EEG alpha activity? In a previous study, most of the performance and mood measures showed sleep‐loss impairment regardless of EEG alpha level, but attention and reported sleepiness were less impaired for the high‐alpha group (although the differences were of doubtful significance). A constructive replication was carried out. In Group A (N=10) auditory feedback was contingent on high alpha, and in Group B (N=10) auditory feedback was contingent on low alpha and low theta. All subjects were repeatedly measured on auditory vigilance, addition, immediate recall, and feelings of sleepiness for 40 hrs during which no sleep was permitted. Sixty min of EEG feedback were given during each block of 220 min. Group A did produce significantly more alpha for the first 24 hrs but this difference was not maintained. Both groups had significant sleep‐loss impairment on all measures. There were no significant differences between the groups in the amount of impairment. Self‐enhanced EEG alpha activity does not prevent impairment of performance or mood during sleep loss.
Effects of State‐Trait Anxiety on the Ability to Enhance and Suppress EEG Alpha
Authors: Valle Ronald S. , Degood Douglas E.
Published: February 2007

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between self‐reported state and trait anxiety and the ability to enhance or suppress (i.e., control) alpha density in a biofeedback situation. Forty subjects were randomly divided into alpha enhancement and alpha suppression conditions and then underwent four 40‐min eyes‐closed biofeedback sessions. Immediately before and after each session, each subject completed the A‐State scale of the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Prior to the first session and again at the end of the final session, the A‐Trait scale of the STAI was also completed. The results indicated that: a) subjects with low initial trait and state anxiety were significantly better than high anxiety subjects at suppressing but not enhancing alpha, b) final state anxiety scores were unrelated to alpha control, and c) significant pre‐ to post‐session declines in state anxiety across all subjects were unrelated to both the direction and success of alpha control. It was concluded that anxiety may be related to the ability to increase cortical arousal level (i.e., to reduce alpha) in a biofeedback situation rather than being a direct correlate of alpha level per se. However, since the biofeedback procedure did not result in significant alpha enhancement, the relationship between anxiety and the ability to reduce cortical arousal remains unclear.
VERs in Normal and Disabled Adult Readers
Authors: Preston Malcolm S. , Guthrie John T. , Kirsch Irwin , Gertman David , Childs Barton
Published: February 2007

The purposes of this study were to assess the visual evoked response (VER) technique in localizing the reading process and to explore VER differences between normal and disabled readers. VERs recorded from O1, O2, P3, and P4, all referenced to linked mastoids, were obtained from 9 normal and 9 carefully selected disabled adult readers under two test conditions: a series of non‐patterned flashes of light viewed passively and a series of common three‐letter words containing a target word. Peak‐to‐peak amplitude for P100‐N140 and N140‐P200, and amplitude from baseline for P200 and the late positive component (LPC) were obtained. The data were examined for hemispheric, parietal‐occipital, and group differences. The main findings were: 1) increased amplitude for P200 and the LPC on the left side for word stimuli only, 2) increased LPC amplitude on the parietal leads compared to occipital for flash and word stimuli with greater increase for words, and 3) a larger difference between words and flash on the left parietal electrode for normals compared to disabled on the P200 and LPC measures.
A Psychophysiological Exploration of Sexual Arousal Patterns in Females and Males
Authors: Heiman Julia R.
Published: February 2007

Fifty‐nine female and 39 male undergraduates completed 3 sessions of a psychophysiological study on sexual arousal. Subjects were assigned to one of six experimental groups. Subjects within each group were exposed to a series of four audio‐tapes, and were asked to fantasize before and after the tape series. Tapes varied in their erotic and romantic content, and two sex role dimensions were also varied across tapes. Dependent measures included scaled subjective reports, genital pulse amplitude and blood volume responses, heart rate, and finger pulse amplitude. Erotic contents were significantly more sexually arousing than nonerotic contents for both sexes. Romantic content did not significantly enhance the facilitation of sexual arousal. Nontraditional sex roles were significantly more arousing for females, with a similar nonsignificant trend for males. There were significant correlations between genital pulse amplitude and subjective reports of arousal; however, for females the genital blood volume measure showed less reliable agreement with subjective report. Genital pulse amplitude was the most reliable and precise indicator of arousal and accounted for the most variance across conditions. No significant changes occurred on the heart rate and finger pulse amplitude measures. Although subjects were able to become aroused by fantasy alone, listening to erotic tapes did not facilitate their ability to be sexually aroused during fantasy.
Cardiac Cycle Time Effects on Performance, Phasic Cardiac Responses, and Their Intercorrelation in Choice Reaction Time
Authors: Jennings J. Richard , Wood Charles C.
Published: February 2007

