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Digital Temperature Autoregulation and Associated Cardiovascular Changes
Author(s) -
Surwit Richard S.,
Shapiro David,
Feld Joyce L.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1976.tb00106.x
Subject(s) - autoregulation , psychology , plethysmograph , skin temperature , heart rate , cardiology , vasodilation , medicine , audiology , developmental psychology , blood pressure , biomedical engineering
Two studies were designed to explore the extent to which individuals can learn to control their digital skin temperature and how such learning might be associated with changes in cardiovascular functioning. In the first experiment, 8 male and 8 female subjects were assigned to two experimental conditions in which either increases or decreases in digital skin temperature were rewarded. Subjects were given 2 baseline days and either 5 or 9 days of training. Analysis of the temperature data indicated that the differences between conditions were due to changes primarily in the decrease direction. All changes were bilateral. Analysis of heart rate revealed a sex difference in the cardiac response to voluntary vasodilation. Data from two plethysmographic measures are also presented. In the second experiment, it was demonstrated that lowering the ambient temperature decreased the ability of 8 subjects to voluntarily vasodilate.