This study addressed the location of the breathing movement and its relationship to stress levels. Sixty-three Ball State students voluntarily participated by completing the A-State and A-Trait forms of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Under the pretense that they would be questioned about music later, each participant also listened to preselected music for about 4 minutes in both seated and reclining positions. The participants were unaware that their breathing was being observed. During the listening portion of the study from behind a one-way mirror, 3 trained observers rated each breath as either thoracic or non-thoracic. The percentage of total breaths that were thoracic was calculated for each subject in both positions. Interrater reliability was determined inadequate for data of participants in the reclining position. The scores on the STAI and the percentage of thoracic breaths were the variables analyzed. A Pearson R correlation was then used to test the hypotheses. Null hypothesis 1, that there is no relationship between percentage of total breaths that are thoracic in a seated position and scores for AState, was upheld. Also, no relationship was found between percentage of total breaths that are thoracic in a seated position and scores for A-Trait, therefore, null hypothesis 2 was also upheld. This study also found that 71% of the participants breathing style is primarily thoracic. These findings and procedural effects on the outcome as well as implications for further research were discussed. / Fisher Institute for Wellness
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/185061 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Kauffman, Jane B. |
| Contributors | Ball State University. Fisher Institute for Wellness., Nicholas, Donald R. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 68 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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