Temporal relationships between phasic cardiac responses and choice reaction time (RT) performance were studied in 8 human volunteers using a speed‐accuracy tradeoff design. “Cardiac cycle time” was varied by presenting stimuli at either the R wave of the electrocardiogram or 350 msec afterward. The speed and accuracy of choice RT performance were systematically manipulated by rewarding subjects for responding as close as possible to five different RT targets (150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 msec). The magnitude of both the cardiac deceleration which preceded stimulus onset and the cardiac acceleration which followed the response varied systematically with RT; both anticipatory deceleration and accelerative recovery were larger for faster RTs. More importantly, the timing of the shift from anticipatory deceleration to accelerative recovery varied systematically as a function of both cardiac cycle time and RT. Correlations between performance and cardiac interbeat intervals (IBIs) before, during, and after the RT were uniformly low, but showed consistent variation as a function of temporal proximity of the IBI to the stimulus. An hypothesis which relates timing of task completion, timing of vagal inhibition, and phasic cardiac responses was proposed to account for the timing of the shift from anticipatory deceleration to accelerative recovery.
Finger Pulse Volume As a Measure of Anxiety: Further Evaluation
Authors: Bloom Larry J. , Trautt Gregory M.
Published: February 2007

The present investigation further explored the utility of Finger Pulse Volume (FPV) as a measure of anxiety. Male and female subjects were exposed to threatening and nonthreatening situations and measures of FPV, pulse rate (PR), and self‐report of anxiety (AACL) were collected. Results indicate that: a) FPV was sensitive to changes in experimentally manipulated anxiety, and b) FPV and PR were temporally, differentially responsive as measures of anxiety: FPV was more responsive initially and recovered more quickly than PR following the introduction of threat. Implications of these data to the often noted low intercorrelations among physiological measures and the relevance of these findings to anxiety management are discussed.
Salivation and the Law of Initial Value
Authors: White K. D.
Published: February 2007

Data from a number of salivation studies were analyzed to see whether treatment effects are systematically related to prestimulus values; in other words, does the Law of Initial Value (LIV) hold. The diversity of techniques, methods, and subjects in the nine experiments studied, enabled a comprehensive assessment to be made. Results suggest that the Law does not consistently operate for salivation.
The Late CNV Wave: Preparation Versus Expectancy
Authors: Gaillard A. W. K.
Published: February 2007

Slow EEG potentials were recorded from different sites along the midline (Fz, Cz, Pz) in the S1‐S2 interval of a reaction time task. The effects of expectancy on the contingent negative variation (CNV) were investigated by varying the probability that S2 would be presented. This probability which was indicated by S1, was either 0.9, 0.5, or 0.0. This was done under instructions governing the trade‐off between speed and accuracy. The combined effects of S2 probability and instructions support the view that the early component of the CNV is a cortical component of the orientation reaction, whereas the late component is mainly determined by the level of motor preparation. The topographical distribution of the early CNV was more anterior than that of the late CNV, which corroborates earlier results.
A Low Cost Method for Programming Stimuli Utilizing Photocell and Physiograph
Authors: Bruno Richard L.
Published: February 2007

Described is a device for programming stimuli via detection of opaque marks on datagraph paper by a photocell. Ease of programming and circuit construction, low cost, and accuracy and precision of stimulus presentation are advantages of this apparatus.
Cardiac Deceleration and Reflex Blink Facilitation
Authors: Bohlin Gunilla , Graham Frances K.
Published: February 2007

Theories differ in their predictions of how skeletal reflex activity should vary with cardiac deceleration, an index of orienting. Although Graham (1975) reported that reflex blinking was facilitated under uncertainty conditions eliciting cardiac deceleration, theoretical implications remained unclear. Graham hypothesized that facilitation was not due to orienting per se but to rebound when orienting was terminated by the blink‐eliciting stimulus. This hypothesis was tested in the present research by manipulation of attentional requirements. In Experiment 1, 24 undergraduates received identical stimulation but half made an attention‐focusing discrimination between durations of noise startle stimuli and thus maintained attention on the stimulus past the time of reflex initiation; half of the subjects discriminated durations of non‐startling tones and thus could terminate orienting when a noise stimulus occurred. In both groups, orienting was induced by a lead stimulus that was followed equally often by noise and tone. The hypothesis was disconfirmed. Blinks were equally facilitated in both groups compared to no‐lead stimulus control trials. A second experiment, designed to induce more persistent cardiac deceleration under maintained attention conditions, produced similar results.
Analysis of the Sleep Stages in Sleep‐Wakefulness Regimens of Varied Length
Authors: Webb W. B. , Agnew H. W.
Published: February 2007

Two to 4 different young adult males were studied while on five different regimens of sleep‐wakefulness. The regimens studied were: 3 hrs sleep, 6 hrs wakefulness; 4 hrs sleep, 8 hrs wakefulness; 6 hrs sleep, 12 hrs wakefulness; 10 hrs sleep, 20 hrs wakefulness; and, 12 hrs sleep, 24 hrs wakefulness. The EEG‐EOG was recorded during the sleep period.

