Arousal level and voluntary alpha control

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Roberta Ray Sadler (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Robert G. Eason

Abstract: To examine the influence of arousal level on subjects' ability to voluntarily control alpha activity level, loud unpleasant noises were presented at random intervals. The effect of this aversive stimulus situation on alpha activity level relative to no noise was examined while subjects attempted to enhance or suppress alpha activity in both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. The eight subjects were pretrained to a specified criterion of alpha control before participating in the four experimental sessions. In addition to recordings of the EEG alpha activity, concurrent measures of neck EMG activity and heart rate were also obtained to provide information concerning general somatic arousal during the various experimental conditions. The results indicated that the strength and direction of the interrelationships of the physiological variables—heart rate, EMG, and alpha level—were dependent on whether the eyes were open or closed. The failure to demonstrate a relationship between alpha level and a subjectively aversive situation was discussed as possibly being dependent on the nature of the biofeedback control of alpha.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1977
Subjects
Biofeedback training
Alpha rhythm
Aversive stimuli
Arousal (Physiology)

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