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The effects of prolonged level of difficulty manipulation on ‘additional heart rate’ during active psychological challenge
90
J. Gruzelier, ed. / Psychoph.vsmlogy Society ahstwcts
were obtained from a low PC (LPC) and a high PC (HPC) group (22 subjects each) matched in intelligence (IQ). A task condition (CT) in which subjects followed a story and had to respond to key words by button pressing, and a resting period (CR) with closed eyes were analysed. ISPOs were defined by a continuous oscillation for 2 min with more than 50 PV and 6 to 10 cycles/min at Cz referred to linked mastoids. Number of subjects with ISPOs does not differ between conditions in group LPC, nor in HPC, nor in both together. But group differences were found (p < 0.05) comparing the number of subjects with ISPOs in only one condition (N = 7) with the others (N = 37). Six subjects with ISPOs in one condition were found in LPC, 5 of them showed ISPOs only in CT and also less PC than subjects with or without ISPOs in both conditions (p < 0.05). Comparing test scores for subjects with no ISPOs (N = 28) and subjects with ISPOs in both conditions (N = 9) no differences were found for missing reactions and bad reactions in CT and PC. However, subjects with ISOPs in CT and CR had a higher IQ (x = 124) than subjects without ISPOs (x = 116, p < 0.05). Results indicated that the occurrence of ISPOs is more personality than situational dependent. Only subjects of LPC with ISPOs were affected by situational factors, showing ISPOs in the task condition. It is suggested that stable central ISPOs reflect more a habitual trait than the actual level of performance and that they are correlated with high intelligence.
Reference Girton, D.G., Benson, K.L., & Kamiya, J. (1973). Observation of very slow potential oscillations in human scalp recordings. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 35, 561-568.
THE EFFECTS OF PROLONGED LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY MANIPULATION ON ‘ADDITIONAL HEART RATE’ DURING ACTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGE J.R. TURNER, Department
D. CARROLL,
of Psychology,
University
J.C. HELLAWELL of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
and R. PRASAD U.K.
Recent research has revealed that both individual and situational factors are of importance in the study of cardiac-metabolic dissociation. The biological programmes of certain individuals appear particularly susceptible, while the task employed must display certain characteristics if it is adequately to engage subjects. One probable characteristic is task difficulty; previous evidence suggests that a task must be neither too hard nor too easy, but sufficiently difficult to elicit sustained mental effort. The present study was
designed to explore further the effects of task difficulty on cardiac activity as indexed by additional heart rate. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO,) were monitored while subjects engaged in a mental arithmetic (MA) task structured to contain three levels of difficulty, and subsequently during graded isotonic exercise. The MA task lasted for 12 min and contained 4 min each of easy, hard and ‘impossible’ problems (problems adjudged to be insoluble in the allotted trial response time). Data from the exercise task permitted the calculation of HR-VO, regression equations and thus facilitated computation of additional heart rates during MA (see Turner & Carroll, 1985). Additional heart rate was sensitive to variations in difficulty level; the easy condition elicited significantly less cardiac activity than both the hard and impossible conditions. While the easy and hard conditions’ results were anticipated, it is interesting to speculate why the impossible condition continued to arouse and engage subjects, given relatively little success in performance during them. One possibility which immediately suggests itself is that insufficient time was allowed, and that with more protracted experience of impossibility subjects would have stopped trying. In order to test this hypothesis, a further study incorporating 8 min exposure at each of the 3 difficulty levels was undertaken. Results will be presented at the science fair. Reference Turner, J.R., & Carroll, D. (1985). Heart rate and oxygen consumption during mental a video game, and graded exercise: Further evidence of metabolically-exaggerated adjustments? Psychophysiology, 22, 261-267.
GRADED MENTAL ARITHMETIC
AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL
arithmetic, cardiac
STRESSOR
J.R. TURNER Department
of Psychology,
University of Birmingham.
Birmingham,
U.K.
R.K. MORGAN Computing Centre, ~n~versj~ College Card$ J.K. HEWITT, Depurtmenr
D. CARROLL,
of Psychology,
CardifJ
U.K.
and J. SIMS
University of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
U.K.
K. KELLY Department
of Medicine,
Unioerszty of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
The study of cardiovascular dynamics during revealed how behavioural challenges may disrupt
U.K.