The largest change in sleep pattern occurred in the short regimens. In these regimens Stage 2 was reduced and Stages 3/4 increased. The amount of REM sleep was stable across all regimens. The temporal distribution of Stages REM and 4 was maintained within the modified regimens. Increases in amount of prior wakefulness acted predictably to increase the amount of Stage 4. REM sleep was responsive to sleep onset time.
On Quantifying Surprise: The Variation of Event‐Related Potentials With Subjective Probability
Authors: Duncan‐Johnson Connie C. , Donchin Emanuel
Published: February 2007

Two factors are known to determine the waveform of event‐related potentials (ERP) elicited by task‐relevant stimuli: the a priori probability of the stimuli and the sequence of immediately preceding stimuli. The relative contribution of these factors to the ERP waveform was assessed at nine levels of a priori probability (from .10 to .90). Random sequences of high (1500 Hz) and low (1000 Hz) tones were presented to 10 male subjects at each level of probability, both when the events were task‐relevant and when the subjects were performing an alternate task to which the tones were irrelevant. The EEG was recorded from five midline electrode sites referred to linked mastoids.

The amplitude of the P300 and Slow Wave components was inversely proportional to the a priori probability of task‐relevant events. At every level of a priori probability, the magnitude of the P300 complex (N200‐P300‐Slow Wave) was diminished when the eliciting tone repeated the preceding tone, and was enhanced when it was preceded by the other tone. Thus, a priori probability and sequential structure appear to be independent determinants of the P300 complex.
Skin Conductance Response Conditioning with High CS Intensities: Additional Evidence with New Controls
Authors: Spurr Charles W. , Prokasy William F. , Williams William C. , Clark Craig G.
Published: February 2007

In an effort to determine whether or not conditioning is possible when CS intensity is at least as high as US intensity, nine groups of human subjects were employed in a skin conductance conditioning study. White noise CS and US intensities of 95‐ and 115‐dB were varied orthogonally in the experimental groups, while control groups were incorporated to control for overall signal frequency and differences in habituation rates attributable to differences in intertrial interval. By conventional contrasts first interval response (FIR) conditioning was observed, but when controls for differential habituation rates were incorporated in the contrasts there was no evidence of FIR conditioning. Second interval response (SIR) conditioning was obtained, but it was manifest as an anticipatory response to the higher of two US intensities rather than in conventional conditioning vs control group comparisons. It was also shown that high CS intensities induce suppression of SIR levels, with greater suppression associated with the higher intensity. Several conclusions were made: 1) in a simple trace conditioning paradigm with skin conductance responding as the measure, it is not clear that what we have typically called a conditioning effect is separable from an habituation effect; 2) conditioning is possible even when CS intensity is as high as or higher than US intensity; and 3) the use of time sample measurement in the absence of signals provides a useful baseline for determining overall increases and decreases in SIR level.
Voluntary Blood Pressure Reductions Measured With Pulse Transit Time: Training Conditions and Reactions to Mental Work
Authors: Steptoe Andrew
Published: February 2007

Blood pressure reductions aided by exteroceptive feedback were compared with those produced with simple instructions in two groups of 10 subjects. The degree of environmental stimulation during sessions was equated in the two conditions. Additionally, the effect of feedback on blood pressure reactions to an auditory choice reaction time task was studied. Pressure changes were monitored with the pulse wave velocity method.

Feedback training led to greater modifications than instructions during pressure control trials. Associated adjustments in interbeat interval and respiration rate were also observed, but were of similar magnitude in the two groups. Some carryover of training effects to the reaction time task was found, but this comparison was confounded by larger initial reactions in the feedback group.
Long‐term Eyes‐closed Alpha‐enhancement Training: Effects on Alpha Amplitudes and on Experiential State
Authors: Plotkin William B.
Published: February 2007

