Psycho-physiological investigations of brief relaxation training

Abstract

The effects of relaxation training were studied in two investigations with phobic patients. Ten patients were assigned randomly either to brief relaxation training or a control procedure. Measurements of forearm E.M.G., forearm blood flow, and skin conductance were made at the end of 6 1-hr sessions. Self ratings of anxiety were also made. Only skin conductance measures had fallen significantly on the second occasion of testing; no significant differences were found between groups. In the second experiment 14 patients were first trained in relaxation and then tested under two conditions; during a relaxation session and during a control session. Frontalis E.M.G., heart and respiration rates and skin conductance were measured, and self ratings of anxiety and degree of relaxatiion were recorded. Total E.M.G. and skin conductancee were significantly lower during the relaxation condition but heart and respiration rate were not. Of the physiological measures skin conductance activity correlated most highly with self assessments of relaxation. The findings are discussed in relation to the mechanisms which may be at work during relaxation and desensitisation procedures.