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The Psychophysiological Effects of Brief Relaxation Training: A Test of the Maximal Habituation Hypothesis

Freeling, Nelson W.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555931250414489

Abstract Details

1971, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Psychology.
The "maximal habituation hypothesis" offers one alternative explanation to the counterconditioning hypothesis in accounting for the therapeutic effects of systematic desensitization. According to this hypothesis, brief muscular relaxation training as is used in systematic desenesitization therapy functions to reduce the level of arousal and subsequently increase the rate of habituation to stimuli. In light of this hypothesis, the present study examined the effects of brief muscular relaxation training, variant relaxation procedures, and effect of these on the rate of habituation to a series of repetitive stimuli. Five groups of 10 subjects each, corresponding to the typical muscular relaxation training procedure and variant relaxation and control procedures were employed. The effects of the relaxation training procedures were evaluated on measures of heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance. Following training, each subject was exposed to a series of 18 shots from a 22 caliber blank pistol. The rates of habituation on measures of heart rate, skin conductance, and finger blood volume for each each group to the repetitive stimuli were evaluated. The results indicated no significant differences among groups in level of physiological activity as a result of treatment. No differences among groups in level of physiological responding or rates of habituation were found. When subjects were divided into high and low arousal groups on the basis of their post treatment heart rate and log skin conductance scores, no significant differences in level of responding or rates of habituation were found. However a group comprising 15 subjects manifesting the lowest level of log skin conductance post treatment produced significantly lower levels of log skin conductance responding than a group consisting of 15 subjects with the highest level post treatment. No differences were found in the rates of habituation between these two groups. Similar comparisons on the heart rate measure revealed no differences between groups in levels of responding or rates of habituation. Subjects with low scores on a fear questionnaire measure appeared to produce less physiological responsiveness than did high scorers, although they did not differ in rates of habituation. The results of this study did not support the maximal habituation hypothesis as a viable explanation of the mechanisms of systematic desensitization therapy, although it did offer partial support for one aspect of the counterconditioning hypothesis. It was concluded that unless it has been demonstrated that brief muscular relaxation training reliably produces states physiologically incompatible with anxiety and high arousal, the explanatory power of both hypotheses may be seriously questioned.
Kenneth Shemberg (Advisor)
Psychology

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Citations

  • Freeling, N. W. (1971). The Psychophysiological Effects of Brief Relaxation Training: A Test of the Maximal Habituation Hypothesis [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555931250414489

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Freeling, Nelson. The Psychophysiological Effects of Brief Relaxation Training: A Test of the Maximal Habituation Hypothesis. 1971. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555931250414489.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Freeling, Nelson. "The Psychophysiological Effects of Brief Relaxation Training: A Test of the Maximal Habituation Hypothesis." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 1971. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555931250414489

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1555931250414489
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