In order to determine the effects of long‐term alpha‐enhancement training on EEG alpha amplitudes and on experiential states, a 2×2 factorial design was employed with two levels of Sensory Deprivation (high and low) and two of Feedback‐Electrode Placement (O2–F4 and Oz–ear). Twelve research participants (3 per cell) engaged in 10 52‐min sessions of eyes‐closed alpha‐enhancement training with proportional auditory feedback of integrated alpha amplitudes. The results led to five major conclusions: 1) even long‐term alpha‐enhancement training (with proportional feedback of alpha strength) does not result in the learned enhancement of alpha strength significantly above optimal eyes‐closed baseline levels; 2) in some cases, alpha‐enhancement training does result in the maintenance of optimal alpha levels; 3) sub‐baseline increases in alpha production during alpha training are most often the result of the gradual dissipation or neutralization of alpha‐inhibitory influences (disinhibition or habituation versus enhancement); 4) the occurrences of unusual experiences during alpha training are partly due to the sensory deprivation conditions of the experimental procedures, and partly due to the effects of suggestion and the experience of success; and 5) alpha feedback from the O2–F4 and Oz–ear placements do not have differential effects on EEG alpha or on experiential state.
Autonomic Specificity and Stereotypy Revisited
Authors: Sersen E. A. , Clausen J. , Lidsky A.
Published: February 2007

Stimulus‐response specificity and individual‐response stereotypy were evaluated during segments of anticipation, stimulation, and recovery. Skin conductance, heart period, respiration period, and blood pressure were measured in 20 normal subjects in response to six stimuli: Sound, Music, Math, Poem, Light, and Cold Pressor. The difference between mean level during each segment and prestimulation, corrected for prestimulus level, was divided by the nonsyste‐matic variability of response in order to provide a standard score. Specificity was assessed through the Variable × Stimulus interactions of an analysis of variance and a components of variance analysis, and from a between subject concordance analysis. Stereotypy was inferred from the Variable × Subject interaction of the components analysis and from a between stimuli concordance analysis. Components of variance analyses were also obtained with scores covaried for anticipation level, with a previous method of score standardization, and with stimuli divided into two sets on the basis of response magnitude. Contributions to variance of specificity and stereotypy were shown to vary with method of standardization and type of stimulation.
REM Deprivation and Divergent Thinking
Authors: Glaubman Hananyah , Orbach Israel , Aviram Orit , Frieder Irene , Frieman Meira , Pelled Odeda , Glaubman Rivka
Published: February 2007

The contribution of REM sleep to divergent thinking was examined. Ten subjects were deprived of REM sleep and of equal length of NREM sleep. In both cases a divergent thinking task was assigned in the evening to be performed in the morning. The subjects' responses after NREM deprivation were numerically greater, included more positive reactions, and were more divergent and original than those produced after REM deprivation.

The study thus reconfirms the hypothesis that REM sleep contributes to divergent thinking and supports the claim that it encourages the individual's adaptation to new situations.
Psychopathy and Detection of Deception In a Prison Population
Authors: Raskin David C. , Hare Robert D.
Published: February 2007

The effectiveness of detection of deception was evaluated with a sample of 48 prisoners, half of whom were diagnosed psychopaths. Half of each group were “guilty” of taking $20 in a mock crime and half were “innocent.” An examiner who had no knowledge of the guilt or innocence of each subject conducted a field‐type interview followed by a control question polygraph examination. Electrodermal, respiration, and cardiovascular activity was recorded, and field (semi‐objective) and quantitative evaluations of the physiological responses were made. Field evaluations by the examiner produced 88% correct, 4% wrong, and 8% inconclusives. Excluding inconclusives, there were 96% correct decisions. Using blind quantitative scoring and field evaluations, significant discrimination between “guilty” and “innocent” subjects was obtained for a variety of electrodermal, respiration, and cardiovascular measures. Psychopaths were as easily detected as nonpsychopaths, and psychopaths showed evidence of stronger electrodermal responses and heart rate decelerations. The effectiveness of control question techniques in differentiating truth and deception was demonstrated in psychopathic and nonpsychopathic criminals in a mock crime situation, and the generalizability of the results to the field situation is discussed.
Expectancy of the UCS during Avoidance Conditioning of the SCR
Authors: Schell Anne M. , Dawson Michael E. , Beers James R. , Biferno Michael A.
Published: February 2007

Two studies are reported which investigated the relationship between expectancy of the UCS (shock) and avoidance conditioning of the skin conductance response (SCR). Subjects were allowed to avoid the shock UCS if they gave criterion magnitude SCRs to a warning tone preceding the shock. Expectancy of the UCS was monitored on a trial‐by‐trial basis during the avoidance conditioning process. It was found in Experiment I that SCR conditioning occurred only among subjects who had accurate expectancies of shock omission relative to their yoked controls. However, those subjects who were able to accurately predict shock omission were not able to verbalize the response‐reinforcement contingency during a postconditioning questionnaire. Experiment II revealed that only subjects with accurate expectancies concerning the shock behaved differently from their yoked controls when given informative instructions about the response‐reinforcement contingency. These data indicate that individual differences in the accuracy of UCS expectancy are positively related to SCR avoidance conditioning. This relationship has gone undetected in previous research because of the exclusive reliance upon verbal postconditioning questionnaires.
Classically Conditioned Autonomic Discrimination and Tryptophan Uptake In Chronic Schizophrenia
Authors: Gorham John C. , Novelly Robert A. , Ax Albert F. , Frohman Charles E.
Published: February 2007

