A factorial comparison of schedule and bilateral locus of diastolic blood pressure-contingent feedback.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to compare and determine the effects of a partial and a continuous schedule of feedback on the acquisition and subsequent extinction of bidirectional diastolic blood pressure changes in human subjects; and (b) to examine the result of the administration of response-contingent feedback at specific sites on the bilateral axis between left and right arms on diastolic blood pressure changes at those sites. Subjects were 36 normotensive volunteer college students, ages 18-40 years. A 3 X 3 design was used in which three schedules of feedback (0, 25, and 50%) were factorially compared with three sites of feedback (left arm, both arms, and right arm). The results indicated that varying schedules of feedback differentially affected the acquisition and extinction of diastolic blood pressure response changes. The data also suggested that diastolic blood pressure changes could be produced at specific sites on the bilateral axis, although not completely independent of changes at other sites. Extinction was observed to be rapid in most cases, although a number of subjects with partial feedback schedules showed a somewhat greater resistance to extinction.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes