Teaching students about the use of biofeedback can be a great application to any course that focuses on biological explanations for behavior

Furedy (1982) and Palladino et al. (1991) call for biofeedback to be used as a learning tool in the undergraduate classroom.

The use of biofeedback exercises can help accomplish goal #4 (Application of Psychology) and goal #9 (Personal Development) of the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major

Measurement of physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance.

Measures include: brainwaves heart function breathing muscle activity skin temperature

Heart

Skin

Sweat Gland

Temperature

Breathing/ Respiratory

Brain

Biofeedback

In psychology, it is important to recognize that behaviors, cognitions, and mental processes are influenced by biological factors. For students to understand this connection, there needs to be a way to monitor these psychophysiological responses. Stern, Ray and Quigley (2001) document several ways to measure this mind/brain/body connection.

MIND

BRAIN

BODY

The different kinds of instrumentation used to monitor biological functions recordings and feedback are know as modalities

Biofeedback

Peak Performance Teaching Tool

Academics Self Regulation Strategies

Social Functioning Research

Concentration/Focus Relaxation Training

Drugless Solution Teaches Awareness

Positive Human Qualities Health

Once students have physiological measures, they can then learn to control their body by using methods to change

Examples: Imagery Meditation Self-hypnosis

Imagery

Exercise

Self-Hypnosis Music

Meditation

Students write a visual list of desired changes. Examples-shyness to assertiveness, weight loss, or improvements to concentration, memory, academic, performance, health, relaxation. The key is to be specific.

Provide instructions: 1. Connection between the physiological measurers with the thing

the student wants to change (i.e., stress when a shy person has to be assertive)

2. The type of Method to bring about change (i.e., imagery, meditation, music, etc.)

Distribute a GSR Unit (Galvanic Skin Response) and GSR2 instructions manual to each student for a predetermined amount of time .

Have students experiment with different methods (i.e., Imagery, meditation, music, etc.)

How Can Biofeedback be Used in a Classroom Provide a Graph to use and leave

the option open for the student to create an alternative graph for use.

Students keep a journal documenting date, time, their emotions, thoughts, responses, before & after each usage. Anything they believe is unusual, significant, interesting

Students write a scientific lab report and an informal essay about what they learned, possible changes that have occurred as a result of the biofeedback experiment, which method was the best & why, what did they learned or discovered new about themselves, has the experiment caused a new level of awareness & explain, the benefits & obstacles experienced; and how the student can apply this material to their life

Awareness of the brain & body connection

Achieve relaxation Channel talents and energies toward achieving & realizing our full potential

Applied research methods & procedures Observation skills Assessment & Evaluation Measuring & Interpreting findings Examine the evidence Think critically

American Psychological Association. (2007). APA Guidelines for the

Undergraduate Psychology Major. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from www.apa.org/ed/resources.html

Base, Harriet. (n. d.). Hypnosis and Meditation. Project Meditation. Retrieved November 23, 2010, from http://www.project-meditation.org/a_wim1/hypnosis_and_meditation.html

Biofeedback. (n. d.). Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA). Retrieved October 13, 2010, from http://www.bcia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3524

Biofeedback. (n. d.). Biofeedback Society of California. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from http://www.biofeedbackcalifornia.org/BSC_Member_Benefits.html

Biofeedback. (n. d.). MindGrowth. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from http://www.mindgrowth.com/store/about_us.php

Biofeedback. (n. d.). Wikipedia’s online encyclopedia (picture). Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback

Furedy, J. (1982). Comments on “Biofeedback in the Undergraduate Curriculum” from a more critical Pedagogical perspective. Teaching of Psychology, 9, 224-226.

GSR2 Instruction Manual. (1978). Quebec: Thought Technology Ltd.

Neurofeedback. (n.d.). International Society for Neurofeedback & Research. Retrieved October 15, 2010, from http://www.isnr.org

Palladino, J., Tryon, W., Johnson, R., Motiff, J., Rich, M., & Zweig, J. (1981). Biofeedback in the undergraduate curriculum. Teaching of Psychology, 8, 203-208.

Stern, R., Ray, W., & Quigley, K. (2001). Psychophysiological Recording. New York: Oxford.

Troyka, L. Q. , Hesse, D. (2010). Quick Access Reference for Writers. 6th. ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education

Wade, C., Travis, C. (2008). Psychology. 9th. ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education