The relationship of tryptophan uptake (TU) with heart period decrement discrimination (but not with HPinc and SCinc) was significant and negative in 22 schizophrenic patients (r =−.42). This is consistent with the idea that a blood protein factor in the patient, responsible for increased TU, a precursor of serotonin, may produce a limbic malfunction, one consequence of which is impaired motivational learning aptitude. HPinc and SCinc discrimination was statistically greater in 22 normals than in the 22 patients. This is consistent with the literature and, in particular, with the idea that schizophrenic patients may be characterized in terms of impaired limbic or motivational learning aptitude.
Psychopathy and Physiological Responses to Threat of an Aversive Stimulus
Authors: Hare Robert D. , Frazelle Janice , Cox David N.
Published: February 2007

Physiological activity was monitored while 64 prison inmates awaited delivery of a 120dB tone during a 12‐sec “count‐down” procedure. The inmates were divided into four groups on the basis of global ratings of psychopathy (interrater reliability = .86) and scores on the Socialization (So) scale. Twelve inmates in the group considered to be most psychopathic (high ratings of psychopathy and low So scores) showed larger increases in heart rate and smaller increases in electrodermal activity in anticipation of the tone than did 20 inmates in the group considered to be least psychopathic (low ratings of psychopathy and high So scores). These findings were consistent with those of several previous studies, and were interpreted as a reflection of an association between psychopathy and the operation of efficient mechanisms for coping with threat.
Establishment and Implementation of Standardized Sleep Laboratory Data Collection and Scoring Procedures
Authors: Karacan Ismet , Orr William C. , Roth Thomas , Kramer Milton , Shurley Jay T. , Thornby John I. , Bingham Stephen F. , Salis Patricia J.
Published: February 2007

To standardize data collection and processing procedures, three Veterans Administration sleep laboratories established standard procedures “on paper,” implemented them in a study, and assessed scoring agreement for sleep EEG‐EOG recordings. The first phase of the study resulted in a detailed written description of all basic procedures. For the second, each laboratory evaluated 6 mentally and physically healthy males on three consecutive nights. Overall scoring agreement was about 90%. It was at least 89% between pairs of laboratories for stage 0, 59% for stage 1, 95% for stage 1 REM, 92% for stage 2, and 80% for stages 3+4. Values for standard sleep EEG‐EOG parameters were generally similar among scoring laboratories, and interlaboratory scoring agreement compared favorably with one measure of intralaboratory agreement. The low agreement for stage 1 is attributable to the infrequent and sporadic occurrence of stage 1 and is considered to be trivial. That for stages 3+4 is more critical and is probably related to the subjective process involved in scoring these stages. These data indicated that these techniques produced a high degree of interlaboratory standardization, and consequently, concurrence in sleep stage scoring.
The Sleep of Skydivers: A Study of Stress
Authors: Beaumaster E. J. , Knowles J. B. , MacLean A. W.
Published: February 2007

In this paper we report the results of a study in which we were able to assess the effects of a demonstrably stressful event—a sport parachute jump—on EEG recorded sleep.

The sleep of 9 novice (one previous jump) and of 9 experienced (41 or more previous jumps) sport parachutists was monitored throughout the night for 4 nights prior to and for 1 night following the day during which a parachute jump had been scheduled to occur. A control group of sport parachutists who agreed not to make a jump during the course of their participation in the study were similarly seen for 5 consecutive nights.

The results indicate that the execution, and to a lesser extent the anticipation, of the jump was stressful, especially for the novice group. However, the stressor induced only negligible changes in the sleep variables assessed. It is possible that there are critical differences in the effects on sleep of voluntarily imposed stresses and those which are commonly experienced in everyday life.
Biofeedback and Progressive Relaxation: Effects on Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
Authors: Fey Steven G. , Lindholm Ernest
Published: February 2007

