Abstract
The present study examined cardiovascular change in relation to the variable triad of subject activation status, complexity of mental task and secondary stimulation. Results indicated that heart rate change was significantly related to the exercise/nonexercise variable and the white noise/nonnoise variable and nonsignificantly to task difficulty. Findings revealed that heart rate was greater in the easy task than in the difficult task during the exercise condition. Interpretative inconsistencies between the Lacey position and traditional arousal theory were explored in terms of the compounding effects of internal and external “noise.”
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Adamowicz, J. K., Gibson, D., & Kaufman, D. Respiration change and mental task. Psychonomic Science, 1967, 9, 183–184.
Brenner, J. Heart rate. In P. H. Venables & I. Martin (Eds.), A manual of psychophysiological methods. New York: Wiley, 1967.
Dahl, D., & Spence, P. Mean heart rate predicted by task demand characteristics. Psychophysiology, 1971, 7, 369–375.
Davis, R. R., Buchwald, A. M., & Frankman, R. S. Autonomic and muscular responses and their relation to simple sitmuli. Psychological Monographs, 1955, 20, 1–71.
Duffy, E. The physiological significance of the concept of “arousal” or “activation.” Psychological Review, 1957, 64, 265–275.
Kaufman, D., Gibson, D., & Adamowicz, J. D. Heart rate change under variable auditory and mental task conditions. Psychonomic Science, 1967, 9, 471–472.
Keppel, G. Design and analysis: A researchers handbook. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1973.
Lacey, J. I. Psychophysiological approaches to the evaluation of psychotherapeutic process and outcome. In E. A. Rubinstein & M. B. Parloff (Eds.), Research in psychotherapy. Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association, 1959.
Lacey, J. I. Somatic response patterning and stress: Some revision of activation theory. In M. A. Appley & R. Trumbull (Eds.), Psychological stress: Issues in research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967.
Lacey, J. I., Bateman, D. E., & Van Lehn, R. Autonomic response specificity. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1953, 15, 8–21.
Lacey, J. I., Kagan, J., Lacey, B. C., & Moss, H. A. The visceral level: Situational determinants and behavioral correlates of autonomic response patterns. In P. H. Knaff(Ed.), Expression of the emotions in man. New York: International Universities Press, 1963.
Lacey, J. I., & Lacey, B. C. Verification and extension of the principle of autonomic response-stereotype. American Journal of Psychology, 1958, 71, 50–73.
Malmo, R. B. Activation: A neuropsychological dimension. Psychological Review, 1959, 66, 367–386.
Malmo, R. B. Physiological gradients and behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 1965, 64, 225–234.
Obrist, P. A. Cardiovascular differentiation of sensory stimuli. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1963, 25, 450–459.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hershman, A.I., Gibson, D. Heart rate alteration and cognitive efficiency. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 14, 99–102 (1979). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329411
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329411