A comparison of the effects of stress vs. relaxation instruction on the finger temperature response

Abstract

Finger temperature feedback is a new therapy procedure being used to treat migraine headache sufferers and as an aid to therapeutic relaxation and anxiety reduction. Yet few systematic studies deal with the finger temperature response as either a clinical procedure or a psychophysiological measure. Three experiments are reported. Experiment 1 was an exploratory in vestigation of the basic parameters of finger temperature on a sample of 133 normal adult subjects. In Experiment 2, finger temperature and self-report of arousal were observed in subjects who progressed from a presumably relaxation-producing situation (relaxation instructions) to a presumably stressful situation (electric shock and threat of shock) and back to a presumably relaxation-producing situation. Experiment 3 was primarily a replication of Experiment 2, but also included a control group and measures of skin conductance, and pulse rate. As predicted, finger temperature decreased under assumed stress conditions and increased under assumed relaxation conditions. Finger temperature did not correlate significantly with the other psychophysiological measures, but was related to self-report. Finger temperature feedback was discussed in terms of its validity as an indicator of arousal level and its potential as a therapy agent.