Two groups of subjects were pretrained in Jacobson's progressive relaxation, then instructed to lower their blood pressure while receiving contingent feedback or no feedback for two 1‐hr sessions. A third group was pretrained in a control relaxation procedure, then instructed to lower blood pressure while receiving contingent feedback. All subjects returned for a Follow‐up session in which they attempted to reduce blood pressure without feedback. The results indicated reliable decreases in systolic blood pressure for all three groups in the first two sessions. The group pretrained in progressive relaxation and given feedback achieved greater control than the other two groups which did not differ from each other. During the Follow‐up session, blood pressure decreases were small but reliable in the two groups pretrained in progressive relaxation. Heart rate and diastolic blood pressure decreased in all groups, with the progressive relaxation groups achieving the lowest levels. It is concluded that progressive relaxation and blood pressure feedback in combination are highly compatible and that progressive relaxation allows for modest blood pressure control in the absence of feedback.
Laterality of Body Focus and Digital Skin Temperature in Patients with Raynaud's Disease
Authors: Surwit Richard S. , Bradner Marilyn N. , Fenton Cynthia H. , Pilon Robert N.
Published: February 2007

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between lateralization of body image and right versus left vasomotor activity. Fifteen right‐handed female patients suffering from idiopathic Raynaud's disease demonstrated a relationship between the extent of right lateralization of body image and bilateral digital skin temperature during a controlled temperature stress test. In addition, subjects showing a reliable right side awareness demonstrated more unilateral vasospastic attacks in their right hand than their left hand white subjects showing no clear right lateralization by body image reported more left hand attacks than right hand attacks. These results were taken as consistent with previous work on the relationship between skin conductance and lateralization of body image.
An Early Event‐Related Cortical Potential
Authors: Goodin Douglas S. , Squires Kenneth C. , Henderson Beverley H. , Starr Arnold
Published: February 2007

A waveform subtraction procedure, in which evoked potentials to rare tones (p=.15) in an Ignore condition were subtracted from the analogous waveforms in an Attend condition, revealed the existence of a previously unreported positive potential with a latency of approximately 165 msec (P165) which is related to cognitive stimulus processing. The potential was absent for frequent background tones. An analysis of latency and scalp distribution data showed that P165 could be differentiated from the stimulus‐evoked P200 potential, and experiments in which muscle tension was varied did not change the form of P165, supporting a neurogenic origin. Most likely P165 is an early manifestation of decision processes related to the later N200 and P300 potentials.
The Measurement of Human Penile Tumescence
Authors: Rosen Raymond C. , Keefe Francis J.
Published: February 2007

The techniques of penile measurement have been developed in numerous laboratories in Europe, Australia, and the United States. Most researchers now use either circumference or volumetric devices, depending on the research rationale. Thermistors have not been adequately evaluated. This paper reviews the important measurement issues associated with each device, as well as relevant construction information. Examples of applied research are provided. With respect to overall efficacy of the transducers, we recommend volumetric procedures where precision of measurement is of critical importance. However, for efficiency and ease of use the circumference devices, particularly the mercury‐in‐rubber gauge, appear optimal. Penile tumescence measurement is of fundamental importance in determining basic parameters of the psychophysiological process of human sexual arousal.
The Regulation of Blood Pressure Reactions to Taxing Conditions using Pulse Transit Time Feedback and Relaxation
Authors: Steptoe Andrew
Published: February 2007

Two experiments are described in which 40 normotensive subjects were trained to reduce blood pressure (BP) both in undistracting conditions and while performing taxing tasks. Biofeedback was compared with relaxation in each case, and BP was continously monitored by the pulse wave velocity method. In Study 1, feedback and relaxation groups produced similar BP reductions when control was attempted in isolation. However, the relaxation group was significantly disturbed during performance of an auditory choice reaction time (RT) task. In contrast, feedback subjects showed identical BP modifications in the two conditions. In Study 2, the differences during the RT task proved to be short lived. However, the feedback group overcame pressor reactions to a mental arithmetic test more rapidly than could relaxation subjects, and the difference between groups persisted during no‐feedback trials. In both studies, modifications were more specific in the feedback condition, since alterations in heart rate, respiration and general activity were less prominent. It is suggested that it may be fruitful to use feedback for training people to overcome BP reactions to taxing conditions, rather than trying to modify tonic level alone.
Effects of Momentary Changes in Arousal on Discriminative Autonomic Classical Conditioning
Authors: Schandler Steven L.
Published: February 2007

Relative to an intermediate arousal level, effects of stimulus‐controlled increases and decreases in arousal were examined during discriminative autonomic conditioning. After matching subjects to psychophysiologically‐indexed arousal criteria, three experimental and two control groups of 14 persons each were formed. Experimental groups received both high arousal training consisting of aversive conditioning with a discrete stimulus and low arousal training involving paired presentations of muscle biofeedback relaxation and a different cue. Formation of stimulus controlled arousal responses was assessed using heart rate, muscle, and electrodermal criteria. During discriminative conditioning, one experimental group received all conditioned stimuli compounded with high arousal cues, while another group received conditioned stimuli/low arousal cue compounds. The third experimental group received conditioned stimuli/neutral cue compounds. Electrodermal and digital pulse volume conditioning data indicated significantly greater conditioning associated with neutral cue manipulations. High arousal cue compounds resulted in conditioning superior to that displayed by low arousal cue compounds. Control groups data suggested that results were not due to simple transfer or physical cue properties alone.
A Convenient, Non‐hydrating Electrolyte Medium for the Measurement of Electrodermal Activity
Authors: Schneider Robert E. , Fowles Don C.
Published: February 2007

