Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:00:36.605Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heart Rate and Skin Conductance as Measures of Worrying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Jagdish K. Dua  and
Debbie A. King
Jagdish K. Dua*
Affiliation:
University of New England
Debbie A. King
Affiliation:
University of New England
*
Department of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale N.S.W. 2351
Get access

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine if heart rate (HR) and skin conductance increase as a result of worrying and if the increase is greater in worriers than in non-worriers. Ten self-labelled worriers and 10 self-labelled non-worriers were individually interviewed, and a worrying event and a pleasant event were determined for each. The HR and skin resistance were then measured for all subjects when they were calm and quiet, when they imagined a worrying event, and when they imagined a pleasant event. There was no difference in the HR and skin conductance of worriers and non-worriers across the three conditions, namely, baseline, imagination of a worrying event and imagination of a pleasant event. Heart rate increased only as a result of worrying whereas the skin conductance increased both due to worrying and due to the imagination of the pleasant event. The results suggest that HR may be used as a measure of worrying.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , September 1987 , pp. 26 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Borkovec, T. D., Robinson, E., Pruzinsky, T., & DePree, J. A. (1983). Preliminary exploration of worry: Some characteristics and processes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21, 9–16.Google Scholar
Borkovec, T. D., Weerts, T. C., & Bernstein, D. A. (1977). Assessment of anxiety. In Ciminero, A. R., Calhoun, K. S. & Adams, H. E. (eds), Handbook of behavioral assessment. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Breznitz, S. A. (1971). A study of worrying. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10, 271–279.Google Scholar
Davidson, R. J., & Schwartz, G. E. (1976). The psychobiology of relaxation and related states: A multiprocess theory. In Mostofsky, D. I. (ed.), Behavioral control and modification of physiological activity. New York: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Goldfried, M. R., & Davison, G. C. (1976). Clinical behavior therapy. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Guidano, V. F., & Liotti, G. (1983). Cognitive processes and emotional disorders: A structural approach to psychotherapy. New York: Guilford.Google Scholar
Lacy, J. L. (1967). Somatic response patterning and stress: Some revisions of activation theory. In Appley, M. & Trumbell, R. (eds), Psychological stress. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.Google Scholar
Lader, M. H., & Wing, L. (1966). Physiological measures, sedative drugs and morbid anxiety. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Parkinson, L., & Rachman, S. (1980). Are intrusive thoughts subject to habituation? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 18, 409–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paul, G. L., & Bernstein, D. A. (1973). Anxiety and clinical problems: Systematic desensitization and related techniques. Morristown, N. J.: General Learning Press.Google Scholar
Speilberger, C. D. (1966). Theory and research on anxiety. In Spielberger, C. D. (ed.), Anxiety and behavior. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Winer, B. J. (1962). Statistical principles in experimental design. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar