The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional relationship between the combined biofeedback, open focus, self-regulation technique and the physiological variables of oxygen consumption (l/m), heart rate (bpm), and systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) measured during a steady-state work condition. / Four university volunteer subjects, two males (ages 29 and 31) and two females (ages 26 and 29), were recruited. A variation of a multiple baseline across subjects design was used to establish a clear and stable baseline. Subjects were given a 20-session biofeedback open focus attention training treatment following the baseline sessions. Electromyographic and temperature feedback were given during the feedback sessions, in which a criterion of 1.5 microvolt mean, 95(DEGREES)F finger temperature mean, and 90(DEGREES)F toe temperature mean was established to demonstrate acquisition of the skill. / Subjects were retested at the same baseline workload after the 20-session training. Results were displayed graphically and the percentage reductions between baseline and the final testing were as follows: Heart rate--subject A, 3%; subject B, 6%; subject C, 11%; subject D, 14%. Oxygen consumption--subject A, 7%; subject B, 14%; subject C, 13%; subject D, 13%. Systolic blood pressure--subject A, 4%; subject B, 13%; subject C, 9%; subject D, 11%. The results indicated all but subject A had significantly improved the efficiency of pedaling the bicycle ergometer. / The proposed physiological mechanism for the biofeedback self-regulation process may be seen as organization by means of attentional cortical open focusing leading to bilateral brain hemisphere synchrony; this, in turn, promotes trophotropic processes of the limbic and midbrain area, normalizing the regulatory centers of the hypothalamus, autonomic nervous system, and reticular activating system. The net result of this process of functional normalization through synchrony training is a state of homeostasis facilitating optimal functioning. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-10, Section: B, page: 3927. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

This research was undertaken to satisfy the dearth in the literature relative to clinical biofeedback technique with respect to selected personality types. It was further designed as a means of elucidating interactions between dependent measures in biofeedback training and some of the myriad intervening variables which affect them. This study focused on subjects' acquisition of operant control of frontalis EMG through biofeedback and examined the extent to which a linear dependence exists of performance on instructional set and personality. Sixty college undergraduates were selected for participation in the study. Subjects selected for participation were individuals scoring highest on the Pleasing and Achieving dimensions of the Langenfeld Inventory of Personality Priority (LIPP). The instrument generates a five factor personality profile theoretically based in Adlerian psychology. Subjects learned to reduce frontalis EMG during five 6 minute trials of feedback training subsequent to instructions about the biofeedback task. These instructions were classified as: (a) pleasing instructions believed appetitive to those with high pleasing scores, and (b) achieving instructions believed appetitive to those with high achieving scores. A Semantic Differential List was employed to test for perceived differences in the experimenter by subjects. / The linear dependence of percent change in EMG (performance) on instructional set and LIPP personality score was summarized through the calculation of the multiple regression analysis. No linear relationship was evident between any of the independent variables and performance for the achieving population. For pleasing subjects, however, a strong linear dependence of performance on instructional set and LIPP personality score was revealed (F = 4.183, p < .026). The results further revealed a significant personality priority by instructional set interaction effect with respect to the activity (p < .013) and potency (p < .022) factors depicted by the Semantic Differential List. Achieving-pleasing and pleasing-achieving groups rated the experimenter significantly higher on the potency factor than did the achieving-achieving group (p < .05). / A discussion includes an interpretation of the results and implications for practical and heuristic applications. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-10, Section: B, page: 3400. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

In order to determine which changes in the cortical origins of the corticospinal tract (CST) have taken place along the Anthropoid ancestral lineage, the retrograde tracer, horseradish peroxidase was applied to the hemisected spinal cord of 22 carefully selected mammals. Several morphological features of the cells originating the CST were examined in each animal including the number of cells, their distribution across the cortex, their laminar distribution, area, density, concentration and cell type. / The results indicate that two spatially distinct Regions in the neocortex originate corticospinal axons in each of the animals in the sample. In addition to these two Regions probably common to all Therian mammals, the results indicate that a new source of corticospinal axons probably emerged in the Primate Order. This new CST area is located on the lateral surface of the cortex of Prosimians and New World Anthropoids and is buried in the caudal bank of the inferior arcuate sulcus in Old World Anthropoids. / Several strictly quantitative changes in the corticospinal neurons are also described. These quantitative changes can be subdivided into those that occurred in a pre-Prosimian stage (e.g., increase in number, density and column height) and those that occurred in a post-Prosimian stage (e.g., decrease in density, increase in area of origin of the CST). / Finally, these changes, both qualitative and quantitative are discussed with respect to their correspondence with cytoarchitectonically defined and electrophysiologically defined cortical fields. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-10, Section: B, page: 3631. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

This study investigates Descartes' contribution to physiological psychology, limited to a consideration of his substitution of physical for psychical causes of sensation and lower-level cognitive functions. The focus of the study is on the Renaissance "faculty psychology" which preceded Descartes, and upon Descartes' development of a mechanical analogue of man which made possible the transition from psychistic to non-psychistic investigation of the human mind. / Chapter I, "The Background and Development of Renaissance Faculty Psychology," develops the history of psychological thought from Galen to Vesalius so that the reader may acquire a sensitivity to the proper intellectual context of Descartes' work. Chapter II, "The Rejection of Vitalism in the 17th Century," traces the replacement of physical for psychical interpretations of life phenomena as the environment in which Descartes' thoughts flourished. / The body of the study is contained in Chapters III and IV. Chapter III, "Descartes' Physiological Psychology," investigates Descartes' dualist ontology in two of his works, Treatise of Man and Passions of the Soul, as a means of developing an understanding of the philosopher's contribution to physiological psychology. / Chapter IV explores Descartes' use of a special kind of model, a scaled theoretical analogue, in the Treatise of Man. It is by means of this model that Descartes becomes the first to apply the "mechanical hypothesis" to man. / Descartes' reduction of man to an efficient machine--at least in a theoretical model--and the value of this approach in the subsequent physical investigation of mind is discussed in Chapter V, "The Cartesian Influence on Subsequent Development in Physiological Psychology." / In the Conclusion of the study, the value of Descartes' mechanical model of man is seen to lie in its ability to offer future researchers the opportunity to prove or disprove the assumptions of the model--and innumerable subsequent ones--by putting them to the test of experiment. Descartes is, therefore, credited as being the first to remove the mechanical functioning of the body--even the lower-level cognitive functions of the mind--from the realm of the soul, and ground them firmly in the soil of empiricism. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: B, page: 2032. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

