Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

The purpose of this investigation was to separate the effects, and determine the optimal and most feasible methods, of promoting skin temperature increase in a clinical prison population. There were no significant differences among the instructional sets with respect to skin temperature increase. Skin Temperature feedback significantly delayed the time of maximum temperature increase. However, the average delay of 3.5 minutes was not considered to be clinically significant. No other significant effects were evidenced from feedback training. It was suggested that the lack of differential effects among the instructional sets and feedback training may be a characteristic of the early stages of training and that significant differences might emerge if training were continued over a greater number of sessions.The question was raised as to whether skin-temperature training had taken place during the two training sessions. The subjects may have been displaying a nonspecific "relaxation response" or habituation to the experimental situation. It may take more than two sessions before significant conditioning of the skin-temperature response occurs. Recommendations for future research were specified, including an increase in the number of training sessions and the addition of new control procedures.

This thesis examines the role of autogenic and allogenic forces in determining the timing and development of blanket peat initiation and how the occurrence and growth of blanket peat subsequently constrains human activities. A number of factors involved in the formation of blanket peat have been defined in the literature, in particular the roles of climate change, soil processes and anthropogenic effects, tested in this thesis from a typical peat-covered upland in south west Scotland. Tests are developed from a multi-proxy approach and by comparing peat-stratigraphic and palaeoecological records from a series of nine 14C dated peat profiles from a single hillside. A detailed examination of the sequence and timing of blanket peat initiation in the Holocene Epoch is presented from a case study from the head of the Glen App valley, Lagafater, south west Scotland. The evidence was taken from a total of nine peat transects at 215m OD, 300m OD and 400m OD where agricultural, hydrological and micro-climatic effects are expected to have differed and had different impacts on soils and vegetation. Samples were retrieved from the top, middle and bottom of a gently undulating slope at each altitude. This has allowed a localised picture of peat initiation to be obtained from each locality and with changes in altitude, allowed for an analysis of the factors responsible up and down slope and the identification of synchronous autogenic forces. A number of analytical techniques have been used. Pollen analysis was undertaken as the principal method of vegetation reconstruction at all sites, particularly through the initiation horizon. Variations in mire-surface wetness, determined through dry bulk density and humification analysis, were also employed to generate a record of probable changes in effective precipitation and the effect these may have had on the accumulation rate of the blanket peat. In order to attempt to answer the question of when blanket peat was initiated and to establish the synchroneity of changes, twenty nine AMS 14C dates were obtained. The evidence suggests that blanket peat developed during the Mesolithic period, through to the early Bronze Age. It substantiates an anthropogenic forcing factor for palaeohydrological changes, with early landscape management and cereal cultivation accelerating the process of blanket peat initiation. With progressive changes in precipitation interacting with factors such as weathering of bedrock and vegetation cover, the local landscape at Lagafater was covered by blanket peat by the early Bronze Age. The radiocarbon chronology obtained from the multi-proxy records allowed the synthesis of these data sets and the definition of Holocene vegetation change, climate change and the history of human impact throughout the early prehistoric era across this landscape.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that more intelligent Ss would produce greater increases in peripheral skin temperature using autogenic feedback training. At the completion of training, the Ss were divided into two groups by IQ scores and matched with pretraining (baseline) temperatures. The hypothesis was rejected when results opposite to those predicted occurred. Large group differences, however, prompted a po4t-hoc investigation to determine the statistical significance between group performances. This analysis revealed that the less intelligent Ss experienced greater success (p<.05) in increasing skin temperature. Possible explanations for these results are discussed and considerations for future investigations with biofeedback training and intelligence are suggested.

The present study evaluates the efficacy of self-hypnosis and its components--relaxation instructions and waking analgesia suggestions--for pain reduction in patients recovering from gallbladder surgery. Forty elective surgery patients were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental pain control procedures or to a standard treatment control group--preoperative teaching. The treatments were found to be equally credible and generated equivalent expectancies for success. Pain was assessed using multiple subjective and objective measures sampled across the postoperative period. Multivariate analysis of these data indicated that the experimental treatments were no more effective in diminishing postoperative pain than the control procedure. However, the analysis revealed several significant correlates and predictors of postoperative pain. These included trait anxiety, depression, stress coping style as well as interview and rating scale reports of cognitive coping strategies. Significant predictors of credibility--expectancy, treatment utilization and cognitive coping classifications were also found. Analysis of the pain measurement strategy indicated consistency among the subjective measures--the McGill Pain Questionnaire and visual analogue scales--which were relatively independent from the objective measures, which comprised electronically monitored gross motor activity and analgesic medication requirements. Possible interpretations and implications of these results as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-92). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-92). Also available on the Internet.

Precompetitive anxiety (PCA) is problematic for young gymnasts and may have an influence on a multitude of factors like self-confidence, perceived level of self-efficacy, and athlete's performance in a competition. The objective of this 2-part study was to discover how earlier competitive experience influences the young gymnasts' level of anxiety, perception of control, and self-efficacy. An additional goal was to explore the potential impact of Guided imagery (GI) and Autogenic training (AGT) in reducing precompetitive anxiety. In the first study, 80 USAG Junior Olympic female gymnasts between the ages of 7 and 16 (40 compulsory level and 40 optional level) participated. The purpose was to test differences in levels of PCA, locus of control, and self-efficacy among optional level and compulsory level gymnasts. An independent samples t test and a Mann-Whitney nonparametric test showed that optional level gymnasts had higher cognitive anxiety, lower confidence level, and higher internal locus of control compared with compulsory level gymnasts, with no significant mean difference in somatic anxiety and self-efficacy. For the second study, 30 participants were divided into 3 treatment groups: (a) AGT group, (b) GI group, and (c) control group. Results of repeated measure ANOVAs revealed that mean anxiety scores decreased over time for the autogenic group as compared to the control and guided imagery group. The internal LOC mean scores were lower for the autogenic group, compared to the other groups, but internal locus of control did increase over time for the autogenic group. The social significance of this study suggests that enhanced performance and enjoyment in sports may allow athletes to remain active in sports while teaching them life-long strategies to reduce anxiety and stress in their lives.

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