‘effortful active coping’ has the heart’s elegant economy
J. Gruzelier, ed. / Psychoph.vsmlogy Society ahstwcts
were obtained from a low PC (LPC) and a high PC (HPC) group (22 subjects each) matched in intelligence (IQ). A task condition (CT) in which subjects followed a story and had to respond to key words by button pressing, and a resting period (CR) with closed eyes were analysed. ISPOs were defined by a continuous oscillation for 2 min with more than 50 PV and 6 to 10 cycles/min at Cz referred to linked mastoids. Number of subjects with ISPOs does not differ between conditions in group LPC, nor in HPC, nor in both together. But group differences were found (p < 0.05) comparing the number of subjects with ISPOs in only one condition (N = 7) with the others (N = 37). Six subjects with ISPOs in one condition were found in LPC, 5 of them showed ISPOs only in CT and also less PC than subjects with or without ISPOs in both conditions (p < 0.05). Comparing test scores for subjects with no ISPOs (N = 28) and subjects with ISPOs in both conditions (N = 9) no differences were found for missing reactions and bad reactions in CT and PC. However, subjects with ISOPs in CT and CR had a higher IQ (x = 124) than subjects without ISPOs (x = 116, p < 0.05). Results indicated that the occurrence of ISPOs is more personality than situational dependent. Only subjects of LPC with ISPOs were affected by situational factors, showing ISPOs in the task condition. It is suggested that stable central ISPOs reflect more a habitual trait than the actual level of performance and that they are correlated with high intelligence.
Reference Girton, D.G., Benson, K.L., & Kamiya, J. (1973). Observation of very slow potential oscillations in human scalp recordings. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 35, 561-568.
THE EFFECTS OF PROLONGED LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY MANIPULATION ON ‘ADDITIONAL HEART RATE’ DURING ACTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGE J.R. TURNER, Department
D. CARROLL,
of Psychology,
University
J.C. HELLAWELL of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
and R. PRASAD U.K.
Recent research has revealed that both individual and situational factors are of importance in the study of cardiac-metabolic dissociation. The biological programmes of certain individuals appear particularly susceptible, while the task employed must display certain characteristics if it is adequately to engage subjects. One probable characteristic is task difficulty; previous evidence suggests that a task must be neither too hard nor too easy, but sufficiently difficult to elicit sustained mental effort. The present study was
designed to explore further the effects of task difficulty on cardiac activity as indexed by additional heart rate. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO,) were monitored while subjects engaged in a mental arithmetic (MA) task structured to contain three levels of difficulty, and subsequently during graded isotonic exercise. The MA task lasted for 12 min and contained 4 min each of easy, hard and ‘impossible’ problems (problems adjudged to be insoluble in the allotted trial response time). Data from the exercise task permitted the calculation of HR-VO, regression equations and thus facilitated computation of additional heart rates during MA (see Turner & Carroll, 1985). Additional heart rate was sensitive to variations in difficulty level; the easy condition elicited significantly less cardiac activity than both the hard and impossible conditions. While the easy and hard conditions’ results were anticipated, it is interesting to speculate why the impossible condition continued to arouse and engage subjects, given relatively little success in performance during them. One possibility which immediately suggests itself is that insufficient time was allowed, and that with more protracted experience of impossibility subjects would have stopped trying. In order to test this hypothesis, a further study incorporating 8 min exposure at each of the 3 difficulty levels was undertaken. Results will be presented at the science fair. Reference Turner, J.R., & Carroll, D. (1985). Heart rate and oxygen consumption during mental a video game, and graded exercise: Further evidence of metabolically-exaggerated adjustments? Psychophysiology, 22, 261-267.
GRADED MENTAL ARITHMETIC
AS A PSYCHOLOGICAL
arithmetic, cardiac
STRESSOR
J.R. TURNER Department
of Psychology,
University of Birmingham.
Birmingham,
U.K.
R.K. MORGAN Computing Centre, ~n~versj~ College Card$ J.K. HEWITT, Depurtmenr
D. CARROLL,
of Psychology,
CardifJ
U.K.
and J. SIMS
University of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
U.K.
K. KELLY Department
of Medicine,
Unioerszty of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
The study of cardiovascular dynamics during revealed how behavioural challenges may disrupt
U.K.
‘effortful active coping’ has the heart’s elegant economy