Stress and blood glucose in type II diabetes mellitus.

Six adults with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus participated in a laboratory procedure to determine the effects of an acute stressor, mental arithmetic, on blood glucose, cardiovascular, and subjective indices of stress. They then completed 12 days home monitoring of stressful events, subjective stress, and blood glucose. Diet and activity were controlled to evaluate the direct effects of stress on blood glucose in the natural environment. Laboratory results showed significant increases in blood glucose, cardiovascular (HR and SBP), and subjective stress ratings during the mental arithmetic task when compared to a resting condition. Home monitoring data were consistent with the laboratory findings; blood glucose range tended to be greater on high vs low stress days, especially when the difference between high and low stress was greatest. These findings suggest that the laboratory stress induction procedure was externally valid and that in the natural environment, stress has a hyperglycemic effect on blood glucose.

Evaluation of an instructions and modeling procedure for training behavioral assessment interviewing.

Ten undergraduate psychology majors served as participants in two experiments training behavioral assessment interviewing skills. In the first study four participants received training with instructions and audio and written modeling in a multiple baseline across participants design. All participants increased interviewing performance substantially with training. The second study was conducted to evaluate the written instructional material alone. After baseline interviews all six remaining participants received training with instructions in a multiple baseline across participants fashion. For four participants who did not increase interview performance to 90% correct with instructions, the modeling component was added as a third phase. By the end of a subsequent feedback phase all participants increased their performance to 90% or better. Social validation measures of participants' interviewing performance were than added to evaluate process-related variables in the interview.

Reducing heart rate reactivity to stress with feedback. Generalization across task and time.

Heart rate (HR) reactions to two behavioral stressors (videogame and mental arithmetic) were measured in 8 experimental subjects who received biofeedback training and 8 matched control subjects during three assessment periods: pretraining, posttraining, and one-week follow-up. Experimental subjects exhibited significant reductions in HR following a training session in which they received ongoing HR feedback while playing a videogame. Control subjects, who played the same number of videogames without HR feedback, showed smaller HR reductions. During the training session, all subjects were instructed to reduce HR while maximizing game performance. In comparison to controls, experimental subjects (a) maintained lower HRs during videogame presentations after a one-week period and (b) generalized these HR reductions to the mental arithmetic challenge at follow-up. Performance on the videogame declined from posttraining to follow-up for experimental subjects but not for control subjects. No group difference in mental arithmetic performance was observed.