Master's Theses

Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between the locus of control personality variable and successful alteration skin temperature through biofeedback training. Four groups of six subjects each were determined on the basis of their pre - treatment scores on both the Rotter I-E Scale and the Internal Locus ratio (OI/FI) of the Tiffany Experienced Control (EC) Scale. Those four groups were composed of the subjects who made up the four possible combinations of high and low scores on both the Rotter and Tiffany scales. All subjects were exposed to four consecutive daily temperature biofeedback training sessions. The dependent variable reflecting success at increasing skin temperature was analyzed within a fixed-effects, 2 X 2 X 4 repeated measures analysis of variance. Each subject rated his/her success at increasing skin temperature in terms of low, medium, or high following each training period. These ratings were then correlated with the "biofeedback success" variable analyzed previously. Following the final training session all subjects were re administered the Tiffany and Rotter scales; pre-post change scores were than correlated with the "biofeedback success" variable and the subjective ratings of success. There were no significant results in terms of conventional levels of significance. There was, however, a non-significant positive relationship between EC and biofeedback success. There were low positive correlations between final subjective ratings of success and the pre - post change scores on the Tiffany Ratio Scale. There was also a slight tendency for final subjective ratings of success to be associated with a shift toward externality on the Rotter I-E Scale.

Keywords

Psychology

Advisor

Dr. Ronald G. Smith

Date of Award

Summer 1978

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

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