A comparison of two feedback encephalography training programs (with self-regulation strategies) was undertaken to determine if degree of relaxed-concentration achieved during feedback training is associated with consistently fast, but accurate, choice reaction times during performance of a Sustained Selective Attention Task (SSAT). A total of 21 males and 21 females (n = 7 of each sex per/group) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) feedback encephalography within 6 to 9.5 Hz with self-regulation strategies--"thinking in the void" and "visualization" (FETV); (2) feedback encephalography within 6 to 9.5 Hz with thinking in the void only (FET); and (3) control (C). Subjects in the experimental groups received one, 20 minute session on each of three consecutive days. Subjects in the C group met once and sat with eyes closed (sleep was not permitted). An ASI 120-A Feedback Encephalographic Analyzer with bi-polar electrodes attached to T(,3)-O(,1) of the 10/20 System provided feedback for training as well as monitoring of EEG measures. After the final training session, subjects performed the SSAT for 20 minutes. A Self-report Questionnaire (SRQ) was administered at the conclusion of the SSAT. / A series of 3 x 2 ANOVAS with EEG biofeedback training treatments as the first factor, and sex the second, was computed for mean dominant frequency (MDF), percent time spent in 6 to 9.5 Hz (PTA) during EEG biofeedback training: choice reaction times for various intervals and number of errors during SSAT performance; and selected SRQ items. The results indicated that during EEG biofeedback training, the FET group was able to produce significantly greater reductions in MDF and PTA than C group (F{2,36} = 5.694, p < .007; F {2,36} = 4.751, p < .015, respectively). Contrary to predictions, however, no significant differences were obtained between FETV and FET groups (p < .05). There was a significant sex effect for all choice reaction time intervals during SSAT performance. Subsequent Newman-Keuls Tests found that males had significantly faster choice reaction times than females (p < .05). Yet, in certain time periods a significant treatment by sex interaction was computed; i.e., in each instance of its occurrence the interaction always conformed to a specific pattern--for males, the FET group had the fastest choice reaction times followed in succession by the FETV and C groups whereas the converse was true for females. Plotting of the choice reaction time data showed that the FET males produced the fastest choice reaction time for all intervals than all groups as well as fewest number of errors with the exception of FET females. / Overall, the FET males demonstrated characteristics associated with high-efficiency performance such as: relaxed-concentration; less mind-wandering and drowsiness during the attention task; consistently fast, but accurate choice reaction times; the appropriate amount of arousal and attention relative to optimal performance; and capability to adapt to varying response conditions. Thus, it may be concluded that in male subjects, feedback encephalography training within 6 to 9.5 Hz concomitant with thinking in the void practice, elicits a relaxed-concentration effect that generalizes to performance on a sustained selective attention task. In addition, the results suggest that regular practice and experience in self-regulation programs such as FET training is desirable in order to produce high-efficient cortical processing and ego-tension loosening beneficial to optimal performance on SSAT type tasks. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2590. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: B, page: 0399. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

This study examined family psychological variables, specifically early parental death and subsequent cancer onset in adulthood. It was hypothesized that Cancer subjects would report higher levels of emotional closeness within their families of origin. The instruments used were the Personal Data Sheet, Weber-Breaux Family Well-Being Scale (FWBS), Life Experiences Survey (LES), and the Family Spatial Relations Inventory (FSRI). Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 84 adult women. Twenty-nine Cancer subjects were used along with two different control groups. One control group was an Illness/Non-Cancer group including 27 End Stage Renal Disease patients (Renal subjects). Twenty-eight Healthy/Normal women comprised the third control group. / Following the admission and collection of testing materials, the data were first scored and analyzed. Statistical analyses included Chi Square, Pearson Product-Moment correlation, analysis of variance and analysis of covariance. / Four hypotheses were examined: (1 & 2) Cancer subjects would have greater prevalence of parental death both prior to disease onset and in childhood than Healthy/Normals and (3 & 4) Cancer subjects would have greater prevalence of parental death both prior to disease onset and in childhood than Healthy/Normals where the parent-child relationship was characterized as emotionally close as determined by the FWBS and the FSRI. / Overall the obtained data do not support the hypotheses. Cancer subjects are not characterized by a greater frequency of parental death occurring either before diagnosis or before the subject turned ten years old. In addition, the factor of greater parent-child closeness during early childhood is not a discriminating variable. In fact, Cancer subjects reported higher levels than both control groups on all three FWBS subscales--indicating poorer family functioning. / The most significant difference observed concerned the Family Generated Chronic Anxiety subscale. Cancer subjects reported much higher levels of family anxiety during their childhood than both Renal subjects and Healthy/Normal subjects. This finding was reflected in the larger perimeter values in the FSRI for Cancer subjects. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: B, page: 2194. / Major Professor: Mary W. Hicks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 37-12, Section: B, page: 6392. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1976.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 37-12, Section: B, page: 6391. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1976.

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