Two experiments with 12 subjects each compared electrodermal recordings taken simultaneously with four different electrolyte media. These were polyethylene glycol, Unibase/glycol, Unibase, and hydrated agar (i.e., a site recorded with agar electrolyte after presoaking it with water). The primary purpose was to compare the electrolyte containing a mixture of Unibase/glycol with the other electrolytes. The glycol and the hydrated agar were assumed to reflect low and high levels of epidermal hydration, respectively, while Unibase provided a comparison with Unibase alone. These comparisons were made for positive SPRs and rapid recovery SCRs (and their associated prestimulus levels), which are believed to reflect the endosomatic and exosomatic manifestations of the epidermal membrane response.

Unibase/glycol was quite similar to glycol alone; thus it offers a more convenient electrolyte for use when minimal hydration is required. The results were interpreted as indicating that Unibase/glycol is preferable for skin potential recordings, while Unibase is to be preferred for skin conductance recordings.
Imaginational Pavlovian Conditioning of Large‐Magnitude Cardiac Decelerations with Tilt as US
Authors: Furedy John J. , Klajner Felix
Published: February 2007

Conventional operant biofeedback methods have not generally been successful in producing large‐magnitude cardiac decelerations, whereas a Pavlovian approach using negative body tilt as an unconventional unconditional stimulus (US) has been reported to yield more promising results. The two experiments reported here employed this powerful (elicits decelerations of 35 bpm) new US in an “imaginational” form of Pavlovian conditioning wherein the conditional stimulus (CS), rather than being a conventional and simple one (e.g., tone or light), was the following complex event: the word “drop” to which the subject was instructed to drop his head back, imagine the US, and, to help this imaginational process, to roll his eyes back. In Exp. I this complex CS was temporarily paired with the US at a .5‐sec CS‐US interval for 12 Experimentals, whereas for 12 Controls the same complex CS followed the US by 17 sec in a long backward‐control arrangement. The CS in the Experimentals yielded some 10 bpm decelerative responses relative to the 4‐bpm levels of the Controls, and during extinction (US omitted) the Experimentals' decelerations returned to the 4‐bpm level of the Controls. Exp. II assessed the possible contribution of the various motoric aspects of the complex “drop” CS by presenting 10 subjects with the same “drop” CSs, but omitting both the associated tilt USs and instructions to imagine the tilt. With these omitted, the “drop” CS produced no significant decelerations. Finally, a significant Experimental‐Control difference in Exp. I indicated that the deceleration training shows generalization or transfer to a situation where the subject is sitting up in a normal position rather than lying on the tilt table.
Bilateral Skin Conductance and Skin Potential in Schizophrenic and Normal Subjects: The Identification of the Fast Habituator Group of Schizophrenics
Authors: Patterson Terry , Venables P. H.
Published: February 2007

Chronic schizophrenics from three different hospitals were compared to normal subjects on skin conductance parameters. In addition to “Responders” and “Nonresponders” as reported by Gruzelier and Venables (1972), a group of “Fast Habituator” schizophrenics was found. These subjects produce one or at most two responses before habituation in an orienting series. The SC waveform of fast habituator subjects shows long latency, slow risetime and long recovery, although the amplitude of response is within normal limits.
Effects of Multiple Sessions of True and Placebo Heart Rate Biofeedback Training on the Heart Rates and Anxiety Levels of Anxious Patients During and Following Treatment
Authors: Rupert Patricia A. , Holmes David S.
Published: February 2007

Fifty‐six adult males who were hospitalized with anxiety related problems were randomly assigned to the conditions formed by a 2 (instructions to increase heart rate, instructions to decrease heart rate) × 3 (true biofeedback, placebo biofeedback, no biofeedback) factorial plus 1 (no‐treatment control) design. Subjects were seen for 4 heart rate training/recording sessions and 1 subsequent transfer‐test session. Results indicated that: a) neither instructions alone nor the combinations of instructions and true or placebo biofeedback were more effective than simply sitting quietly (adaptation) for decreasing heart rate, b) instructions plus true biofeedback was more effective than instructions alone or instructions plus placebo biofeedback for increasing heart rate, c) multiple sessions of training did not enhance the level of control achieved early in the first session, d) the control achieved with biofeedback did not transfer to a subsequent no‐biofeedback situation, and e) biofeedback training did not influence subjects' subjective anxiety levels.
Influences of Subject Self‐Selection on the EEG Alpha‐Hypnotizability Correlation
Authors: Dumas Roland A. , Spitzer Sherry E.
Published: February 2007

