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Christopher Wilson SOFI Nov 2010
This study examined the roles of acceptance and suppression in relaxation. 95 participants underwent a stressor task designed to induce anxiety before being given different interventions promoting acceptance, suppression, mindfulness, or endurance. Physiological arousal and self-reported anxiety were measured. Results showed that acceptance and mindfulness led to lower physiological arousal compared to suppression and a placebo. Acceptance also led to lower self-reported anxiety over time compared to other conditions. The findings provide evidence for the role of acceptance in relaxation and reinforce that suppression can paradoxically increase anxiety. Further research is needed to deepen understanding of the underlying processes.
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Christopher Wilson SOFI Nov 2010
- 1. Examining the rolesof Acceptance and Suppression in Relaxation Dr. Christopher Wilson Psychology 24/11/10
- 2. Overview • Background • Experiment •Discussion
- 3.
- 4. A state ofequilibrium that is free from psychological or physiological tension.
- 5. WHAT’S INVOLVED INRELAXATION?
- 6. The relaxation process Muscular Autonomic Cognitive (Poppen, 1998)
- 7. Release of tension inthe skeletal muscular system Jacobson (1928)
- 8. A state of parasympathetic control Benson (1975)
- 9. Self- focused A form of selective attention (Boals, 1978)
- 10. Different techniques emphasiseone or more components Muscular Autonomic Cognitive However, they all acknowledge overlap & interaction.
- 11.
- 12. “An effort torelax is a failure to relax” (Lehrer et al., 2007)
- 13. Increased self- focus isalso associated with anxiety (GAD) (Wolff & Jones, 1993)
- 14. Aversion to private events Relaxation Effort or control Induced Anxiety Focus on anxious (Heide & Berkovec, 1984) thoughts Unwillingness to attend to private events
- 15. Private events canbe perceived as threatening Unexplained arousal Negative evaluation can evaluated as negative increase physiological responses Malash (1979) Rey et al. (2009)
- 16. More than just whatI attend to, it’s how I attend to it
- 17.
- 18. A detached attitudetowards the outcome of a concentrated activity
- 19. Passivity has beendescribed in a number of ways Intention • A Passive attitude towards (Benson, 1975) the outcome Attention • Passive attention to (Davidson & Schwartz, 1976) stimuli enter awareness Evaluation • Private events not viewed (e.g. Rey, 2009) as aversive
- 20. Passivity is notthe default approach • Suppression of anxious thoughts and sensations • Paradoxical effects occur under increased cognitive load (Wegner et al, 1997)
- 21. Passivity is counter-intuitive “When success in the majority of areas of living results from goal-directed striving” (Smith, 1996)
- 22. Attempts to explainpassivity are often ambiguous Let go Clear your mind Relax Don’t panic
- 23.
- 24. Experiential Avoidance isa commonly- used strategy Thoughts and feelings are transient internal phenomena However They are often perceived as accurate representations of reality Greco et al. (2008)
- 25. Psychological Acceptance promotes contactwith private events Do not seek to alter the content or frequency of private events directly. Instead Seek to alter the context and function so as to diminish their behavioural impact. Greco et al. (2008)
- 26. Acceptance and CommitmentTherapy (ACT) Seeks to increase psychological flexibility so that valued actions may be achieved regardless of thoughts or feelings at any particular moment. Hayes et al. (1999)
- 27. PRECEDENTS FOR THECURRENT STUDY
- 28. Acceptance-like instructions resulted inlower arousal Wegner et al. (1997)
- 29. Behavioural suppression task increasedarousal Wilson et al. (In preparation)
- 30. CURRENT STUDY: EXAMININGTHE UTILITY OF BRIEF INTERVENTIONS
- 31. Overall aim ofthe current research To examine the efficacy of interventions in reducing physiological arousal and subjective anxiety levels
- 32. Design Participants 5 groups (n=19) N=95 IV = Intervention Received Non-clinical DV1 = Arousal (SCL / SCR) University students DV2 = Subjective Anxiety Methodology Measures Stressor Tonic Skin Conductance Level Ongoing Academic Task Self-report Anxiety Intermittent Stimulus Presentation Anticipatory SCR (Computer-based)
- 33. General Experimental Sequence Baseline Measurements Stressor Task 1 Interventions Stressor Task 2 Post-test Measurements
- 34.
- 35. Stressor Task Baseline Measurements Stressor Task 1 Interventions Stressor Task 2 Post-test Measurements
- 36. Stressor task wasdesigned to mirror anxiety process Events Constant Event Event is evaluated monitoring enters suppressed as negative for events awareness (Wegner, 1994, 1997)
- 37. Stressor task wasdesigned to mirror anxiety process Event Warning cognitive load = Increased Option to occurs at prior to academic task Ongoing suppress random event event intervals Previous study established that “forced” suppression increased anxiety
- 38.
- 39. Interventions Baseline Measurements Stressor Task 1 Interventions Stressor Task 2 Post-test Measurements
- 40. Interventions • Video clips •Offered strategies for dealing with potential anxiety resulting from stressor test • Metaphor-style (Moreira et al, 2008) • Rated for consistency with rationale
- 41. • Accept anxietywithout Acceptance avoidance or removal • Watch for and remove anxiety Suppression that enters awareness • Awareness of anxiety maintain Mindfulness focus on task • Tolerate anxiety and continue Endurance with task • Unrelated content Placebo
- 42. MEASURES OF ANXIETYLEVEL
- 43. Self Report Measures Baseline Measurements Stressor Task 1 Interventions Stressor Task 2 Post-test Measurements 15 item questionnaire describing current state Based on Wegner et al, (1997)
- 44. Physiological arousal: Skin Conductance •Results from activation of ANS • Sensitive to changes in emotional states • SCL = Over time period • SCR= Specific stimuli/events
- 45. Physiological Arousal Baseline Measurements Stressor Task 1 Interventions Stressor Task 2 Post-test Measurements
- 46.
- 47. Subjective Anxiety LevelsChanged Relaxation Anxiety Significant effect for time but not for condition
- 48. Physiological Arousal Changed Difference in SCL Pre- and Post-Intervention
- 49. Significant Differences inPhysiological Arousal • Acceptance Vs Placebo • Acceptance Vs Suppression • Mindfulness Vs Placebo
- 50.
- 51. Findings • Suggests arole for Acceptance in relaxation protocols • Reinforces previous findings on Suppression • Suggests Acceptance is different to Mindfulness and Endurance
- 52. Points of discussion •Differences in physiological and subjective measures • Short length of interventions • Physiological changes consistent but not large • Generalisability of task
- 53. Further questions • Deeperexamination of processes within interventions • Further examination of different warning/event arousal patterns • Examining derived relational aspect of anxiety
- 54. THANK YOU –QUESTIONS?
Editor's Notes
- #17 Cognitive appraisals made at each stage of the process further influence physiological arousal.
- #26 Recognise the self as the context in which private events occur, not the events themselves
- #38 Increased cognitive load (academic task) Intermittent aversive event presentationPrior warning to facilitate monitoringOption to suppress event