The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thesis that matching locus of control with type of relaxation training enhances physiological self-control. This was accomplished by comparing the effectiveness of a somatic and a cognitive relaxation method for internal and external locus of control subjects. It was hypothesized that the two techniques vary in degree of cue salience, and that the attentional strategy of internals would interact with the cognitive approach while externals would respond better to the somatic approach. Subjects were 80 volunteers from stressful occupations who scored high on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory A-trait scale. Forty internals and 40 externals as defined by extreme scores on the Adult Form Nowicki Strickland Locus of Control Scale were randomly assigned to either the Jacobson or Autogenic group for five weekly laboratory training sessions with daily home practice. The effectiveness of the relaxation training was measured by six dependent variables: EMG, skin temperature, heart rate, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (A-state and A-trait scales), and self-reported home practice sessions. The data were analyzed by using analyses of variance with repeated measures. The expected interaction between locus of control and type of relaxation training was found only for heart rate. While the treatment was effective in reducing physiological and subjective anxiety for all subjects, internal locus of control subjects and those who received Jacobson training reduced muscle tension and increased temperature better than externals and subjects in the Autogenic group. Externals became more internal during training, and the allegedly stable characteristic of trait anxiety significantly decreased. The possibility that heart rate may be a less easily perceived parameter than EMG or skin temperature is discussed, and it is recommended that future research evaluate other physiological variables for enhanced responsivity under congruent conditions. The importance of further basic research on relaxation training is emphasized, and it is noted other aspects of this widely used treatment approach should be investigated for interactions with locus of control.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ELAINE F FERNANDES.pdf: 724683 bytes, checksum: e96a0d1306ccd662e5059be967ebf83d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-03-08 / Research of bibliographical and monographical nature, this paper investigates the psychophysics relaxation in the health area, of children in a period of eight years, between January 1997 and November 2004. Initially, based in neuropsychological literature, it describes the relaxation role in homeostasis and the conscious body health, emphasizing the pleasure and painful behavior. Next, it describes and analyses several relaxation techniques, Jacobson Progressive Relaxation, Schulz Autogenos and Michaux Relaxation. To develop this research it was used 27 databases, due to the lack of production of this theme, per base. As result, it shows the total of 500 articles about relaxation, 200 of them related to children. They are national and international articles, most of them in English. Following this, it classifies these group in production by year, showing a significant increasing, although it is not systematic in number, from 14 articles in 1997 to 39 in 2004. As for the thematic, the data reveals first, the interest in pain, second in breathing problems and third in anxiety. The articles about pain, as they are in more quantity, have more detailed analysis, with discrimination by year, situation type, relaxation usage and pathology characterized by painful behavior. Finally, it is made a classification of the articles due to the usage of relaxation in clinical problems mainly the physical ones, those of affectionate-emotional psychic background, those with no usage of drugs and those with psychic background with the aid of drugs and psychiatric treatment. To discuss the results, several articles researched are also mentioned. Due to the richness of data, showing up the increasing of professionals in this health area, it is suggested further reading / Trabalho de natureza monográfica bibliográfica investiga o relaxamento psicofísico na área da saúde, em crianças, por um intervalo de oito anos, entre janeiro de 1997 e novembro de 2004. Inicialmente, com base em literatura neuropsicológica, descreve o papel do relaxamento na busca da homeostase e da consciência corporal saudável, enfocando comportamentos de prazer e dor. A seguir, descreve e analisa diversas técnicas de relaxamento, Relaxamento Progressivo de Jacobson, Autógeno de Schultz e Relaxamento de Michaux. A fim de desenvolver sua pesquisa utiliza-se de 27 bases de dados, devido a pouca produção encontrada sobre o tema, por base. Como resultados, levanta ao todo 500 artigos sobre relaxamento, sendo 200 em