Information and Reward in Voluntary Heart Rate Control

Two studies are reported which examined the relative effects of the pressence and absence of monetary incentives and instructions in a heart rate (HR) regulation task. Twelve male undergraduates were offered seven sessions of feedback assisted voluntary HR control training. In Experiment 1 six S s attempted to increase their HR with the aid of a "success," or positive binary visual signal. In Experiment 2 six S s were instructed to decrease their HR and were assisted by a "failure," or negative binary visual signal. In both studies the presence or absence of E's specific instructions to control HR was systematically varied from sessions 4 to 7. S s were paid on only half of the feedback trials of each session. These variables were thus systematically varied in a within-subject design. The main results suggest that (a) the instructions and monetary incentives significantly facilitated HR acceleration while showing no effects on HR deceleration; (b) in the no-instructions, no-incentive condition, HR control was minimal. The general hypothesis that Estes' interpretation of information and reward apply to human voluntary HR control received some support. It would appear that contrary to a traditional view, the exteroceptive feedback per se does not necessarily act as a reinforcer of the behavior, as witnessed for instance in the no-instructions, no-incentive conditions

Blood pressure · Control (management · Economics · Heart rate · Incentive · Session (web analytics · Task (project management · Turnover · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Computer Science · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Differential Effects of Heart Rate Modification Training on College Students, Older Males, and Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

  Peter J Lang, Peter Lang et al.•Psychosomatic Medicine•1975

  Añadir item

• Differentiation of Heart Rate and Systolic Blood Pressure in Man by Operant Conditioning

  David Shapiro, Bernard Tursky et al.•Psychosomatic Medicine•1970

  Añadir item

• Effects of instructions, biofeedback, reward, and cognitive mediation on the control of heart rate and the application of that control in a stressful situation

  Open Access•David Bennett, David H Bennett et al.•Journal of Research in Personality•1978

  Añadir item

• On the social psychology of the psychological experiment

  Martin T Orne•American Psychologist•1962

  Añadir item

• Self-control of cardiac functioning

  Edward B Blanchard, Larry D Young•Psychological Bulletin•1973

  Añadir item

• Science and Human Behavior

  Ernest Kilzer, B F Skinner et al.•The American Catholic Sociological…•1953

  Añadir item