To determine the effect of subject self‐selection on the alpha‐hypnotizability correlation, the correlations between volunteer and invited subject groups were compared. For 8 volunteers the correlation between baseline eyes‐closed occipital alpha and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility score was r=.72; for 12 invited subjects, that correlation was r=‐.02. The significant difference in these correlations gives support to a previously published paper which hypothesized, on the basis of a literature review, that sampling modifications generated by subject self‐selection were responsible for the occurrence of significant alpha‐hypnotizability correlations.
Cardiovascular and Electrodermal Responses Conditioned to Fear‐Relevant Stimuli
Authors: Fredrikson Mats , ÖHman Arne
Published: February 2007

This study examined heart rate, finger pulse volume, and skin conductance responses in subjects conditioned to fear‐relevant (snakes and spiders) and fear‐irrelevant (flowers and mushrooms) slide stimuli by an electric shock unconditioned stimulus. A differential conditioning paradigm with an interstimulus interval of 8 sec was used. There were 4 habituation, 8 acquisition, and 20 extinction trials with each of the two cues. The results demonstrated reliable acquisition for finger pulse volume and skin conductance responses, with superior resistance to extinction for the fear‐relevant conditioned stimuli. The heart rate data showed no differentiation between reinforced and nonreinforced cues during acquisition and extinction, and no effect of fear‐relevance. This discrepancy between skin conductance and finger pulse volume responses, on the one hand, and heart rate, on the other, was interpreted as due to differences in innervation, with the former measures mainly reflecting sympathetic and the latter parasympathetic effects.
Effects of Level of Socialization on Electrodermal Detection of Deception
Authors: Waid William M. , Orne Martin T. , Wilson Stuart K.
Published: February 2007

Fifteen college students attempted to deceive a professional polygraph examiner, while 15 others who had nothing to hide also submitted to the examination. The examiner was blind as to whether each subject was deceptive or truthful. Using the skin conductance response (SCR), significant discrimination was made between deceptive and truthful subjects with both “guilty person” and “guilty knowledge” polygraph tests. On both types of test, however, subjects who were not detected were significantly less socialized (Socialization Scale of the California Psychological Inventory) than those who were detected. This reduced susceptibility to detection was mediated by a reduced SCR to deception among low‐socialization subjects. Among innocent subjects the highly socialized were more responsive electrodermally throughout the test, leading some of them to be misclassified as deceptive on at least one test. Implications of the results for both detection of deception and the construct of socialization are discussed.
Effects of Methylphenidate on Hyperactive Children's Evoked Responses During Passive and Active Attention
Authors: Klorman Rafael , Salzman Leonard F. , Pass Harold L. , Borgstedt Agneta D. , Dainer Karen B.
Published: February 2007

Eighteen hyperactive clinical responders to methylphenidate were taken off medication and tested in two sessions during which they received an acute dose of methylphenidate and placebo in counterbalanced order. Seventeen normal boys of comparable age were tested without drugs. For both samples, evoked potentials were recorded during a Continuous Performance Test. Normal children made fewer errors of commission and omission and displayed faster reaction times than hyperactives tested under placebo. In addition, under active attention, the late positive component (LPC) of placebo‐treated hyperactive boys' evoked responses exhibited smaller amplitude than normal controls'. Methylphenidate increased the amplitude of hyperactive patients' LPC and generally ameliorated their performance, especially commission errors and reaction times. The results confirmed previous findings of attentional disturbance in hyperactivity and normalization by methylphenidate of these patients' performance and electrophysiological activity during sustained attention.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Memory and Sleep Latencies in Connection with Repeated Awakenings From Sleep
Authors: ÅKerstedt Torbjörn , Gillberg Mats
Published: February 2007

Twelve subjects were kept awake 64 hrs. During baseline and recovery sleep, subjects were given a simple memory task. The subjects were awakened 3 times each night during slow‐wave sleep and shown 4 playing cards. Approximately 90 min later the subjects were again awakened and tested for retention of the previous cards and given 4 new cards to learn. This procedure was repeated 3 times each night and upon awakening the following morning. On the recovery night recall was reduced, slow‐wave sleep was lengthened, sleep latency was shortened, and body motility was reduced. It was suggested that the reason for the poorer recall was deeper sleep induced by the sleep deprivation.