crianças. São artigos nacionais e internacionais, com predomínio do idioma inglês. A seguir, classifica esses artigos por ano de produção, constatando um crescimento significativo, porém não sistemático em seu número, de 14 artigos em 1997, para 39, em 2004. Quanto à temática, os dados revelam em primeiro lugar, um interesse em dor, em segundo em problemas respiratórios, e, em terceiro lugar, em ansiedade. Os artigos sobre dor, por serem os mais numerosos levantados, sofrem análise mais detalhada, com discriminação da quantidade de artigos por ano e dos tipos de situação e de patologia caracterizados por quadro álgico. Finalmente é feita uma classificação dos artigos segundo a utilização do relaxamento junto à problemática clínica predominantemente física, a de fundo psíquico afetivo-emocional, sem utilização de fármacos e, a de fundo psíquico, com intervenção psiquiátrica farmacológica. Na discussão dos resultados, vários artigos pesquisados são também comentados. Dada a riqueza dos dados, evidenciando interesse crescente de profissionais da área da Saúde na literatura levantada, sugere-se pesquisa complementar

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ELAINE F FERNANDES.pdf: 724683 bytes, checksum: e96a0d1306ccd662e5059be967ebf83d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-03-08 / Research of bibliographical and monographical nature, this paper investigates the psychophysics relaxation in the health area, of children in a period of eight years, between January 1997 and November 2004. Initially, based in neuropsychological literature, it describes the relaxation role in homeostasis and the conscious body health, emphasizing the pleasure and painful behavior. Next, it describes and analyses several relaxation techniques, Jacobson Progressive Relaxation, Schulz Autogenos and Michaux Relaxation. To develop this research it was used 27 databases, due to the lack of production of this theme, per base. As result, it shows the total of 500 articles about relaxation, 200 of them related to children. They are national and international articles, most of them in English. Following this, it classifies these group in production by year, showing a significant increasing, although it is not systematic in number, from 14 articles in 1997 to 39 in 2004. As for the thematic, the data reveals first, the interest in pain, second in breathing problems and third in anxiety. The articles about pain, as they are in more quantity, have more detailed analysis, with discrimination by year, situation type, relaxation usage and pathology characterized by painful behavior. Finally, it is made a classification of the articles due to the usage of relaxation in clinical problems mainly the physical ones, those of affectionate-emotional psychic background, those with no usage of drugs and those with psychic background with the aid of drugs and psychiatric treatment. To discuss the results, several articles researched are also mentioned. Due to the richness of data, showing up the increasing of professionals in this health area, it is suggested further reading. / Trabalho de natureza monográfica bibliográfica investiga o relaxamento psicofísico na área da saúde, em crianças, por um intervalo de oito anos, entre janeiro de 1997 e novembro de 2004. Inicialmente, com base em literatura neuropsicológica, descreve o papel do relaxamento na busca da homeostase e da consciência corporal saudável, enfocando comportamentos de prazer e dor. A seguir, descreve e analisa diversas técnicas de relaxamento, Relaxamento Progressivo de Jacobson, Autógeno de Schultz e Relaxamento de Michaux. A fim de desenvolver sua pesquisa utiliza-se de 27 bases de dados, devido a pouca produção encontrada sobre o tema, por base. Como resultados, levanta ao todo 500 artigos sobre relaxamento, sendo 200 em crianças. São artigos nacionais e internacionais, com predomínio do idioma inglês. A seguir, classifica esses artigos por ano de produção, constatando um crescimento significativo, porém não sistemático em seu número, de 14 artigos em 1997, para 39, em 2004. Quanto à temática, os dados revelam em primeiro lugar, um interesse em dor, em segundo em problemas respiratórios, e, em terceiro lugar, em ansiedade. Os artigos sobre dor, por serem os mais numerosos levantados, sofrem análise mais detalhada, com discriminação da quantidade de artigos por ano e dos tipos de situação e de patologia caracterizados por quadro álgico. Finalmente é feita uma classificação dos artigos segundo a utilização do relaxamento junto à problemática clínica predominantemente física, a de fundo psíquico afetivo-emocional, sem utilização de fármacos e, a de fundo psíquico, com intervenção psiquiátrica farmacológica. Na discussão dos resultados, vários artigos pesquisados são também comentados. Dada a riqueza dos dados, evidenciando interesse crescente de profissionais da área da Saúde na literatura levantada, sugere-se pesquisa complementar.