Date of Graduation
Summer 2019
Degree
Master of Science in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Amber Abernathy
Abstract
Chronic stress has been linked to several health related and psychological problems. There is evidence that relaxation techniques can be useful in the reduction of stress and psychological complaints. Short-term interventions like computer-based biofeedback could provide a brief and independent way to manage stress and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the ALIVE biofeedback program (a relatively new software that allows individuals to play a game requiring proper smoothness of breathing and heart rate) on the stress response after the Trier Social Stress Test, a laboratory stress task shown to elicit changes in cortisol levels found in participants' saliva samples. Those in the biofeedback condition had a significantly greater decrease in cortisol after the intervention and at the conclusion of the study.
Keywords
biofeedback, salivary cortisol, stress response, relaxation technique, physiological psychology
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology
Copyright
© Dallas N. Robinson
Recommended Citation
Robinson, Dallas N., "Learning to Relax: The Impact of Brief Biofeedback Training on Salivary Cortisol Reduction" (2019). MSU Graduate Theses. 3427.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3427
